Improving occupational safety in a bedding manufacturing plant: A case study in management problem solving

The development and evaluation of a data-based intervention program to reduce work-related injuries in a bedding manufacturing plant are described. This is an example of a “pure” study in the pragmatic paradigm, and therefore this article follows a nontraditional format. It is written for busy corporate managers rather than for social science researchers. [Editor's note: Because this article was written independently of the conceptual framework outlined in Table 3 of my introductory article to this Special Feature section, there is no formal discussion by Rose and Harshbarger of the issues raised by the table. However, these authors did provide feedback to me through personal communication that their report was very positively received by its target audience (company management) because of its clarity of presentation and its simple but dramatic message: significantly improved safety performance and bottom-line savings for the company. In addition. Rose and Harshbarger reported that they were able to follow up this project with similar, very successful safety programs at several other large corporations.]     

From the Editor

Sociological Forum -     

Correlation of Quantitative Risk Results for High Hazard Processes

A quantitative risk analysis was conducted to evaluate the design of the VX neutralization subsystem and related support facilities of the U.S. Army Newport Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. Three major incidents including agent release, personnel injury, and system loss were studied using fault tree analysis methodology. Each incident was assigned a risk assessment code based on the severity level and probability of occurrence of the incident. Safety mitigations or design changes were recommended to bring the "undesired" risk level (typical agent release events) to be "acceptable with controls" or "acceptable."     

Cultural Representation of Disabled People: Dustbins for Disavowal?

Impairment and imagery are neglected within the social model approaches to disability. This is connected to a neglect of representation. Comparing the experience of disabled people to that of women, I explore the prejudice underlying cultural representation, using a variety of theoretical models. I conclude by suggesting an explanation for popular prejudice against disabled people.     

The Historical Evolution of World-Systems*

This article synthesizes a new account of world-system evolution from contending cultural materialist, Marxist, and Weberian theories of very long-run social change. We explain the increasing size of world-systems, the rise of more and more hierarchical and larger empires, and the creation of a single global capitalist political economy in terms of iterations of a basic model of population growth, intensification of production, transformation of modes of accumulation, and uneven development in which semiperipheral actors construct transformational innovations. Our theory spans the twelve thousand years since the mesolithic establishment of sedentary societies. We comparatively analyze chiefdom formation, state formation, empire formation, and the rise and fall of hegemonic core powers in the modern world-system.