This document provides guidance for Alena Prokop Sobotova's final dissertation. It outlines the steps she needs to take, including choosing a topic and research question, conducting a literature review to define her dependent and independent variables, developing a theoretical framework, and addressing key debates. The document emphasizes that the theoretical framework is important for organizing her research and reflecting on her conception of political science. It provides examples of different approaches she could take to explaining her dependent variable and implications of each choice.
The head of the Department, Sociology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
Subject: Permission for data collection from the Bandhu organization for research on transgender health-seeking behavior.
Sir,
I'm conducting a research on transgender health-seeking behavior under the supervision of Avijit Chakrabarty Ayon (Assistant Professor, Sociology, SUST). Therefore, I need to collect data from the Bandhu Social Welfare Society.
For this purpose, I need to conduct this research and your permission to collect data from the Bandhu social welfare society.
Best regard,
Aset Ahmed Khan Oyon
Reg no: 2021222027
Department of Sociology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
The head of the Department, Sociology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
Subject: Permission for data collection from the Bandhu organization for research on transgender health-seeking behavior.
Sir,
I'm conducting a research on transgender health-seeking behavior under the supervision of Avijit Chakrabarty Ayon (Assistant Professor, Sociology, SUST). Therefore, I need to collect data from the Bandhu Social Welfare Society.
For this purpose, I need to conduct this research and your permission to collect data from the Bandhu social welfare society.
Best regard,
Aset Ahmed Khan Oyon
Reg no: 2021222027
Department of Sociology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
The assignment is covering week 12 and week 13 materials.Week 1.docxAASTHA76
The assignment is covering week 12 and week 13 materials.
Week 12: Static and flexible budgets.
Week 13: Standard costs and variance analysis
COST ACCOUNTING
ACCT 301
ASSIGNMENT 4
1. You are required to prepare a Direct Material Budget for the second quarter (April to June) by considering a manufacturing company operating in Saudi Arabia as a sample study.
2. You are required to prepare the Sales price variance and Revenue sales quantity variance by taking any of your choice Saudi based company and suggest the suitable reasons for the variances.
3. You are required to allot the support department cost to operations department by taking any Saudi based operating company.
4005737.txt
#4005737 Topic: evaluate how social science theories explain changes of voting behaviour over time.
Number of Pages: 5 (Double Spaced)
Number of sources: 3
Writing Style: APA
Type of document: Essay
Academic Level:Undergraduate
Category: Sociology
Language Style: English (U.K.)
Order Instructions:
once its been assigned to the writer, i will email the sources
please pay close attention to referencing.
Order_Files_4005737_13.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_12.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_11.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_9.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_5.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_3.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_7.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_8.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_1.pdf
Chapter 7
Enacting elections
Richard Heffernan
1 Introduction 271
1.1 Structure of the chapter 274
1.2 Aims of the chapter 274
2 Collecting and generating evidence about elections 276
2.1 Social science and general elections in the UK 278
3 Explaining participation and non-participation in
elections 282
3.1 Explaining turnout in elections 284
4 Social science theories of voting decisions 289
4.1 The class-based theory: a sociological explanation
of voting 290
4.2 The party-identification theory: from a sociological to a
social-psychological explanation of voting 292
4.3 The valence-politics theory: an issue-based explanation
of voting 294
4.4 Description and understanding in the evaluation of
theories of voting 297
5 Enacting elections: informing and shaping public
debate 300
6 Conclusion: making sense of participation 303
6.1 Chapter summary 303
References 305
1 Introduction
1 Introduction
This chapter introduces the idea that social science not only describes
and understands social worlds, but it also helps to enact them – by
seeking to inform public debates and policy making, social science helps
to shape the ways in which processes and practices work. The chapter
explores this idea by using the example of how social science
investigates one particular type of participation; that is, participation as a
citizen in elections. Voting is often thought of as a basic form of
participation in the political life of the communities where people live.
Voting in an election is a means by .
Chapter 2What Do Sociologists DoThis Chapter Will Help EstelaJeffery653
Chapter 2
What Do Sociologists Do?
This Chapter Will Help You:
Understand the difference between common sense and sociological research
Outline the major perspectives in sociology
Identify the difference between qualitative and quantitative research
Identify the various types of research methods that sociologists use
Understand the importance of ethics in social science research
What is Common Sense?
Knowledge we get from our lived experience
May be accurate, but is not always reliable
Things that are commonly known are not necessarily factual
Fake News
Have you seen this meme?
It was circulated widely on social media as “factual”
In reality, research shows that this information is completely inaccurate
Major Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology
What is a Theory?
A set of propositions intended to explain social phenomena
May be used to explain or predict a phenomenon
Theories can help us understand the relationships between variables
Major Theoretical Perspectives: Functionalism
Functionalism focuses on social stability
Functionalists view society as a set of interconnected parts
This is similar to how the human body works
Social institutions persist because they help society to survive
Functionalism, cont’d – Talcott Parsons
Society tends toward balance or equilibrium
As one part of society changes, other parts must adjust to maintain social stability
Functionalism, cont’d – Robert Merton
Manifest Functions
The intended outcomes generated by a social institution
Latent Functions
The unintended or less visible outcomes of a social institution
Dysfunctions
A system that is not functioning properly is dysfunctional
Functionalism: Emile Durkheim
Studied how rapid social change affects social stability
As societies grow more complex, people have fewer commonalities
Less social solidarity
This may result in anomie:
A feeling of normlessness
Major Theoretical Perspectives: Conflict Theory
Conflict theorists focus on the importance of conflict and change
They study inequality and exploitation
They see social life as a continuing struggle for fairness, security, and respect
Conflict Theories, cont’d – Karl Marx
Marx focuses on capitalism’s mode of production:
A way of producing the material things we need to survive
The capitalist mode of production produces a particular social order:
The bourgeoisie own the means of industrial production
The proletariat work for a wage and produce profits for the bourgeoisie
Conflict Theory cont’d – Karl Marx
Marx believed that the capitalist social order exploited the proletariat
Class consciousness:
Marx believed that if the workers recognized their common exploitation and their common power, they could overthrow the business owners
Major Theoretical Perspectives:
Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic interactionism studies people’s everyday lives closely
Interactionists focus on the meanings, definitions and interpretations that individuals share
How certain behaviours ...
The head of the Department, Sociology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
Subject: Permission for data collection from the Bandhu organization for research on transgender health-seeking behavior.
Sir,
I'm conducting a research on transgender health-seeking behavior under the supervision of Avijit Chakrabarty Ayon (Assistant Professor, Sociology, SUST). Therefore, I need to collect data from the Bandhu Social Welfare Society.
For this purpose, I need to conduct this research and your permission to collect data from the Bandhu social welfare society.
Best regard,
Aset Ahmed Khan Oyon
Reg no: 2021222027
Department of Sociology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
The head of the Department, Sociology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
Subject: Permission for data collection from the Bandhu organization for research on transgender health-seeking behavior.
Sir,
I'm conducting a research on transgender health-seeking behavior under the supervision of Avijit Chakrabarty Ayon (Assistant Professor, Sociology, SUST). Therefore, I need to collect data from the Bandhu Social Welfare Society.
For this purpose, I need to conduct this research and your permission to collect data from the Bandhu social welfare society.
Best regard,
Aset Ahmed Khan Oyon
Reg no: 2021222027
Department of Sociology
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet
The assignment is covering week 12 and week 13 materials.Week 1.docxAASTHA76
The assignment is covering week 12 and week 13 materials.
Week 12: Static and flexible budgets.
Week 13: Standard costs and variance analysis
COST ACCOUNTING
ACCT 301
ASSIGNMENT 4
1. You are required to prepare a Direct Material Budget for the second quarter (April to June) by considering a manufacturing company operating in Saudi Arabia as a sample study.
2. You are required to prepare the Sales price variance and Revenue sales quantity variance by taking any of your choice Saudi based company and suggest the suitable reasons for the variances.
3. You are required to allot the support department cost to operations department by taking any Saudi based operating company.
4005737.txt
#4005737 Topic: evaluate how social science theories explain changes of voting behaviour over time.
Number of Pages: 5 (Double Spaced)
Number of sources: 3
Writing Style: APA
Type of document: Essay
Academic Level:Undergraduate
Category: Sociology
Language Style: English (U.K.)
Order Instructions:
once its been assigned to the writer, i will email the sources
please pay close attention to referencing.
Order_Files_4005737_13.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_12.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_11.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_9.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_5.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_3.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_7.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_8.jpeg
Order_Files_4005737_1.pdf
Chapter 7
Enacting elections
Richard Heffernan
1 Introduction 271
1.1 Structure of the chapter 274
1.2 Aims of the chapter 274
2 Collecting and generating evidence about elections 276
2.1 Social science and general elections in the UK 278
3 Explaining participation and non-participation in
elections 282
3.1 Explaining turnout in elections 284
4 Social science theories of voting decisions 289
4.1 The class-based theory: a sociological explanation
of voting 290
4.2 The party-identification theory: from a sociological to a
social-psychological explanation of voting 292
4.3 The valence-politics theory: an issue-based explanation
of voting 294
4.4 Description and understanding in the evaluation of
theories of voting 297
5 Enacting elections: informing and shaping public
debate 300
6 Conclusion: making sense of participation 303
6.1 Chapter summary 303
References 305
1 Introduction
1 Introduction
This chapter introduces the idea that social science not only describes
and understands social worlds, but it also helps to enact them – by
seeking to inform public debates and policy making, social science helps
to shape the ways in which processes and practices work. The chapter
explores this idea by using the example of how social science
investigates one particular type of participation; that is, participation as a
citizen in elections. Voting is often thought of as a basic form of
participation in the political life of the communities where people live.
Voting in an election is a means by .
Chapter 2What Do Sociologists DoThis Chapter Will Help EstelaJeffery653
Chapter 2
What Do Sociologists Do?
This Chapter Will Help You:
Understand the difference between common sense and sociological research
Outline the major perspectives in sociology
Identify the difference between qualitative and quantitative research
Identify the various types of research methods that sociologists use
Understand the importance of ethics in social science research
What is Common Sense?
Knowledge we get from our lived experience
May be accurate, but is not always reliable
Things that are commonly known are not necessarily factual
Fake News
Have you seen this meme?
It was circulated widely on social media as “factual”
In reality, research shows that this information is completely inaccurate
Major Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology
What is a Theory?
A set of propositions intended to explain social phenomena
May be used to explain or predict a phenomenon
Theories can help us understand the relationships between variables
Major Theoretical Perspectives: Functionalism
Functionalism focuses on social stability
Functionalists view society as a set of interconnected parts
This is similar to how the human body works
Social institutions persist because they help society to survive
Functionalism, cont’d – Talcott Parsons
Society tends toward balance or equilibrium
As one part of society changes, other parts must adjust to maintain social stability
Functionalism, cont’d – Robert Merton
Manifest Functions
The intended outcomes generated by a social institution
Latent Functions
The unintended or less visible outcomes of a social institution
Dysfunctions
A system that is not functioning properly is dysfunctional
Functionalism: Emile Durkheim
Studied how rapid social change affects social stability
As societies grow more complex, people have fewer commonalities
Less social solidarity
This may result in anomie:
A feeling of normlessness
Major Theoretical Perspectives: Conflict Theory
Conflict theorists focus on the importance of conflict and change
They study inequality and exploitation
They see social life as a continuing struggle for fairness, security, and respect
Conflict Theories, cont’d – Karl Marx
Marx focuses on capitalism’s mode of production:
A way of producing the material things we need to survive
The capitalist mode of production produces a particular social order:
The bourgeoisie own the means of industrial production
The proletariat work for a wage and produce profits for the bourgeoisie
Conflict Theory cont’d – Karl Marx
Marx believed that the capitalist social order exploited the proletariat
Class consciousness:
Marx believed that if the workers recognized their common exploitation and their common power, they could overthrow the business owners
Major Theoretical Perspectives:
Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic interactionism studies people’s everyday lives closely
Interactionists focus on the meanings, definitions and interpretations that individuals share
How certain behaviours ...
Cultural Contradictions of Scanning in an Evidence-based Policy EnvironmentWendy Schultz
An overview of the tensions that arise when attempting to embed a futures perspective, in the form of horizon scanning, in organisations with an evidence-based culture.
1. TCO 7. When the civil rights and womens movements were at the.docxjackiewalcutt
1. TCO 7. When the civil rights and women's movements were at their height in the 1970s, one often saw images on television of large groups of people marching with their arms linked together, chanting a movement slogan over and over. These behaviors set the stage for which one of the following? (Points : 10)
moral panic among by-standers
law enforcement intervention
disinhibited group action
increased group consciousness
Question 2. 2. TCO 8. Studies of the mass media reveal that there are differences in persuasiveness. Which one of the following is the most persuasive type of message? (Points : 10)
face-to-face
video
podcast
written
Question 3. 3. TCO 8. According to the text, we may spontaneously resort to using stereotypes, under which one of the following conditions? (Points : 10)
when we feel smug and self-important
when we are feeling very self-confident
when we are in a hurry
when somebody is blocking our goals
Question 4. 4. TCO 8. A state police force has set a height requirement of 5 foot 10 inches, for all officers. The requirement is not relevant to job effectiveness, and generally excludes social groups with shorter statures, including Hispanics, Asians, and women from the force. Such a requirement most clearly reflects which one of the following combinations? (Points : 10)
racism and sexism
scapegoating and prejudice
stereotyping and discrimination
racism and prejudice
1. TCOs 7 and 8. The 2008 presidential election was marked by record-breaking expenditures on various forms of persuasion by the nominee contenders, and the eventual candidates. Candidate websites with blogs, entries on FaceBook and other social media, print ads, television ads, live rallies, staged sound bytes, trips abroad, endorsement announcements, and e-mail campaigns by organizations supporting or against a particular candidate were all part of the dynamic.
With respect to the elements of persuasion, write one or two paragraphs on EACH of the following two factors: who is communicating AND channels of communication. Explicitly explain why and how these factors apply to the presidential case above.
(Points : 30)
Question 2. 2. TCOs 5 and 8. In 2005, a group of white students organized a ghetto-themed party at one of the dorms at the University of Chicago. They called it the "Straight Thuggin Ghetto Party". Students were encouraged to wear baseball caps sideways, sagging jeans, and gold chains. The music of 50 Cent and Nelly was played while party-goers sipped beer from bottles in paper sacks. All attendees were white.
A huge campus-wide flap over the party followed. University administration, alarmed about race relations in a student population that is overwhelmingly white, condemned the party as an offensive parody of racial stereotypes of a certain segment of the area population. The 20 or so students who planned the party said ...
This slide show is a supplemental learning tool for a university's introductory course in Sociology. It is aligned with the content of the textbook, Discover Sociology, by the authors Chambliss and Eglitis.
1 Week 3 Rational and Expressive Choice .docxMARRY7
1
Week 3
Rational and Expressive Choice
Rational Choice Theory and the Rational Voter Model (P = B > C; or
Participation or voter choice (P) = perceived benefits of participation or
choice (B) > perceived costs of participation or choice (C)) became popular
in the 1970s. Pursuant to this theory and model, voters decide whether to
vote and which candidate to vote for on some rational basis, usually on the
basis of which action gives them greater expected benefits. The model lends
itself more than others to predicting what effects changes in external
conditions will have on the vote. A major contribution of the model was to
emphasize the role of issues in voter choice.
The paradox of participation calls into question this theoretical
perspective. The paradox theorizes that the rational individual will not
waste resources by bearing the costs of taking part in the voting process but
will instead take a free ride on the efforts of others. This is known as the
free rider problem. The problem is especially acute when the individual
does not perceive their vote as being decisive to the election outcome.
Some have used rational choice theory to argue that those in a high
socio-economic class would be less active “because they have the education
and intellectual sophistication to comprehend the free-rider problem and
2
because their high salaries raise the opportunity cost of participation” (Verba
1995, 284). The facts however suggest this hypothesis is false. In fact,
strong empirical evidence demonstrates that those in a high socio-economic
class are actually the most likely to be active.
Other rational choice proponents, including Anthony Downs, have
argued that lower information and transaction costs for the well educated
imply that it is actually easier for them to participate in politics. Verba
(1995) notes “[t]his approach has the virtue of fitting the facts but seems
somewhat post hoc” (284).
Overall, rational choice theory must be praised for its theoretical
elegance. But, the theory has done a poor job of predicting political
participation. More specifically, the theory has failed to predict how much
political activity and who will take part.
Some have argued that expressive choice theory can provide a more
compelling explanation of voter behavior. According to Schuessler in A
Logic of Expressive Choice (2000), individuals do not necessarily participate
in collective action in order to produce outcomes but instead often do so in
order to express who they are by attaching themselves to such outcomes.
Because under Schuessler’s perspective the value of participation
emerges not from the outcome but from the process of participation itself,
3
the free-rider problem is no longer a concern. Participation therefore is not a
form of investment but rather a form of consumption. Schuessler wrote,
“Consumption ben ...
New Explore Careers and College Majors 2024.pdfDr. Mary Askew
Explore Careers and College Majors is a new online, interactive, self-guided career, major and college planning system.
The career system works on all devices!
For more Information, go to https://bit.ly/3SW5w8W
Cultural Contradictions of Scanning in an Evidence-based Policy EnvironmentWendy Schultz
An overview of the tensions that arise when attempting to embed a futures perspective, in the form of horizon scanning, in organisations with an evidence-based culture.
1. TCO 7. When the civil rights and womens movements were at the.docxjackiewalcutt
1. TCO 7. When the civil rights and women's movements were at their height in the 1970s, one often saw images on television of large groups of people marching with their arms linked together, chanting a movement slogan over and over. These behaviors set the stage for which one of the following? (Points : 10)
moral panic among by-standers
law enforcement intervention
disinhibited group action
increased group consciousness
Question 2. 2. TCO 8. Studies of the mass media reveal that there are differences in persuasiveness. Which one of the following is the most persuasive type of message? (Points : 10)
face-to-face
video
podcast
written
Question 3. 3. TCO 8. According to the text, we may spontaneously resort to using stereotypes, under which one of the following conditions? (Points : 10)
when we feel smug and self-important
when we are feeling very self-confident
when we are in a hurry
when somebody is blocking our goals
Question 4. 4. TCO 8. A state police force has set a height requirement of 5 foot 10 inches, for all officers. The requirement is not relevant to job effectiveness, and generally excludes social groups with shorter statures, including Hispanics, Asians, and women from the force. Such a requirement most clearly reflects which one of the following combinations? (Points : 10)
racism and sexism
scapegoating and prejudice
stereotyping and discrimination
racism and prejudice
1. TCOs 7 and 8. The 2008 presidential election was marked by record-breaking expenditures on various forms of persuasion by the nominee contenders, and the eventual candidates. Candidate websites with blogs, entries on FaceBook and other social media, print ads, television ads, live rallies, staged sound bytes, trips abroad, endorsement announcements, and e-mail campaigns by organizations supporting or against a particular candidate were all part of the dynamic.
With respect to the elements of persuasion, write one or two paragraphs on EACH of the following two factors: who is communicating AND channels of communication. Explicitly explain why and how these factors apply to the presidential case above.
(Points : 30)
Question 2. 2. TCOs 5 and 8. In 2005, a group of white students organized a ghetto-themed party at one of the dorms at the University of Chicago. They called it the "Straight Thuggin Ghetto Party". Students were encouraged to wear baseball caps sideways, sagging jeans, and gold chains. The music of 50 Cent and Nelly was played while party-goers sipped beer from bottles in paper sacks. All attendees were white.
A huge campus-wide flap over the party followed. University administration, alarmed about race relations in a student population that is overwhelmingly white, condemned the party as an offensive parody of racial stereotypes of a certain segment of the area population. The 20 or so students who planned the party said ...
This slide show is a supplemental learning tool for a university's introductory course in Sociology. It is aligned with the content of the textbook, Discover Sociology, by the authors Chambliss and Eglitis.
1 Week 3 Rational and Expressive Choice .docxMARRY7
1
Week 3
Rational and Expressive Choice
Rational Choice Theory and the Rational Voter Model (P = B > C; or
Participation or voter choice (P) = perceived benefits of participation or
choice (B) > perceived costs of participation or choice (C)) became popular
in the 1970s. Pursuant to this theory and model, voters decide whether to
vote and which candidate to vote for on some rational basis, usually on the
basis of which action gives them greater expected benefits. The model lends
itself more than others to predicting what effects changes in external
conditions will have on the vote. A major contribution of the model was to
emphasize the role of issues in voter choice.
The paradox of participation calls into question this theoretical
perspective. The paradox theorizes that the rational individual will not
waste resources by bearing the costs of taking part in the voting process but
will instead take a free ride on the efforts of others. This is known as the
free rider problem. The problem is especially acute when the individual
does not perceive their vote as being decisive to the election outcome.
Some have used rational choice theory to argue that those in a high
socio-economic class would be less active “because they have the education
and intellectual sophistication to comprehend the free-rider problem and
2
because their high salaries raise the opportunity cost of participation” (Verba
1995, 284). The facts however suggest this hypothesis is false. In fact,
strong empirical evidence demonstrates that those in a high socio-economic
class are actually the most likely to be active.
Other rational choice proponents, including Anthony Downs, have
argued that lower information and transaction costs for the well educated
imply that it is actually easier for them to participate in politics. Verba
(1995) notes “[t]his approach has the virtue of fitting the facts but seems
somewhat post hoc” (284).
Overall, rational choice theory must be praised for its theoretical
elegance. But, the theory has done a poor job of predicting political
participation. More specifically, the theory has failed to predict how much
political activity and who will take part.
Some have argued that expressive choice theory can provide a more
compelling explanation of voter behavior. According to Schuessler in A
Logic of Expressive Choice (2000), individuals do not necessarily participate
in collective action in order to produce outcomes but instead often do so in
order to express who they are by attaching themselves to such outcomes.
Because under Schuessler’s perspective the value of participation
emerges not from the outcome but from the process of participation itself,
3
the free-rider problem is no longer a concern. Participation therefore is not a
form of investment but rather a form of consumption. Schuessler wrote,
“Consumption ben ...
New Explore Careers and College Majors 2024.pdfDr. Mary Askew
Explore Careers and College Majors is a new online, interactive, self-guided career, major and college planning system.
The career system works on all devices!
For more Information, go to https://bit.ly/3SW5w8W
Exploring Career Paths in Cybersecurity for Technical CommunicatorsBen Woelk, CISSP, CPTC
Brief overview of career options in cybersecurity for technical communicators. Includes discussion of my career path, certification options, NICE and NIST resources.
2. Reminders
• Steps 1 and 2
- Choice of topic
- Formulation of initial research question
= to identify a DV
= analytical question > NOT descriptive, normative or prospective
• Step 3
- Literature review
= scientific sources to define your DV and identify IVs
3. Literature review
The literature review should have helped you have a good picture of:
- What your dependent variable means (definition)
- How it has been studied in the literature – what have been the main
angles, approaches, explanations developed in the literature (list of
potential independent variables, methods, and findings)
- How it has not been studied yet (knowledge gaps)
4. Step 4: Theoretical framework
• Choice of theoretical approach
= Your choice of explanation / independent variable(s) / paradigm
How to choose? Identify:
- A gap (a missing explanation) in the literature
- An unsolved debate in the literature
- An original combination of explanations
• Your choice has implications on the 3 main debates:
- You choose a certain vision of reality
- You choose your level(s) of explanation (micro, meso, macro)
- You choose your type of reasoning (inductive vs deductive)
• Your choice has implications on the empirical strategy
5. Step 4 – Theoretical framework
• Why is it important?
- There are many IVs/explanations/approaches to one
phenomenon, as your literature review will show.
- It is never possible to fully understand / explain a social or
political phenomenon
- You will have to make choices to organise your research
- It helps you reflect on your conception of the world and of
political science
6. 3) Surrealism: S. Dali,
Persistance de la mémoire
1) Realism: J-F. Millet, Des
glaneuses
2) Impressionnism: C. Monet,
Impression soleil levant
7. 7
• Example: Explaining Transition to democracy (DV)
Approach 1 : economics
Can democratization be explained by sustained economic
growth leading to the emergence of middle class? (Huntington
1991)
Approach 2 : sociology
Can democratization be explained by the density of the network
of associations / the presence of an active and organized civil
society? (Foweraker 1989)
Approach 3 : culture
Can democratization be explained by the process of
secularization of society?
Step 4: Theoretical framework
13. Illustration: the case of turnout
• Institutionalist approach:
- Explains differences across countries
- To a lesser extent, explains differences
over time (if institutional reforms)
Source: IDEA
www.idea.int
14. Illustration: the case of turnout
• Structuralist approach
- Social structures produce inequalities among social groups
- Some social groups are less geared for politics
- Participation (and turnout) is unequally distributed across
groups
= Daniel Gaxie: le cens caché
- Explains differences across countries
- To a lesser extent, explains differences over time (if changes in
societal structure)
15. Illustration: the case of turnout
• Behavioralism
Inductive reasoning
Observation: Who votes / Who doesn’t
Identification of regularities:
- If you are a woman, you have a higher probability to abstain
- If you have a higher level of education, you have a higher probability to
vote
- If you have a lower level of income, you have a higher probability to
abstain
Explains differences between individuals
16. Illustration: the case of turnout
• Behavioralism
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
'48 '52 '54 '56 '58 '60 '62 '64 '66 '68 '70 '72 '74 '76 '78 '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '08 '12
Males Females
ANES, 1948-2012, % OF THE GROUP WHO VOTED
17. ANES, 1948-2012, % OF THE GROUP WHO VOTED
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
'48 '52 '54 '56 '58 '60 '62 '64 '66 '68 '70 '72 '74 '76 '78 '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '08 '12
Grade Sch./Some High Sch. High School Diploma
Some College, no Degree College Degree/ Post-grad
18. Illustration: the case of turnout
• Rational choice
- Vote if Benefits (B) > Costs (C)
- Benefits = seeing their candidate elected (collective)
- Costs = time to vote, time to get informed (individual)
Explains differences between individuals/actors
19. Illustration: the case of turnout
• Constructivism
• Partirep voter survey Belgium 2014
• Cross-table of 2 questions:
1) To what extent is it important to you that a citizen
participates in the following activities? Voting at elections (=
attitude/perception: sense of civic duty)
2) If voting was not compulsory anymore in Belgium, how often
would you still vote? (potential behavior)
Explains differences across individuals/organisations/states
20. Illustration: the case of turnout
• Potential abstention is higher among voters with a lower
sense of civic duty
Potential behaviour in case of suppression
of compulsory voting
Always Often Sometimes Never Total
Importance of
the act of
voting 1 8.6% 1.9% 7.6% 81.9% 100.0%
2 2.6% 2.6% 20.5% 74.4% 100.0%
3 14.3% 7.1% 26.8% 51.8% 100.0%
4 10.1% 15.2% 16.5% 58.2% 100.0%
5 35.8% 21.4% 19.8% 23.0% 100.0%
6 58.9% 23.9% 9.1% 8.1% 100.0%
7 77.0% 10.6% 5.6% 6.8% 100.0%
Total 49.0% 13.9% 11.0% 26.1% 100.0%
21. Illustration: turnout
• RC new institutionalism
- Voters vote when the benefits of their vote exceed the costs
- Institutions frame the costs/benefits evaluation: some
contexts/rules reduce the proportion of ‘lost’ votes
Bounded rationality
• Sociological new institutionalism
- Voters vote after a slow learning of norms and codes linked to
democracy. This explains the lower turnout rates among first-
time voters.
Explains individual behaviour in different contexts (multi-level)
23. Exercises
Identify the DV
Identify the IV
The extent to which an anti-immigrant party can
mobilize its electoral potential is higher in
proportional systems than in majoritarian electoral
systems (van der Brug, Fennema & Tillie 2005)
24. Exercises
Identify the DV
Identify the IV
Why do citizens vary in their support for European integration?
Previous research offers a variety of sometimes conflicting
explanations. Most analysis shows that the utilitarian
consequences of integrative policy provide robust explanations
for variation in support. Citizens who directly benefit from EU
policies are most supportive of the EU while those who perceive
the EU has threatening their job or salary tend to be euroskeptic
(Gabel, 1998)
25. Exercises
Identify the DV
Identify the IV
- In her book “States and Social Revolutions,” Theda Skocpol tries to explain
why and how revolutions occur. She explains social revolutions by analyzing
how the social institution of the state changed and influenced the social
change.
- In her book “Justifying interventions in Africa”, Nina Wilén answers the
paradoxical question of how to stabilize a state through external intervention
without destabilizing sovereignty. She examines the justifications for
international and regional interventions in the cases of Liberia, Burundi and
the Democratic Republic of the Congo
26. Exercises :
Identify the DV + IV
+ Theoretical approach
+ level of analysis
•This article provides a "top-down" explanation for the rapid growth of
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the postwar period, focusing on two
aspects of political globalization. First, I argue that international political
opportunities in the form of funding and political access have expanded
enormously in the postwar period and provided a structural environment highly
conducive to NGO growth. Secondly, I present a norm-based argument and
trace the rise of a pro-NGO norm in the 1980s and 1990s among donor states
and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), which has actively promoted the
spread of NGOs to non-Western countries. The article ends with a brief
discussion of the symbiotic relationship among NGOs, IGOs, and states
promoting international cooperation.
REIMANN. (2006). A View from the Top: International Politics, Norms and the
Worldwide Growth of NGOs. International Studies Quarterly, 50(1), 45–68.
27. Exercises :
Identify the DV + IV
+ Theoretical approach
+ level of analysis
•The 2010–11 Arab uprisings continue to prompt a great deal of discussion. By
focusing specifically on Tunisia and Egypt, this article aims to present a more
dynamic account of revolutionary moments in these countries. It does so in two
ways. First, the changing nature of structures and mechanisms of authoritarian
domination over time is explored. Second, the convergences of different social
classes and political forces during the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt are not
treated as unique and static occurrences. By showing how the two revolutionary
networks gradually emerged and enlarged, a truer picture is thus provided. By
doing so, this article aims to contribute to a more nuanced interpretation of the
two revolutionary outbursts and to the development of the fourth generation of
revolutionary studies.
Del Panta. (2020). Cross-Class and Cross-Ideological Convergences over Time:
Insights from the Tunisian and Egyptian Revolutionary Uprisings. Government
and Opposition (London), 55(4), 634–652.
28. Exercises :
Identify the DV + IV
+ Theoretical approach
+ level of analysis
•What conditions determine whether a civil war ends in a negotiated settlement
or a military victory? The authors address this question by developing an
expected utility model of the choice between seeking an immediate settlement
or continuing to fight in anticipation of eventual victory. The model implies that
the likelihood of a settlement varies with estimates of the probability of
winning, the time required to win, the rate at which the costs of conflict accrue,
and the payoffs for victory versus settlement. Logistic regression results suggest
that a settlement becomes less likely the larger the government's army and more
likely the longer the civil war lasts. Payoff and cost variables had no effect on
the likelihood of a settlement
Mason, & Fett, P. J. (1996). How Civil Wars End: A Rational Choice
Approach. The Journal of Conflict Resolution, 40(4), 546–568.
29. Exercises :
Identify the DV + IV
+ Theoretical approach
+ level of analysis
•Why, despite being contextualised alongside the Great Depression of the 1930s
and inflation and growth crisis of the 1970s, did the Great Crash of 2008-2009
not exert a similarly transformative dynamic in dominant, neoliberal, economic
ideas? Drawing on an agent-centred constructivism stressing the centrality of
crisis construction and narration, yet with particular emphasis placed upon the
incorporation of strategic processes of framing, this article provides fresh
insights into the means by which key actors exercise their agency in attempts to
ensure continuing adherence to, rather than fundamentally transforming, the
status quo. This is explored with reference to macroeconomic policy
assumptions in the IMF, an instance which provided all the pre-conditions for a
widely interpreted moment of crisis, yet which nevertheless resulted in
untransformed ideas and structures
•Lowery. (2022). Constructing Continuity: The Discursive Construction of the
Great Crash of 2008-2009 as a Non-crisis of Neoliberalism. Global Society :
Journal of Interdisciplinary International Relations, 36(4), 496–515.
30. Exercises :
Identify the DV + IV
+ Theoretical approach
+ level of analysis
•This article investigates how voters decide in referendums on European integration. More
specifically, it analyses how political information influences voting behaviour. It argues that
political information conditions the way in which people make decisions in referendums.
The impact of political information is examined not only at the individual, but also at the
contextual level. It is hypothesized that variations in the context of the referendum - the
intensity of the campaign - produce differences in the way in which citizens act in
referendums. As the intensity of the referendum campaign increases, more information is
available to citizens and voters will rely more heavily on sophisticated criteria, such as
attitudes and issue positions on the European Union (EU). While the informational context
influences voting patterns, individuals also vary in their awareness of politics. It is argued
that people with high levels of political awareness receive more information and
consequently rely more on their own attitudes and less on elite cues when deciding. These
theoretical propositions are tested by analysing survey data from EU referendums in
Denmark, Ireland and Norway.
•HOBOLT. (2005). When Europe matters: The impact of political information on voting
behaviour in EU referendums. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 15(1), 85–109.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13689880500064635
31. Next weeks : start of exercises
Enrollement in an exercise group should be finalised by now!
Next week (week 7) : individual meeting (for designated students)
on FD Task 1. Invitations sent on Monday.
Week 8 : Break.
Tasks : (by 31/10, 5pm)
Submit the pre-FD form via FD platform
Submit the Critical Review on the UV
Week 9 (7 or 9/11) : Start of exercises.
32. Critical Review
• 20% of final note
• The text to review and detailed guidelines on
UV.
• Deadline 31/10.
33. Critical Review (2)
• Provides a critical analysis of a reading. The
review must emphasize: the question(s) raised
by the author(s), their theoretical approach and
related hypothesis, their data collection method,
their data analysis method, and their main
conclusion.
• Your job is to indicate whether the article is
effective at what it sets out to do. Justify your
response.
• Format : the review should not exceed 2 pages,
TNR 12, 1.5 spaced, justified text