Advances in the Social Sciences

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2013) | Viewed by 41962

Special Issue Editor

School of Arts and Media, University of Salford, Crescent House, The Crescent, Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK
Interests: contemporary Italian politics; southern European politics; democratization; political corruption; the European left, west European communism and party political change; European Union politics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This first Special Issue of Social Sciences goes to the heart of the mission of the journal, which is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and understanding between the different disciplines in the social sciences, thus providing a stronger foundation for the development of interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research.

All disciplines in the social sciences are undergoing constant change in the direction and focus of their research as well as in their approaches and methods, in response to the challenges thrown up in the real world. Many of these changes occur in the sub-disciplines, which have, over time, grown in strength and autonomy. For these reasons, despite the promotion from within the academy of interdisciplinary research and despite the demands on the academy (from governments, the European Union and public/private funding bodies) to encourage and facilitate the growth of cross-disciplinary research, such an activity is hampered by the difficulties of different disciplines to be aware of developments elsewhere and to exchange knowledge in a common forum.

This journal is a modest step in this direction by providing a common forum where high quality articles on any discipline in the social sciences can be submitted and published, thus exposing readers from different disciplines to the work of others. This special issue specifically attempts to focus on recent disciplinary and sub-disciplinary advances and new avenues and approaches, and notably those which authors feel are of potential interest to other disciplines or sub-disciplines, especially from the point of view of future common research.

We therefore invite contributions to this Special Issue from all relevant disciplines in the social sciences: anthropology, economics, law, linguistics, education, geography, history, political science, psychology, sociology and area studies. The focus of the contributions should be on latest advances in disciplinary or sub-disciplinary areas, and these may relate to both method and substantive content, or both (e.g. via case studies). Where possible, we encourage authors to provide some indication of the potential benefits of these advances both for their own discipline and others. The subject-matter of the submissions may be as broad or narrow as necessary to demonstrating the nature and significance of the development in approach or substance.

Prof. Dr. Martin J. Bull
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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107 KiB  
Article
Adolescent Physical Fighting in Ghana, Their Demographic and Social Characteristics
by Emmanuel O. Acquah, Jennifer K. Lloyd, Laura Davis and Michael L. Wilson
Soc. Sci. 2014, 3(2), 227-241; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci3020227 - 05 May 2014
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5865
Abstract
Physical fighting is an important behavioral concern of public health importance among adolescents worldwide. The present study examines the patterns and correlates of physical fighting among a school-based population in a low-income country setting. Data on 6235 adolescents aged 11–16 years were derived [...] Read more.
Physical fighting is an important behavioral concern of public health importance among adolescents worldwide. The present study examines the patterns and correlates of physical fighting among a school-based population in a low-income country setting. Data on 6235 adolescents aged 11–16 years were derived from the Republic of Ghana contributions to the Global School-based Health Survey. Three thresholds of participation in a physical fight during a 12-month recall period were compared against several independent sociodemographic variables. Bivariate analyses were used to screen for statistically significant associations and multinomial logistic regression was used to examine significant relationships while adjusting for covariates. Within the recall period, 32% of adolescents had reported being involved in two or more physical fights. Those involved in a physical fight during three or more days during the recall period were more likely to have been bullied (relative risk ratios (RRR) = 1.86; 99% confidence intervals (CI): 1.38–2.52), have had a troubled experience with alcohol (RRR = 2.202; CI = 1.55–2.64), and miss days of school (RRR = 2.02; CI = 1.39–2.92). When adjusted only for age and sex, having understanding parents was protective (RRR = 0.64; CI = 0.53–0.78) as was having a positive school environment (RRR = 0.73; CI = 0.55–0.97). Our findings suggest that school-based programming which simultaneously targets multiple risk behaviors and conflict resolution may be helpful in interventions to reduce rates of physical fighting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Social Sciences)
68 KiB  
Article
Limits of Religious Analogy: The Example of Celebrity
by Nathalie Heinich
Soc. Sci. 2014, 3(1), 71-83; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci3010071 - 14 Feb 2014
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6358
Abstract
Focusing on celebrities is often compared to a religious behavior, be it by the actors when describing their own practices or by scholars when using analogies with “cult”, “sacralization” or “sanctification”. Such comparisons appear to be both obvious and hardly convincing, since they [...] Read more.
Focusing on celebrities is often compared to a religious behavior, be it by the actors when describing their own practices or by scholars when using analogies with “cult”, “sacralization” or “sanctification”. Such comparisons appear to be both obvious and hardly convincing, since they merely evoke, without analyzing or explaining. Moreover, they ignore the normative effects—be they positive or negative—produced by any kind of religious analogy. This paper proposes several paths toward a reasoned use of comparison with religion: extending comparison to differences and not only to resemblances; passing from “religion” in general to the plurality of religions; deconstructing the said “religious” phenomenon into several functions depending on contexts; replacing discontinuous categories by continuous typologies and, finally, “religion” conceived as an original matrix by “religion” conceived as a contextual configuration. “Religion” thus appears as a common sense notion rather than as a conceptual instrument, and analysis may then fully develop without being restricted by religious analogies, while comparison may be used as a real tool. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Social Sciences)
164 KiB  
Article
Why an Unbiased External R&D Evaluation System is Important for the Progress of Social Sciences—the Case of a Small Social Science Community
by Franc Mali
Soc. Sci. 2013, 2(4), 284-297; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci2040284 - 03 Dec 2013
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4580
Abstract
This article deals with the impact of external R&D evaluations as one of the institutional factors that can encourage (or discourage) the progress of the social sciences. A critical overview is presented of the increasing use of bibliometric indicators in the external R&D [...] Read more.
This article deals with the impact of external R&D evaluations as one of the institutional factors that can encourage (or discourage) the progress of the social sciences. A critical overview is presented of the increasing use of bibliometric indicators in the external R&D evaluation procedures employed by the Slovenian Research Agency, which is the leading research council for financing the public sector of social sciences in Slovenia. We attempt to establish that, in order to ensure a good external R&D evaluation practice for a small social science community, it is insufficient to only have reliable bibliometric meta-databases. It is argued that it is equally important to formulate very precise criteria to ascertain their validity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Social Sciences)
510 KiB  
Article
Interactions in Generalized Linear Models: Theoretical Issues and an Application to Personal Vote-Earning Attributes
by Tsung-han Tsai and Jeff Gill
Soc. Sci. 2013, 2(2), 91-113; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci2020091 - 07 May 2013
Cited by 182 | Viewed by 9009
Abstract
There is some confusion in political science, and the social sciences in general, about the meaning and interpretation of interaction effects in models with non-interval, non-normal outcome variables. Often these terms are casually thrown into a model specification without observing that their presence [...] Read more.
There is some confusion in political science, and the social sciences in general, about the meaning and interpretation of interaction effects in models with non-interval, non-normal outcome variables. Often these terms are casually thrown into a model specification without observing that their presence fundamentally changes the interpretation of the resulting coefficients. This article explains the conditional nature of reported coefficients in models with interactions, defining the necessarily different interpretation required by generalized linear models. Methodological issues are illustrated with an application to voter information structured by electoral systems and resulting legislative behavior and democratic representation in comparative politics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Social Sciences)
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168 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Economic Integration of Immigrants: A Wage Decomposition of the Earnings Disparities between Native-Born Canadians and Recent Immigrant Cohorts
by Kristyn Frank, Kelli Phythian, David Walters and Paul Anisef
Soc. Sci. 2013, 2(2), 40-61; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci2020040 - 09 Apr 2013
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6507
Abstract
This study assesses whether characteristics relating to ethnic identity and social inclusion influence the earnings of recent immigrants in Canada. Past research has revealed that relevant predictors of immigrant earnings include structural and demographic characteristics, educational credentials and employment-related characteristics. However, due to [...] Read more.
This study assesses whether characteristics relating to ethnic identity and social inclusion influence the earnings of recent immigrants in Canada. Past research has revealed that relevant predictors of immigrant earnings include structural and demographic characteristics, educational credentials and employment-related characteristics. However, due to the unavailability of situational and agency variables in existing surveys, past research has generally been unable to account for the impact of such characteristics on the economic integration of immigrants. Drawing on data from Statistics Canada's Ethnic Diversity Survey, this paper builds on previous research by identifying the relative extent to which sociodemographic, educational and ethnic identity characteristics explain earnings differences between immigrants of two recent cohorts and native-born Canadians. The results indicate that immigrants are disadvantaged in the labor market in terms of characteristics relating to sociodemographics and ethnic identity, but are advantaged in terms of human capital. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Social Sciences)
244 KiB  
Article
Population, Resources and Female Labor in the Raw Silk Industry of Nagano in Meiji Japan
by Tim F. Liao
Soc. Sci. 2013, 2(1), 23-39; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci2010023 - 07 Mar 2013
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 8593
Abstract
Gendered realities in local regions are a prominent issue in today’s global economy. However, the process of globalization in the late-19th century already involved the local Nagano women in an indispensable role in Japan’s raw silk industry. This paper studies the interplay between [...] Read more.
Gendered realities in local regions are a prominent issue in today’s global economy. However, the process of globalization in the late-19th century already involved the local Nagano women in an indispensable role in Japan’s raw silk industry. This paper studies the interplay between population growth and relatively limited resources in Nagano vis-à-vis the demand for female labor during the Meiji era, when Japan became a major raw silk producer. The local/regional constraints in Nagano interacted with economic globalization and gave Nagano its position in the global market. Therefore, we cannot ignore the consequences of local/regional constraints and advantages in global processes on female workers. Population pressure and environmental squeeze are found to have been important forces that integrated the local and regional in the global process of industrialization and trade, and together, they produced social outcomes, such as gender hierarchies in globalization and glocalization processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Social Sciences)
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