Surveying Cultures uniquely employs techniques rooted in
survey methodology to discover cultural patterns in social science
research. Examining both classical and emerging methods that are
used to survey and assess differing norms among populations, the
book successfully breaks new ground in the field, introducing a
theory of measurement for ethnographic studies that employs the
consensus-as-culture model.
The book begins with a basic overview of cross-cultural
measurement of sentiments and presents innovative and sophisticated
analyses of measurement issues and of homogeneity among
respondents. Subsequent chapters explore topics that are at the
core of successful data collection and analysis in culture studies,
including:
* The role of bipolar scales and Internet data collection in
measuring sentiments
* Key methodological variables that determine the quality of
quantitative data, including measurement errors, validity, and
reliability
* New approaches to reliability and several new methods of
assessing a respondent's degree of inculcation into group
culture
* Sampling, coverage, nonresponse, and measurement errors, with an
in-depth discussion of their occurrence in culture surveys, their
impact assessments, and how current measurement techniques are
constructed to help prevent these kinds of errors
* Common problems often encountered in the acquisition and
communication of data, including identifying error variances,
interpreting gender differences in responses, and defining the
difference between cultures and subcultures
Throughout the book, each topic is accompanied by a review of
related methodological literature. For many of the presented
concepts, the author includes a formal analysis of the related
issues in measuring cultural norms and reports on analyses. Each
chapter concludes with an organized list of major findings as well
as an insightful outline of specific recommendations regarding
practical problems in culture studies.
Surveying Cultures serves as a valuable supplemental book
to courses on survey and research methods at the
upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also an excellent
reference for researchers in the fields of sociology, anthropology,
psychology, and political science.
Autorentext
David R. Heise, PhD, is Rudy Professor of Sociology Emeritus at Indiana UniversityBloomington. Throughout his more than forty years of academic experience, Dr. Heise has published extensively in his areas of research interest, which include issues in quantitative modeling, computer applications in qualitative research, and affective and logical foundations of social interaction.
Klappentext
A one-of-a-kind guide to the key statistical approaches for collecting and understanding data on cultural norms and sentiments
Surveying Cultures uniquely employs techniques rooted in survey methodology to discover cultural patterns in social science research. Examining both classical and emerging methods that are used to survey and assess differing norms among populations, the book successfully breaks new ground in the field, introducing a theory of measurement for ethnographic studies that employs the consensus-as-culture model.
The book begins with a basic overview of cross-cultural measurement of sentiments and presents innovative and sophisticated analyses of measurement issues and of homogeneity among respondents. Subsequent chapters explore topics that are at the core of successful data collection and analysis in culture studies, including:
-
The role of bipolar scales and Internet data collection in measuring sentiments
-
Key methodological variables that determine the quality of quantitative data, including measurement errors, validity, and reliability
-
New approaches to reliability and several new methods of assessing a respondent's degree of inculcation into group culture
-
Sampling, coverage, nonresponse, and measurement errors, with an in-depth discussion of their occurrence in culture surveys, their impact assessments, and how current measurement techniques are constructed to help prevent these kinds of errors
-
Common problems often encountered in the acquisition and communication of data, including identifying error variances, interpreting gender differences in responses, and defining the difference between cultures and subcultures
Throughout the book, each topic is accompanied by a review of related methodological literature. For many of the presented concepts, the author includes a formal analysis of the related issues in measuring cultural norms and reports on analyses. Each chapter concludes with an organized list of major findings as well as an insightful outline of specific recommendations regarding practical problems in culture studies.
Surveying Cultures serves as a valuable supplemental book to courses on survey and research methods at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also an excellent reference for researchers in the fields of sociology, anthropology, psychology, and political science.
Zusammenfassung
Surveying Cultures uniquely employs techniques rooted in survey methodology to discover cultural patterns in social science research. Examining both classical and emerging methods that are used to survey and assess differing norms among populations, the book successfully breaks new ground in the field, introducing a theory of measurement for ethnographic studies that employs the consensus-as-culture model.
The book begins with a basic overview of cross-cultural measurement of sentiments and presents innovative and sophisticated analyses of measurement issues and of homogeneity among respondents. Subsequent chapters explore topics that are at the core of successful data collection and analysis in culture studies, including:
-
The role of bipolar scales and Internet data collection in measuring sentiments
-
Key methodological variables that determine the quality of quantitative data, including measurement errors, validity, and reliability
-
New approaches to reliability and several new methods of assessing a respondent's degree of inculcation into group culture
-
Sampling, coverage, nonresponse, and measurement errors, with an in-depth discussion of their occurrence in culture surveys, their impact assessments, and how current measurement techniques are constructed to help prevent these kinds of errors
-
Common problems often encountered in the acquisition and communication of data, including identifying error variances, interpreting gender differences in responses, and defining the difference between cultures and subcultures
Throughout the book, each topic is accompanied by a review of related methodological literature. For many of the presented concepts, the author includes a formal analysis of the related issues in measuring cultural norms and reports on analyses. Each chapter concludes with an organized list of major findings as well as an insightful outline of specific recommendations regarding practical problems in culture studies.
Surveying Cultures serves as a valuable supplemental book to courses on survey and research methods at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also an excellent reference for researchers in the fields of sociology, anthropology, psychology, and political science.
Inhalt
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
1 Surveying Culture 1
1.1 Case Studies of Cultural Surveys 3
1.2 Preview 18
1.3 Chapter Highlights 20
2 Measuri…