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The roaring (20‐) 20s are a decade of anniversaries and milestones. 2020 was the 100th anniversary of Ludwig von Mises's seminal article "Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth" and the 75th anniversary of F.A. Hayek's seminal article "The Use of Knowledge in Society." 2022 brought a series of significant anniversaries: the 100th anniversary of Mises's Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis as well as the 60th anniversary of James M. Buchanan and Gordon Tullock's The Calculus of Consent: Logical Foundations of Constitutional Democracy, Milton Friedman's Capitalism and Freedom, and Murray Rothbard's Man, Economy, and State. It was also the 20th anniversary of Vernon Smith's Nobel Prize. The works and milestones celebrating anniversaries in 2022 owe much to Mises's and Hayek's pathbreaking contributions. This paper summarizes and contextualizes Mises's and Hayek's arguments about socialism and knowledge and introduces a Southern Economic Journal symposium on the anniversaries of "Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth" and "The Use of Knowledge in Society." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Science Policy & Practice is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper addresses market formation in the public sector, particularly questions of how and why market arrangements for public services change, and what it means in terms of governance. The paper presents an in‐depth empirical study of a case in the Swedish transport sector, building on sociological research into market formation, particularly the work of Callon, Méadel, and Rabeharisoa on the qualification of products. Given the demand for process‐oriented research into market relations, especially in the public sector, this study empirically illustrates how and why roles, relations, and objects are maintained and transformed, and how these features are cocreated in practice. Although previous research has paid relatively little attention to product qualification, this paper demonstrates that it is useful to put this process at the center of the analysis. The present findings emphasize that how products came to be objectified, in terms of provider qualities rather than technical specifications, was the compromise that enabled various logics to be at stake simultaneously. The paper also contributes by demonstrating that NPM reforms of marketization can accommodate far‐reaching attempts by public organizations to influence the market, which is especially relevant in markets in which public‐sector organizations are dominant purchasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an introduction to the April 2001 issue of the "American Journal of Economics and Sociology."

Resource dependency and its impact upon community stability has long been of interest to rural sociologists. This paper critically evaluates the literature on timber-dependent communities to assess what is known, assumed, ignored, and avoided about the topic. We argue that timber-dependent communities may represent a somewhat special case of resource dependency and that the study of forest-based communities can contribute to sociological knowledge of rural life. The paper also discusses theoretical and methodological concerns to be addressed and presents an agenda for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper charts a renaissance in scholarly analysis of criminalisation, and suggests that we do not have the conceptual tools or empirical knowledge to make the claims about ‘overcriminalisation’ which motivate much of this scholarship. My argument gives further shape to projects under the umbrella of criminalisation, setting out some of the conceptual issues to be resolved before we can work towards an adequate interpretive, and normative, vision of how criminal law has been and might be used. The paper elaborates a number of projects in ‘criminalisation scholarship’, and suggests there is a failure adequately to distinguish the different senses of ‘criminalisation’ in the literature, or the varying methods which might be applied within historical, interpretive, analytic and normative studies of criminalisation. In conclusion, the paper argues for a certain genre of criminalisation scholarship, and for a multi-disciplinary criminalisation research agenda informed by history, sociology and political science as much as by law, criminology and philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social scientists recognize that discourses are structured by historical and social processes, but only rarely make the case that discourses have internal coherence due to processes of individual and social cognition. Where social scientists have argued for internal structuring, however, they have disagreed over how language and cognition interact for (1) individuals, (2) dyads, and (3) social groups. Using semantic sequence and metaphor analysis, I analyze transcripts of a series of meetings of Scottish shipyard workers in order to investigate cognitive schemas structuring the workers' discourse. Results show how individuals' schemas shaped their participation in their group's discourse. Possible future uses of the analytic method developed in this paper are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces articles and research papers of the April 2001 issue of the "American Journal of Economics and Sociology."

Articles in sociological journals on physical and sexual assault within the family show that research on "family violence" has grown exponentially since 1970, despite the fact that evidence indicates no increase in family violence. The paper suggests that this extraordinary growth in research is explained by changes in American society and in sociology as a discipline. The experience of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire is used to examine the interrelation of family violence research with social movements, and some pervasive and difficult aspects of these interrelationships, including the role of values in research, the selective use of research findings, and the involvement of the mass media in efforts to promote application of sociological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a critical and reflexive account of using Q methodology in human geography. Q methodology has a long pedigree in psychological, political and sociological research, but is only recently beginning to be used by human geographers. We discuss, in particular, the parts of the process(es) of Q methodology that are often glossed over in the literature, through reflecting on our learning in using Q within a project examining the use and production of environmental science by NGOs. We conclude that Q may be a useful supplement to existing methods in human geography, as long as it is used creatively and reflexively and with full awareness of its interpretative dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the papers discussed in the September 2004 issue of Sociological Forum. In the paper "Victory and Beyond: A Historical Comparative Analysis of the Outcomes of the Abortion Movements in Sweden and the U.S.," the paper argues that the historical social movements that once nourished a movement subsequently shape the initial policies representing movement success. In another paper, "Speaking Together, Thinking Together?," the author considers the problem of cultural coherence while Theresa Morris in the paper "Bank Mergers Under a Changing Regulatory Environment," examines why the banking industry experienced dramatic concentration through mergers.

This paper seeks an account of why young teens initiate consensual sexual activity. It does so by constructing statistical models aimed at distinguishing those who report having initiated sexual activity from those who have not in four samples of eighth graders from an Upstate New York county. Theoretical selection of the model variables is guidel by insights from "problem syndrome," control and differential association theories. From our findings we conclude the following: (1) Risk behaviors foreseen by the "problem sysdrome" approach, including having used marijuana and having been drunk, are significant, powerful predictors of early-teen sexual activity: (2) The social setting of consensual sexual activity differs by sex at the eighth grade level. For example, having a boyfriend is a more consistent, powerful predictor variable for girls than is having a girlfriend for boys and there is evidence to support the hypothesis that boys initiate sexual activity in the context of status-seeking while girls are more likely to do so as a way of attaining approval. (3) Our findings do not give clear primacy to parents or peers as an influence on early-teen consensual sexual activity. Both control theory, usually associated with "parental-influence" variables. And differential association theory, usually associated with " Per-influence" variables, receive support. (4) The results of the research spanning a 2-year period of intensive community antiteen-pregnancy efforts by a Zero Adolescent Pregnancy (ZAP) campaign are consistent with the conclusion that such a multifaceted approach might help lower early-teen initiation of sexual activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the demographic trends of international migration from China, particularly from Fujian Province in the 1980s and 1990s, comparing the characteristics of emigrants with nonemigrants. This research yields two major findings. First, Fujian Province become a leading immigrant-sending province in the mid-1990s. Second. there have also been changes in socioeconomic status (SES) selectivity of emigration from Fujian from 1990 to 1995. In particular, this change in emigration selectivity is characterized by a significant shift from urbanites to rural peasants. The future prospects of emigration from Fujian arid China are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an analysis of viability in a small village in northern Sweden and a contribution to testing the multi-modal systems method (MMSM). With the aid of the method, factors important to a village's life were selected and relationships between them analysed, to see if they promoted or threatened viability. Relationships are characteristic of a small community and it is argued that viability is best understood by examining relationships. MMSM proved a useful tool for studying relationships between the factors selected, between various modalities of community life, and between community groups. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a rejoinder to an earlier article critical of today's sexuality education. The major theoretical contentions of the earlier article are examined and refuted. The inaccuracies and myths used to buttress the critical thesis are documented. The positive values that more accurately describe sexuality education are delineated. The paper concludes that in its primary values and its observed effects, contemporary sexuality education represents the essence of democratic society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores some fundamental methodological issues, in particular about the standards by which research should be judged, that are raised by 'anti-racist' criticism of recent work by Peter Foster on teacher racism in British schools. The nature of the debate surrounding this work is examined, and it is suggested that it derives from fundamental disagreements about the character and purpose of sociological research. Arising from this, the implications of social scientists abandoning a foundationalist epistemology are considered. It is argued that this does not necessarily, and should not, lead us to adopt extreme epistemological alternatives, such as relativism, standpoint theory, or instrumentalism. Instead, a less radical non-foundationalism is defended, and its implications for the dispute between Foster and his critics explored. It is also suggested that while the ethical and political criticisms made of Foster's work imply an activist conception of research, even from an 'anti-racist' point of view relinquishing the relative autonomy of research from practical politics is unwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper questions the now widely held view that no meaningful distinctions are to be drawn between the disciplines of history and sociology. It is argued that one - highly consequential - difference concerns the nature of the evidence on which historians and sociologists typically rely or, more precisely, the way in which this evidence comes into being. This argument is developed and illustrated with reference to various examples of sociologists resorting to historical research and the difficulties they have encountered; and further in the context of a critique of 'grand historical sociology' whose practitioners have so far failed to provide their work with any adequate methodological basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of the classification of social class has long been a thorny one in sociological research. This is particularly so where there is any attempt to make empirical research reflect theoretical debates. In particular, the use of census classifications and social class scales has been fraught with difficulties. Is there, then, any sense, or indeed any circumstances, in which such classifications can be used as an indication of class in an empirical investigation? Indeed, how much difference does it make what scales are used? These problems are the central preoccupation of this paper. The discussion begins with a brief review of the theoretical approaches to the topic of class to be found in sociological theory. Then a number of commonly used occupational classifications are outlined. Finally, the results of a case study of school-leavers, and their occupational choices, are used to illustrate the use of four scales derived from different theoretical perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the June issue of Sociological Forum, several authors addressed the question, "What's Wrong with Sociology." Answers included increased fragmentation of the discipline, and the lack of an identifiable cumulative core of sociological knowledge. This paper examines many of the claims made by the contributors to the June 1994 Sociological Forum, reframes their arguments, and by placing debates regarding the problems in sociology in a broader perspective, identifies many of the recent advances made by the discipline. Focusing on such notable contributions to the field as feminist and postmodern scholarship, we locate the positive side of multiple perspective research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper raises a series of questions regarding the de-escalation of wan. It distinguishes between three types of groups that engage in wars: (a) states, (b) insurgents, and (c) peoples, and suggests that wars between different combinations of these three groups follow different patterns of de-escalation. It raises questions regarding the dynamics of de-escalation processes, the roles of different participants, and various types of de-escalation formulae. It concludes with a discussion of special data-gathering problems involved in studying the de-escalation of wars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development theory dealing with the highly industrialized countries of East Asia and Latin America has foundered in terms of its ability to generalize. The theories and concepts often are biased because they are derived from a selective and uneven reading of evidence from the two regions. This paper outlines the perceptions and misconceptions of a variety of theoretical perspectives on development, and then presents cross-regional evidence from East Asia and Latin America that suggests the need for a reformulation and synthesis of some of these earlier approaches. This theoretical synthesis focuses on three related themes: (I) the declining significance of industrialization; (2) the position of core and peripheral capital in commodity chains and export/marketing networks, which are becoming key units of analysis in the contemporary global manufacturing system; and (3) a new framework for differentiating the roles of the newly industrializing countries in the world economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to demonstrate the value of participatory action research (PAR) for advancing scientific knowledge as well as for solving practical problems. The article supports the argument through brief summaries of three PAR cases in industry: Norwegian shipping, Xerox Corporation, and the FAGOR group of the Mondragón cooperatives. While noting the practical gains achieved through PARJ the author concentrates particularly on the advances in substantive knowledge and theory that would have been unlikely to emerge out of more orthodox sociological research. The author suggests finally that wider use of participatory action research can have a stimulating effect upon the future development of sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the issue of multicollinearity in family studies research. A technique called ridge regression is presented as a method for analyzing models containing multicollinearity. Multicollinearity is described as an often overlooked, but significant and pervasive problem in the family studies field. The paper examines some problems associated with using ordinary least squares solutions in models containing multicollinearity. In addition, some usual techniques for dealing with multicollinearity are discussed along with some of their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, the ridge regression solution is demonstrated as an alternative technique for identifying multicollinearity problems in a set of data and as a means for producing reliable results in the presence of a multicollinear model. The study uses simulated data and a model of marital satisfaction to demonstrate the ridge regression technique. The results suggest that a ridge regression solution can produce results that are different from the ordinary least squares solution when the predictors are not orthogonal. Each of the different solutions suggests a different interpretation of the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the adoption of agricultural conservation technologies through analysis of diffusion, economic or farm-firm, and ecological factors. The traditional argument that all conservation practices are unprofitable is challenged. This position has been taken in arguments that the diffusion perspective is largely irrelevant in explaining the adoption of conservation technologies. This study argues, however, that the economic and diffusion perspectives are complementary. The adoption of an index of conservation practices and the use of conservation tillage are examined. Diffusion or information variables play an important role in the adoption of both conservation technologies. I close with suggestions for improving sociological research in this area; this research will increase the relevance of sociological analysis to policy debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from the 1971 Public Use Sample Tapes based on the 1971 Census are analyzed to examine the relationship between regional background and fertility in the Atlantic region and the test of Canada. Two explanations are discussed and tested for their relevance in explaining the above average fertility level in the eastern provinces. The results provide support for (1) the characteristic-assimilation proposition and (2) the regional-culture effect hypothesis. Standardization of social demographic variable differences (as a proxy for assimilation to the rest of Canada) results in a lowering of average family size among Atlantic females; however, the main effect of region is positive and stronger in magnitude. Possible sources of a regional-culture effect are discussed with reference to the social science literature concerning the Atlantic provinces. In a later section of the paper the association between the carry-over influence of region on fertility among outmigrants from this area of Canada is investigated. The findings indicate that outmigrants constitute a select group who have below average fertility in relation to Atlantic non-movers. Thus, the positive regional-culture effect is only of relevance to the indigenous nonmigrant population in the eastern region and has no carry-over influences among persons who leave this locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although social scientists have a number of concepts to differentiate the importance of various agents of influence (significant others), all rely on the recipients' judgment in assessing an other's ’significance.’ In this paper criteria involving observation of the activity of agents of influence themselves are proposed and investigated. Examined are the importance of a given source for a social system in terms of number of persons influenced and the scope of influence for each. Data pertaining to educational and occupational influence on a sample of high school students in rural Illinois are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most discussions of legitimation focus on factors that are expected to contribute to it, such as tradition, expertise, or prosperity. Less attention has been paid to “the dark side” of legitimation, which depends heavily on evading attention. A potentially informative approach is to learn from professionals with special expertise in evading attention while making things “disappear”—magicians. Rather than seeking overt control over the audience, they perform in plain view, largely by using well-timed distractions, or “misdirection.” Preliminary evidence suggests that similar techniques may be widely used in political contexts, with some of the most effective forms of misdirection involving diversionary reframing—diverting attention away from any questions about existing distributions of privilege, not by brute force, but by changing the subject, especially by raising questions about the legitimacy of critics. These and related techniques clearly deserve to be the focus of additional research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author do not see a conflict between roles of social scientist and social critic. On the contrary, the author has always felt obligated not just to undertake the most rigorous scientific research, but also to disseminate the results of that research to the widest possible audience. After all, some aspect of demography underlies nearly every political issue of import, and as a concerned citizen the author has a duty to speak out whenever demographic facts or analysis are relevant to an ongoing public debate. Most of author's research has been funded by American taxpayers, who likewise have a right to know how their taxes are spent. Moreover, the part not funded by taxpayers was paid for by private foundations, which also expect some return on their investment besides a few boring articles in journals that no one but a few graduate students and professors will ever read. Thus, the author believe, that demographers, especially those in federally funded population centers, owe it to the public to be accessible and forthcoming about their research and its implications. As a critical demographer, the author has found himself addressing the public in four different ways.

Income inequality in Great Britain grew more rapidly during the past three decades than in any other industrialized nation. This article discusses several issues related to income inequality in Great Britain. The article examines the relationships between population and household change, on the one hand, and labor market/employment change, on the other, and considers how these relationships have contributed to the growth of inequality. The perspective of the paper is sociological, although much of the work done, in this area have been carried out by demographers and economists. Areas where sociological research remains to be done are highlighted in this article. Developments in patterns of fertility and in households are linked to the growth of individualism and to changes in the labor market, and to be implicated jointly in the marked growth of inequality in Great Britain. The article argues that future research must link households and labor markets, and work towards understanding emerging new relationships between working and private lives, between living arrangements and labor supply, and between individual freedom and social integration.

Argues that there is a continuing paucity in social research on the powerful and questions, through autobiographical accounts, the extent to which feminist and anti-racist methodologies/critiques have actually been able to provide a terrain in which this type of research can be conducted. Concern about the relationship between the researcher and the researched, when the researched are powerful.

The present paper introduces social judgment theory to marital and family researchers as a potentially useful theoretical and methodological tool for understanding marital conflict. A review of the literature on marital conflict concludes that theoretical advances in understanding the cognitive basis of marital conflict have surpassed the research methods needed to test these conceptions. Current conceptions of conflict and research findings have converged on the importance of discrepancies between partners' cognitive sets or judgment patterns as possible determinants of marital conflict. It is proposed that social judgment theory offers both a theoretical framework and research paradigm that will be useful to marital researchers and therapists in understanding and treating marital conflict. A computerized procedure is described for identification, measurement, and reporting of judgmental sources of marital conflict and for differentiation of apparent and actual conflict. A case study is provided as an example of how the judgment paradigm can be used for both research and clinical purposes. The results of the case study suggests that social judgment theory and interactive computer graphics offer tools toward improved understanding of one's own judgment process and that of one's marriage partner as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A woman's first birth is one of the most significant events in her life. It signifies her taking on the roles and responsibilities of a mother, often to the exclusion of further education and career-building roles. The earlier these roles and responsibilities are undertaken, the less likely are alternatives to be taken and the greater is the expected quantity and pace of subsequent childbearing. Consequently, this paper explores the social determinants of the timing of the first birth. A model is developed and tested in which a number of social factors are hypothesized to affect age at first birth. Age at first birth is allowed to have a reciprocal effect on education; thus, the model is nonrecursive. Education at marriage is the most important predictor of age at first birth, and the relationship is positive. Although a few social determinants do have a direct effect on age at first birth (such as race, religion, and smoking at young ages), most determinants affect age at first birth through education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article attempts to present a conceptual framework to be used in the study and analysis of the relationship between families and societies. The author states that social scientists and policy makers respond to the unanticipated social problems brought by economic growth and industrialization, and require empirical data based on family sociological research in order to provide humanistic social action policies. Social indicators, approaches to familial systems, and linkages between family and society are discussed.

French religious research remains particularly interested in socio-historical studies and theoretical debates, especially centered around the classics. Research on individual socio-religious behavior has evolved toward previously neglected dimensions and the structure of religion as a system of meanings, particularly in the analysis of religious language. In socio-ecclesiastical research, trends emphasize the study of the division of religious labor, the power structure, and the social and cultural strategies of the various agents in the religious field Finally, with regard to religion and society, research focuses on the social, political, and ideological functions of religions and religious groups This paper does not intend to be an exhaustive, systematic report on the content of publications in French in the field of religious research. Its only aim is to call to the attention of those students of religion who are not usually in contact with such publications, some of the most visible and important trends in this literature. The works cited constitute a selective bibliography, which does not pretend to be a representative choice of the best works. Some of them are seminal essays or pioneering research, while others are only illustrative of the tendencies referred to in the report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Couples who live apart present a unique opportunity to study the consequences of tampering with our culture's marital co-residence norm, interviews with 37 spouses, representing members of 21 couples who are legally married and who live apart in service to career demands of both, suggest that time and place discontinuities result from two residence living. Two residences mean that spouses are not able to mesh and coordinate time schedules, nor do they share the common base of their co resident counterparts. The time/place disjunctions that result threaten these marriages' ability to "make sense" to the partners of such unions. This paper examines the sense-jeopardizing consequence of living apart and suggest that this marital form's inherent strains make it a difficult lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point data obtained from real‐time location systems (RTLSs) can be processed into animal contact networks, describing instances of interaction between tracked individuals. Proximity‐based definitions of interanimal "contact," however, may be inadequate for describing epidemiologically and sociologically relevant interactions involving body parts or other physical spaces relatively far from tracking devices. This weakness can be overcome by using polygons, rather than points, to represent tracked individuals and defining "contact" as polygon intersections.We present novel procedures for deriving polygons from RTLS point data while maintaining distances and orientations associated with individuals' relocation events. We demonstrate the versatility of this methodology for network modeling using two contact network creation examples, wherein we use this procedure to create (a) interanimal physical contact networks and (b) a visual contact network. Additionally, in creating our networks, we establish another procedure to adjust definitions of "contact" to account for RTLS positional accuracy, ensuring all true contacts are likely captured and represented in our networks.Using the methods described herein and the associated R package we have developed, called contact, researchers can derive polygons from RTLS points. Furthermore, we show that these polygons are highly versatile for contact network creation and can be used to answer a wide variety of epidemiological, ethological, and sociological research questions.By introducing these methodologies and providing the means to easily apply them through the contact R package, we hope to vastly improve network‐model realism and researchers' ability to draw inferences from RTLS data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John H. Evans's recent book Morals Not Knowledge is a timely argument to recognize broader social and cultural factors that might impact what U.S. religious publics think about the relationship between science and religion and their attitudes toward science and/or religion. While Evans's focus is primarily on what can be classed as moral issues, this response argues that there are other factors that sit within neither the older epistemic conflict model approach nor a moral conflict model approach that also merit further investigation. There is a significant need for further research that examines the social, psychological, (geo)political, and broader cultural factors shaping people's social identities in relation to science and religion debates. When undertaking such research, we need to be wary of creating a binary between scholarly and public space discourse. Social scientific research in this field should be led by public perceptions, attitudes, and views, not by concepts or frameworks that we project onto them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Evans's new book Morals Not Knowledge pushes scholars to rethink contemporary debates about religion and science by moving past the rhetoric of societal elites to examine the perspectives of everyday Americans, identifying the moral conflicts at the heart of debates. We review Evans's key contributions while also extending and challenging his arguments, urging consideration of how renewed moral debates might be informed by a broader set of U.S. "publics." Drawing on empirical research, we highlight four sets of voices that are missing from Evans's analysis. Specifically, we highlight the voices of racial and ethnic minorities, religious communities (as opposed to individuals), members of minority religious traditions, and everyday religious scientists. Through doing so we offer avenues for future research on these diverse publics that will help facilitate a broader set of better and more informed debates about moral conflict between religious and scientific communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When examining a century of solid sociological research and writing on race and racial division, one is impressed with the volume and quality of the work, yet also perplexed. The question is, why has the racial divide proved so resistant to legal, political, and social advancement, especially in a democracy that prides itself on its capacity to absorb and integrate ethnic and immigrant minorities? A stark division within the black community is mirrored in the oft-noted opinion gap between black and white Americans on a host of political and social issues. Racism has not, according to current data, abated permanently. as it is refueled periodically by adverse shifts in economic conditions.

The article presents a note from the editor which focuses on the relationship between theory and research. As the editor of "Forum," one primary criticism made by the author is that theory in submitted manuscripts adds little to the understanding of the topic. According to the author, a theory is an explanation of a sociological phenomenon. In analyses of the substance of citations sociologists of science have found that a high portion, about 60%, of citations to theorists are ceremonial. It is incumbent on the author to show how the theory adds to the understanding of the subject matter of the article. Also, authors must realize that adding references to or quotations from famous theorists does not absolve them from making their articles truly theoretical. To do this, authors should begin their articles by clearly defining the problem that the research is aimed at solving. After the problem is defined, the material, whether it be qualitative or quantitative data or analysis of existing literature, that helps solve the problem is presented. The article is truly theoretical if it presents a credible solution to the problem it deals with.

Elinor Ostrom thinks she has discovered a third way apart from private and government property: the commons. In her view, there is no 'tragedy' associated with this third option. The present article takes strong issue with her. Our claim is that she has not properly distinguished between a commons and partnership arrangements. In the former case, outsiders cannot be excluded from entry; in the latter, they can. The reason for this confusion between the commons and private property in Ostrom's work is that she believes private property is possible only if government protects and enforces it. We show by using various historical examples that this assumption is wrong, and hence the central tenet of Ostrom's model of the commons fails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces an innovative, experimental, adaptive, and iterative approach to creating legal and institutional frameworks based on urban polycentric governance to foster commons-based urban policies. First, the theory of urban/local governance is introduced, based on an urban co-governance matrix. A new type of regulatory system is then described that aims at transforming people in distributed nodes of collective action. Citizens and institutions can be myriad nodes of designing and problem solving in the public interest. Urban co-governance aims at taking advantage of this galaxy of networks. I then examine design principles and a methodology to implement the urban co-governance matrix. The concluding question concerns the need for a new research methodology to investigate the ongoing process of state transformation and institutional genesis at the urban level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Statistics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite a recent increase in attention within the social sciences, suffering remains for the most part outside of the purview of sociologists. In this essay, I explore the possibilities for a sociology of suffering by briefly interrogating suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the Lower Ninth Ward, the epicenter of the hurricane and the federal levee failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay provides a response to comments offered by Omar and Ann with reference to my piece 'How Has Bourdieu Been Good to Think With? The Case of the United States' ( ). All essays appear in this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay discusses the impact of Bourdieu on modern U.S. sociology. Specifically, I offer five observations about the reception and adoption of Bourdieu by U.S. sociologists from the perspective of someone who was involved in the process I describe as an active but not fully invested participant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay responds to article 'How Has Bourdieu Been Good to Think With? The Case of the United States,' and essay 'The Three Phases of Bourdieu's U.S. Reception,' both of which appear in this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how a temporal analysis of singlehood can contribute both to new conceptualizations of singlehood as well as to the study of social time. Prevalent interpretations of waiting single women offer a useful case study as they highlight the temporal organization of social life. Waiting is examined as an interactive setting representing and producing societal symbols, timetables, and collective schedules. Furthermore, this particular form of waiting is mostly featured as an unexpected delay and, accordingly, strengthens the widespread understanding of singlehood as a temporary and transitory life phase. Based on a content analysis, this article seeks to theorize some of the temporal aspects of singlehood, analyze its discursive implications, and study how it reflects and structures dominant discourses of family and social life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply a life course perspective to study young men's transition to adulthood within the context of their return to family after a period of incarceration. Our phenomenological analysis was based on 9 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with formerly incarcerated men between the age of 18 and 24. Our findings revealed that reentry was a developmental paradox that embodied contradictions about employment, maturity, and dependence on family. A key developmental contradiction was that although employment was essential for young men's ability to become independent, it was out of reach for most of the study participants due to their criminal justice involvement. Furthermore, lived meanings around dependency on family as a result of incarceration ran counter to young men's self-definitions of adult manhood. Recommendations are discussed to help resolve these contradictions and facilitate young offenders' ability to move forward in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay draws on my own personal research and teaching experience with games to illustrate the many ways game simulations can further the sociological enterprise. Examples include the usefulness of games in research, teaching, negotiation, and conflict management, and as a resource for social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]