A toolbox for public relations: The oeuvre of Michel Foucault

In this article, we provide a brief introduction to the work of Michel Foucault. Our focus is on the major themes of Foucault's work: discourse, power/knowledge and subjectivity. We demonstrate the rich contribution that Foucauldian theory can make to public relations practice and scholarship by moving beyond a focus on excellence towards an understanding of public relations as a discourse practice with power effects.     

Uncertain Numbers and Uncertainty in the Selection of Input Distributions—Consequences for a Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Contaminated Land

Risks from exposure to contaminated land are often assessed with the aid of mathematical models. The current probabilistic approach is a considerable improvement on previous deterministic risk assessment practices, in that it attempts to characterize uncertainty and variability. However, some inputs continue to be assigned as precise numbers, while others are characterized as precise probability distributions. Such precision is hard to justify, and we show in this article how rounding errors and distribution assumptions can affect an exposure assessment. The outcome of traditional deterministic point estimates and Monte Carlo simulations were compared to probability bounds analyses. Assigning all scalars as imprecise numbers (intervals prescribed by significant digits) added uncertainty to the deterministic point estimate of about one order of magnitude. Similarly, representing probability distributions as probability boxes added several orders of magnitude to the uncertainty of the probabilistic estimate. This indicates that the size of the uncertainty in such assessments is actually much greater than currently reported. The article suggests that full disclosure of the uncertainty may facilitate decision making in opening up a negotiation window. In the risk analysis process, it is also an ethical obligation to clarify the boundary between the scientific and social domains.     

Evaluation: Stakeholder-focused Criteria

Identifying and selecting suitable criteria is an important consideration in evaluating the performance of public sector organizations. Which criteria are chosen, and how they are weighted, will depend largely on the perspective being taken; different stakeholders (for example, clients, providers or commissioners) are likely to emphasize different criteria. In this paper a number of criteria are identified and an argument is developed to indicate which criteria are likely to be valued by various stakeholders. Furthermore, a number of approaches and mechanisms for evaluation are identified and the links between these, the criteria appropriate to them and the various stakeholders are made explicit. Finally, the issue of politics and the distribution of power between the stakeholders is addressed with a call for greater explicitness in using and balancing criteria (for example, as between professionals and the intended beneficiaries of services). In this way, while recognizing the inherent political nature of performance evaluation, the planning and implementation of services may be improved by a more mutually informed approach to evaluation.     

我国上市公司盈余管理行为的实证分析

我国证券市场存在较为严重的盈余管理现象.针对该现象,本文从盈余管理动机出发,分析我国上市公司盈余管理的行为特征.本文采用管理后盈余分布法,研究了我国上市公司2001年至2003年净资产收益率(ROE)的分布特征,发现我国上市公司仍然存在很强的盈余管理动机,而且我国上市公司盈余管理的行为受到政府监管的影响.最后,本文在实证研究的基础上提出了治理盈余管理的几点建议.     

An Australian history of the subordination of midwifery

This paper analyses the history of the subordination of midwifery to medicine and nursing. With the important exception of Evan Willis’ work on medical dominance and Annette Summers’ work on the takeover of midwifery by nursing, other histories of Australian midwifery have taken a neutral approach to issue of power and control. The aim of analysing this period is to identify the strategies of power that were used to subordinate midwifery. With increased consciousness of how power has operated in the past, midwives and woman of today can be more empowered when seeking to promote normal birth and midwifery models of care.Concepts of ‘power’, ‘the state’ and midwife are defined and discussed. A summary of the decline of midwifery and the rise of obstetrics in Europe and the United Kingdom (UK) gives a background against which to understand the Australian experience. The historical account given here draws to a climax by focussing on the period 1886–1928. It was during this time that medicine forged an alliance with nursing and achieved both legal and disciplinary control of midwifery. Knowing how this was done is important because it helps us to recognise the power strategies that are currently being used by medicine. This is helpful when planning how these strategies might be matched or countered by contemporary woman and midwives when seeking to promote normal birth and midwifery models of care.     

应用白纸测图技术测绘大比例尺草地群落分布图的探讨

在牧区生产方面 ,大比例尺草地植被分布图是非常重要的基础资料 ,对于划区轮牧、草场轮刈以及草地权属落实等都是最基础的档案 ,然而大比例尺植被图 ( 1:50 0 0 )的测绘却很少有人探讨 ,本文从生产发展需要出发 ,试用测绘学方法白纸测图技术 ,进行 1:50 0 0植物群落分布图的测绘研究 ,此方法可以概括为草群分类、样地选择、界线勾绘、建立控制网、样地扩展、分板实测、联绘成图等步骤     

M-quantile models with application to poverty mapping

Over the last decade there has been growing demand for estimates of population characteristics at small area level. Unfortunately, cost constraints in the design of sample surveys lead to small sample sizes within these areas and as a result direct estimation, using only the survey data, is inappropriate since it yields estimates with unacceptable levels of precision. Small area models are designed to tackle the small sample size problem. The most popular class of models for small area estimation is random effects models that include random area effects to account for between area variations. However, such models also depend on strong distributional assumptions, require a formal specification of the random part of the model and do not easily allow for outlier robust inference. An alternative approach to small area estimation that is based on the use of M-quantile models was recently proposed by Chambers and Tzavidis (Biometrika 93(2):255–268, 2006) and Tzavidis and Chambers (Robust prediction of small area means and distributions. Working paper, 2007). Unlike traditional random effects models, M-quantile models do not depend on strong distributional assumption and automatically provide outlier robust inference. In this paper we illustrate for the first time how M-quantile models can be practically employed for deriving small area estimates of poverty and inequality. The methodology we propose improves the traditional poverty mapping methods in the following ways: (a) it enables the estimation of the distribution function of the study variable within the small area of interest both under an M-quantile and a random effects model, (b) it provides analytical, instead of empirical, estimation of the mean squared error of the M-quantile small area mean estimates and (c) it employs a robust to outliers estimation method. The methodology is applied to data from the 2002 Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS) in Albania for estimating (a) district level estimates of the incidence of poverty in Albania, (b) district level inequality measures and (c) the distribution function of household per-capita consumption expenditure in each district. Small area estimates of poverty and inequality show that the poorest Albanian districts are in the mountainous regions (north and north east) with the wealthiest districts, which are also linked with high levels of inequality, in the coastal (south west) and southern part of country. We discuss the practical advantages of our methodology and note the consistency of our results with results from previous studies. We further demonstrate the usefulness of the M-quantile estimation framework through design-based simulations based on two realistic survey data sets containing small area information and show that the M-quantile approach may be preferable when the aim is to estimate the small area distribution function.     

城镇化:乡镇政府职能转变的新背景论析

城镇化在推动中国经济社会发展过程中起着重要作用。实施城镇化战略,是解决我国三农问题的重要途径,是实现城乡经济社会统筹协调发展的必然要求,是加快工业化发展的必然结果,是建设社会主义新农村的重要选择。我国现有的城镇化发展水平、经济体制改革的目标、城镇化的成本与效益等因素是中国特色城镇化道路的选择依据。在城镇化进程中,乡镇政府要转变计划经济体制中依靠行政命令自上而下搞城镇化建设的做法,依靠经济和法律手段,科学干预、合理引导,从而不断加快城镇化进程。城镇化的发展,为乡镇政府职能转变提供了一个全新的背景。     

社会工作实验室在情境教学中的功能探讨

社会工作实验室是社会工作教学中重要的平台和手段,不仅仅能够帮助学生体验和练习社会工作实务技巧,还能够丰富教师在理论教学中的手段和方式。本文试图从情境教学出发,探讨社会工作实验室在情境教学中的使用,从而丰富教学手段,提高教学效果。     

Estimation of the means of the bivariate normal using moving extreme ranked set sampling with concomitant variable

The estimation of the means of the bivariate normal distribution, based on a sample obtained using a modification of the moving extreme ranked set sampling technique (MERSS) is considered. The modification involves using a concomitant random variable. Nonparametric-type methods as well as the maximum likelihood estimation are considered. The estimators obtained are compared to their counterparts based on simple random sampling (SRS). It appears that the suggested estimators are more efficient. Also, MERSS with concomitant variable is easier to use in practice than the usual ranked set sampling (RSS) with concomitant variable. The issue of robustness of the procedure is addressed. Real trees data set is used for illustration.