Are there really two cultures? A pilot study on the application of qualitative and quantitative methods in political science

In their 2012 publication A Tale of Two Cultures, Gary Goertz and James Mahoney argue that empirical research in the social sciences aiming at causal inference can be differentiated into a qualitative and a quantitative methodological culture. The two cultures differ fundamentally in how researchers approach and implement empirical studies. The argument is well laid out and comprehensively illustrated, but the empirical validity of the two cultures hypothesis has not yet been evaluated systematically. This note introduces a research project that aims to test the two cultures hypothesis via an empirical analysis of how qualitative and quantitative methods are applied. To determine whether there is a qualitative and quantitative method culture, the researchers initially sampled 30 articles from three journals (Comparative Political Studies, European Journal of Political Research, World Politics) in the 2008–2012 period. Based on this dataset, no evidence was found for the existence of coherent systems of methods practices in political science.     

Measuring Local Autonomy in 39 Countries (1990–2014)

Local autonomy is a highly valued feature of good governance. The continuous efforts of many European countries to strengthen the autonomy of local government show the importance given to decentralization and the transfer of far-reaching competences to the lowest units. Measuring and comparing local autonomy, however, has proven to be challenging. Not only are there diverging ideas about the core elements of local autonomy, there are also considerable difficulties applying specific concepts to different countries. This paper outlines a comprehensive methodology for measuring local autonomy. It analyses 39 European countries and reports changes between 1990 and 2014. A network of experts on local government assessed the autonomy of local government of their respective countries on the basis of a common code book. The 11 variables measured show an overall increase of local autonomy but significant variation between the countries. The variables also add up to an overall measurement of local autonomy.     

Ideological contestation and disciplinary associations: An autoethnographic analysis

An autoethnographic and self-reflexive theorised analysis of aspects of the South African Communication Association reveals that its internal tensions mimicked wider contradictions both during and after apartheid. The historical role played by the association is critically examined in relation to issues of governance and naming, and with regard to its shaping of the South African scholarly community as it negotiated different paradigms, constituencies and historical-political-economic contexts. The analysis is embedded in a critique of neoliberalism and how this condition has impacted the management procedures of the association.     

Understanding differences in crime reporting practices: a comparative approach

Despite a large body of literature detailing crime reporting practices, scant research examines the correlates of the crime reporting decision in developing nations with newer democracies, newer economies, or developing economies. Using a sample of 23 nations from the 2000 International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS), this study tests the generalizability of correlates of robbery and assault reports to the police in a non-US sample to determine whether there are national differences in reporting practices. Based on this analysis emphasizing the developing world and countries in transition, an expanded model, integrating incident, demographic, police-related, and national variables, is developed that will enhance our understanding of differences in reporting practices in developing and developed nations. Results identified both similarities and differences in crime reporting practices between developed and developing nations. Although the findings reinforce the importance of incident and demographic characteristics on reporting crime to the police, they also suggest that national variables, reflecting economic and social context, should not be excluded from studies examining reporting practices.     

中国监狱发源地史考

监狱的产生是人类社会走向文明的一个标志。河南在率先迈进文明门槛的同时 ,也在中华民族历史上率先产生了过去从来未有过的监狱。通过对夏、商奴隶制监狱形成和发展的历史考察 ,我们看到 ,起源于河南地区的中国夏朝和商朝监狱 ,是我国进入阶级社会出现的最早的监狱 ,河南是中国监狱的发源地。     

开展罪犯心理健康教育研究与实验的总体构想

罪犯作为特殊的社会群体 ,是心理问题和心理疾病的高发群体。开展罪犯心理健康教育是稳定罪犯改造情绪和监狱改造秩序的需要 ;是提高罪犯素质 ,适应再社会化后的需要。《罪犯心理健康教育科学化实施的研究与实验》采用“质的研究”方法 ,从理论上着重研究罪犯心理健康教育的内涵、罪犯心理健康教育的内容 ;从实践上着重探索罪犯心理健康教育科学化实施的方法、途径和模式。     

A recycling story: Developing recycling behavior in Turkey with social marketing program

The present study focuses on improving recycling behavior in Turkey with a social marketing program. It is centered on behavior change and social marketing strategies that can address recycling behavior. The social marketing program developed herein outlines segmentation, targeting, product, price, place, and promotional strategies recommended based on theoretical elements across disciplines. This research is the first to develop a social marketing program for recycling behavior in a developing country at the household level. Furthermore, it is the first study in which behavioral change was ensured through marketing strategies. This article provides a framework that can be employed in developing social marketing programs. In this study, qualitative data collection tools and quantitative measurement data were used based on the action research design. Although there are studies in the literature that argue that women and those with undergraduate/graduate education show more recycling behavior than others, the results of the participant-level research in Turkey showed that there was no significant difference in recycling behavior based on the demographic characteristics of the participants. On the other hand, it has been found that the awareness levels of the people have changed in correspondence with the implementation-oriented efforts of the municipalities on recycling. However, there is a lack of recycling behavior due to the lack of necessary infrastructure and information in all regions in Turkey. One of the most important results obtained in this social marketing program study was that regional and cultural differences had a role in shaping the recycling behavior. This requires different strategies in implementing the program in different provinces, based on the culture and availability of recycling infrastructure. This article provides an example of a social marketing program to improve recycling behavior. It hopes to inspire significantly more work in this area to make behavior change for the better.     

国内外史学界关于俄乌关系史研究综述

苏联解体后,俄乌关系史成为国内外史学界特别是俄罗斯和乌克兰史学界研究的热点。目前,国内外学者在这一领域研究多集中在《佩列亚斯拉夫协议》及其影响、俄罗斯帝国版图内的乌克兰、乌克兰分离主义运动、乌克兰大饥荒、二战中的乌克兰、乌克兰独立等方面。由于从不同视角解读俄乌关系史,加之有些历史问题被人为政治化,学者们的研究结论存在明显差别。     

论教育学研究对象

确定教育学研究对象是教育学成熟的重要标志。教育学的研究对象是教育问题,主要依据是：把教育问题确定为教育学的研究对象符合各门科学形成的规律性：教育学以教育问题为研究对象反映了解决教育学领域特殊矛盾的客观要求。教育学确定研究对象后,应把握与教育学研究目的和研究任务的联系。     

关于公安院校廉政教育体系创新的研究——辽宁警官高等专科学校廉政建设调研报告

辽宁警官高等专科学校肩负着为辽宁省公安、司法战线培养人民警察的重任,学校一直把廉政教育作为政治建警、政治育警和党建工作新的伟大工程常抓不懈。学校将廉政教育与从严治校、从严育警结合起来,形成了以观念创新为先导、以文化建设为载体、以主题活动为切点、以队伍建设为保障、以人本管理为依托的具有创新特色的公安院校廉政教育体系。辽宁警官高等专科学校廉政建设取得的一些宝贵经验,推动了公安院校廉政教育体系的创新。