Contribution Of Social Sciences Research Articles

‘n Sosiaal-sielkundige en kognitiewe benadering tot die ontwikkeling van ‘n kledingverbruikersbesluitnemingsmodel

Many academics and researchers underline the fact that textile training and research in merchandising do not emphasise the theory enough. This may partly be because retailing and marketing, and consumer education as applied fields, have not stressed basic theory in recent years. The role theory can play in solving practical problems has also been misunderstood. Merchandising and consumer education researchers have to collect and organise their own theory base. This theory base should incorporate root disciplines in the social sciences plus major contributions from marketing and business management, other fields of home economics, and in this case various textile and clothing areas. The choice of a new product requires decisions by the consumer. According to clothing theorists and researchers in clothing consumer education, these decisions are usually made in the clothing store at the point of purchase. The decision-making process consists of five stages, namely the awareness stage, the interest stage, the evaluation stage, the trail stage and the adoption stage. Clothing research indicates that clothing consumers seek information, compare alternative choices and make decisions at the point of purchase. It is important to know what information the clothing consumer seeks and uses in coming to a decision. It is also important to know what types of information are utilised by different consumer target groups. Researchers and academics should be aware of different patterns of seeking information, based on lifestyles, psychological characteristics and cognitive ability in the target groups. This information should be integrated and combined with the basic theory from related fields to develop a social-psychological and cognitive clothing consumer decision-making model to be used by academics and researchers in clothing consumer education programmes. In the field of clothing, the symbolic interactionism and a cognitive perspective have been successfully combined with theory in the fields of consumer behaviour to address a wide variety aspects, influences and problems in the field of clothing consumer education and in clothing consumer research. All the data should be integrated into a social-psychological and cognitive framework for clothing consumer decision making.

Understanding and improving patient safety: the psychological, social and cultural dimensions

This paper aims to provide researchers and practitioners with an overview of how organisation behaviour research (OBR) helps to understand and resolve patient safety problems in health care. The paper describes psychological, sociological and other social science theories and research which help to understand the causes of patient safety problems, how to implement change effectively and how to create an organisational culture of safety. Social science perspectives and organisational behaviour research are beginning to show why improvements in patient safety are slow, and how to make lasting and effective change. Social sciences and OBR have already helped make healthcare safer, but could make a greater contribution. Progress could be faster with greater awareness of the findings of this research and understanding of social science research paradigms. Better implementation and safer care could result from providing implementers and decision makers with more knowledge and access to social science research. More useful social science research could be developed by research funders and proposal reviewers gaining a greater understanding of social science methods and potential, and by including this research in a field made up largely of traditional experimental medical research methods. This paper provides an overview of the scientific and practical contributions of social sciences to patient safety and shows where future studies could assist understanding of current challenges and speed implementation of change.

The Healer from Nazareth: Jesus' Miracles in Historical Context. By Eric Eve

Pp. xxi, 194 , London , SPCK , 2009 , £14.99. Having published his dissertation, The Jewish Context of Jesus's Miracles, in 2002, Eve has built on that foundation and collected his work since to produce a second book intended for a more general audience. The result, as Graham Twelftree comments in his cover blurb, is that ‘(i)f there was only one book to read on the miracles of Jesus, it would need to be this one.’ Combining a courage to approach every difficulty head-on with a mellifluous style that both emboldens and soothes the reader to make the proper distinctions on hot-button issues, Eve is the Virgil who leads us astutely through the historical-critical topics up to, but not crossing, the portals of faith, though leaving open that possibility as an honourable option for those who choose to walk this path. Insisting on an adult faith or none at all, while skirting the programmatic scepticism and reductionism that have too often been the result of applying the secular historian's method to the gospels, Eve makes it look easy to walk a line between the yawning abysses of fundamentalistic, reason-abandoning surrender and acid-dripping scorn and dismissal; he carries the grateful readers with him on a voyage and to a final promontory they could never have reached on their own. With a critical review of the sources, Eve establishes Jesus as an itinerant miracle worker specializing in healings and exorcisms. He worked primarily among the Galilean peasantry who could not afford what limited Aesculapean arts there were available for their ills and who were reeling from the downwardly-mobile pressures of higher taxation, land-rentals, and foreclosures due to recent urbanisation by imperial client-kings. Illiterate, they generated a ‘little tradition’ of popular Jewish spirituality (in contrast to the scribal ‘great tradition’) that was rich with angelic visitations and demonology from the Enochic traditions. Eve does not eschew the contributions of social science to show how economic oppression and lack of a psychological safety-valve generates psycho-somatic illness in general and demonic possession in particular as socially acceptable vehicles for escape and protest. In the context of first-century Jewish Galilee Jesus could not have been a neutral medical practitioner; he combined his remarkably rapid healings and exorcisms with his preaching of an eschatological ‘kingdom of God’ that would overturn and replace the current ‘bondage to demons’. Eve lays his finger on previously little-emphasised traditions, such as the eschatological Davidic Shepherd of Ezekiel 34, to explain the role that Jesus moved into, that in a sense had been prepared for him, and which he reinforced. At the same time Eve is aware of historical parallels that explain odd quirks in gospel passages. For example, propaganda to promote Vespasian to emperor had him cure a blind man by applying spittle to his eyes; this well-known story probably supplied Mark with this detail to describe Jesus' actual miracle against this background with ironic contrast. Jesus cured by himself, on his own authority, however; it was not God working through him. Noting this higher Christology, Eve unpacks the nature-miracles of the stilling of the storm, crossing the sea, and feeding the multitudes as the evangelists' way of indicating the kind of deed that someone equal or superior to the other greatest prophet-cum-miracle worker in the Jewish tradition, Moses, would have done. The account is thus theologically shaped, but to make a real claim about Jesus. With the resurrection – an eschatological phenomenon – we leave history. Something clearly happened; Paul is our chief witness here. But again the perceptions and experiences make no sense except in the context of the tradition and as reinforcing a claim already filed by the other miracles. Jesus' miracles are too often an embarrassment for the modern mind. Both believer and disbeliever must eventually come to terms with them, and there is no better place to start than Eve's book.

Third Wave criminology

Evidence-based policy-making implies greater clarity in the relationship between science, politics and crime control. This is especially the case with a highly polarizing topic like gun-crime. Specifically, the enrolment of social science by pressure groups, political parties and other political actors raises questions about the possibility and desirability of a scientifically detached appraisal of the problem. One resolution is to reject the feasibility of objective detachment, treat science and politics as synonymous and locate criminology firmly in the domain of politics and morality—to `take sides' as it were. This renders the purpose of academic criminology problematic, for if its practitioners are to be regarded as inevitably partisan, what do they contribute as social scientists to public issues defined as political and moral in content? Why should criminological knowledge claims be especially valued over that of other political and moral actors? More recently, attempts to define concepts about the formative intentions, intrinsic and extrinsic to the politics of scientists' work, suggest ways of demarcating science from politics in this and other criminological disputes. They provide a rationale for the distinctive contribution of social science to public controversies over crime and control.

Natural hazards and risks: the view from the junction of natural and social sciences

The current emphasis on the research of natural hazards and risks has been widely recognized and possible mitigation of their effects is of crucial importance for the whole society. While many international activities concerning the risk management emerged during the last two decades and the international cooperation proved necessary in this field, the realm of geography still remained split to a certain extent into the research activities in physical and in social geography. Nevertheless, there is an obvious need of the cooperation of these two domains of geography. The paper introduces the significant contributions of both natural and social sciences into the research of the natural hazards and risks and stresses that the knowledge gained in both of these disciplines constitute a solid complex that can be used and applied in a particular case of a natural disaster.

Natural scientific complexity from a social scientific perspective: environment and health research and policymaking in Flanders (Belgium)

This paper discusses the relevance of a complexity approach to environment and health research. The approach is characterised by modesty, respect and transparency with regard to complexity of real world problems, and openness to a diversity of knowledge and opinion. The approach criticises the traditional interpretation of objectivity and emphasises the inter-subjectivist nature of science. The Centre of Expertise for Environment and Health (CEH), working directly for the Flemish government, is a good example of the relevance of the approach in environment and health research. It also exemplifies the need for a social science contribution. Moreover, it illustrates the complicatedness of such an endeavour in practice. The approach will not make work easier in all respects, but it will enhance the quality by respecting the complexity of real world problems.

Advancing the social psychology of conflict resolution.

Conflict resolution is gradually being transformed from art to social science. Important within the social science contribution is our understanding of what occurs between two or more parties who p...

Behavioral and Social Science Contributions to Preventing Teen Motor Crashes: Systems Integrative and Interdisciplinary Approaches

The National Institutes of Health's (NIH's) Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (OBSSR) is located within NIH's Office of the Director. Stimulating and integrating behavioral and social science research within NIH's health research enterprise for understanding of disease etiology, treatment, and prevention to be improved and health behaviors, lifestyles, and communities to be promoted is OBSSR's mission. In regard to the issue of motor vehicle collisions involving teenage drivers, OBSSR supports an integrated approach in which a variety of organizations and disciplines are represented. Discussion of the possible roles of behavioral and social science in prevention of motor vehicle crashes involving teenage drivers is presented by the authors.

The Changing Role and Contribution of Social Science to Nuclear Waste Management in Finland

This article explores both the social and political usage of social science research and its effectiveness, as perceived by experts, in the process of planning and decision-making in the context of Finnish nuclear waste management. The argument is that public participation in the process is important, but to reach some kind of public acceptability the actors in charge of “solving” the nuclear waste problem have to govern the societal process and respond to the claims and the needs of the public. This requires the integration of social science research into the process responsible for developing the nuclear waste management model. In trying to understand the uniquely positive nuclear waste siting decision by the Eurajoki municipal council in January 2000, and the decision-in-principle ratified by the Finnish Parliament in May 2001, one has to pay close attention to the bureaucratic processes underlying those decisions. Some kind of public consent, contentment or acceptability was reached in those long and skilful bureaucratic processes, involving both deliberative techniques and a responsive use of social science. A more general reflection underpinning the study concerns the deepening relationship between science and politics, including the growing bureaucratic ethos of science, the social responsibility of science, the increasing need to control the quality of different societal processes, and the legitimization of societal and political aims.

Mixed Methods and Bioethics Pedagogy: Suggestions for Future Research

10 two major professions (nursing and social work), and their 1,215 respondents surely practice in many different settings. Such a large sample allows general trends to emerge out of much internal diversity, and the research pushes the field to more focused and nuanced inquiry. At this stage, comple15 menting the survey methods used by Grady et al. with qualitative research (interviews and ethnography) is especially promising. Doing so will enrich the social science contribution to bioethics and help educators craft more focused and effective types of ethics training. 20 Driven by the methodological need for a large sample size and standardized questions, the authors measure the effects of ethics education through self-reports. They ask people to rank their internal state (confidence about identifying and responding to ethical issues) and their like25 lihood of action in the future. Self-reports function as a proxy measure for the outcomes of greatest interest: Does ethics education actually lead people to call more often for ethics consultations, compared to people without such education? Does it lead them more often to talk informally 30 with peers or supervisors about the ethical dimensions of their work? In general, directly measurable outcomes are preferable to self-reports about internal states and hypothetical future behaviors, but enormous methodological problems would hamper survey research of this sort. One would 35 need to control for all the other variables that might affect the specific outcomes. To guarantee significant results, the ethics service (consultants or ethics committees) must be present and equally available to all respondents. The pace of work and the local politics of the workplace must 40

Research methods from social science can contribute much to the health sciences

Objective Research methods from social science, such as social network analysis, random coefficient modeling, and advanced measurement techniques, can contribute much to the health sciences. There is, however, a slow rate of transmission of social science methodology into the health sciences. This paper identifies some of the barriers for adoption and proposes ideas for the future. Study Design and Setting Commentary. Results Contributions of social science to the health sciences are not always recognized as such. It may help if the professional profile of social science in the health sciences would be higher and if its focus would be more on making useful predictions. Clinical epidemiologists may assume that their discipline includes all relevant methods and that social science is largely based on qualitative research. These perceptions need to be challenged in order to widen the scope of clinical epidemiology and include relevant methods from other sciences. Conclusion New methods help to ask new research questions and to provide better to old questions. This paper has sketched challenges for both social science researchers and clinical epidemiologists.

Energy systems in transition: contributions from social sciences

The aim of this paper is to discuss the potential role of social sciences - especially social studies of technology and innovation studies - for our understanding of energy provision and consumption. Energy systems are best understood as socio-technical arrangements with a strong interrelation of technological and social elements such as institutions, regulations, cultural values, social practices as well as interests, expectations and relationships of the actors involved. Such a perspective also gives us a better grasp of the ongoing dynamics of energy system transformation and stimulates new approaches to the governance of transition processes towards sustainability. Contributions of social sciences can support the understanding and shaping of energy transitions in an analytic, projective and reflexive dimension.

Which research in converging technologies should taxpayers fund? Exploring societal aspects

Contributions of social sciences and humanities to the debate on converging technologies at the nanoscale are mostly seen as conservative and pessimistic about the potential of science and technology to bring anything good to society. In this paper, it is argued that our global society cannot do without the contributions of nano-scientists and engineers to ensure the long-term sustainable development to the benefit of humanity. However, the community of traditional stakeholders in research policy (researchers, research policy-makers and industry) should take further steps outside its ‘ivory tower’ or ‘old boys’ ‘network’ and focus on a research agenda set by all stakeholders in public. The argument will be developed in a case study of converging technologies used in combating infectious diseases, comparing the priorities in current research programmes in Europe to the priorities identified by the World Health Organization.

Responding to violence against women: Social science contributions to legal solutions

Violence against women represents a serious problem in America. Not only does intimate partner violence represent a significant threat to women, but it also counts among its victims, children living in the violent household. By its very nature, intimate partner or domestic violence may be approached as either a legal or a social problem. However, there is a shortage of legal approaches that have been informed by sound social science research. One promising framework for developing such integrated responses to intimate partner violence is therapeutic jurisprudence, which encourages legal professionals to work closely with social scientists to develop system responses based on empirical data. Such an approach contrasts sharply with the current practice of developing law based on assumptions, which frequently reflect traditional paternalistic and sexist attitudes toward women. This paper begins by examining the current theories and scientific knowledge on domestic violence with particular emphasis on the supporting data. A theoretical framework for conceptualizing domestic violence characterized as patriarchal terrorism as distinct from common couple violence is examined and offered as a means of explaining inconsistencies in research findings. Following a review of current legal responses to domestic violence, the paper concludes by outlining alternative strategies and recommendations for future efforts that are supported by current theory and research.

Don't Sell Social Science Short

The News of the Week article that reports on Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) questioning the need to fund social science research at the National Science Foundation is alarming and shortsighted (“Senate panel chair asks why NSF funds social sciences,” 12 May, p. [829][1]). Social science research is at the fundamental core of basic research and has much to contribute to the economic viability of the United States. Twenty years of direct and jointly funded social and ecosystem science research at Colorado State University's Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory has produced deep insights into environmental and societal impacts of political upheaval, land use, and climate change in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Beyond greatly advancing our understanding of the coupled human-environmental system, the partnership of social and ecosystem science has brought scientists and decision-makers together to begin to develop solutions to difficult problems. Insights from the social sciences about the vulnerability, sustainability, and resilience of social and environmental systems have greatly increased our understanding of the complex interactions of the world on which we depend. The contributions of social and ecological science for data analyses associated with spatial relationships, transfer of goods and services, valuation, and decision-making processes have improved our understanding of how human activities are altering environmental systems worldwide. These findings have become the core of policy and development decisions used throughout the world. It is critical that the NSF support social science funding and that, as budget decisions are made, the social science allocation should move forward equally with increases as in other basic and applied research. Failure to do so will further hinder U.S. competitiveness in the future and will slow transfer of knowledge and usefulness to the public. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.312.5775.829a

Aportacions de les altres ciències socials a la sociolingüística catalana

This article reviews the contribution of the different Catalan social sciences —excepting laws and political science— to the creation of sociolinguistics as a research field. In the conclusions it is mentioned that, in spite of the fact that research on language and society has not been an exclusive field for the linguists, and although some of the sociolinguistical disciplines have attained a great level of development, the degree of exchange between different currents and disciplines is quite limited, therefore it is preferable to speak, at most, of multirateral research, rather than of real interdisciplinarity. The article concludes that the new immigration of non-Catalan speakers makes even more necessary to fight against the isolationism of the sociolinguistical currents as well as against the lack of interest for the language shown by the Catalan social sciences.

Contributions of social science to the alcohol field in an era of biomedicalization

In an era of biomedicalization where findings in genetic and neurobiological research are seen as “breakthroughs” by the media and hence by the general public, it is important for social scientists to acknowledge the effect of their contributions to the alcohol field not only to their own colleagues but also to the public at-large. Contributions of social science research to the development and evaluation of alcohol policies are illustrated in the following four areas: (1) alcohol epidemiological research focusing on the importance of examining drinking patterns and their relation to alcohol-related problems; (2) alcohol's contribution to the burden of disease; (3) alcohol control policies and their impact; and (4) brief interventions that provide strategies for at-risk drinkers as well as those who are alcohol dependent.

EU research and technological development programmes

This article traces and analyses the role of social science research in the European Union’s research and technological development programmes. The divisions of the scientific community along national and disciplinary boundaries have made organizing and mobilizing at the European level difficult. In recent years, however, the contributions of social science to research and to policy have gained increased recognition, attaining substantial importance and visibility within the EU research and technological development framework programmes. Recognition of the potential role of the social sciences and humanities in research and policy at the EU level has rapidly gained momentum with increasingly influential results that are evident in the field of science policy.

Social science and health research: growth at the National Institutes of Health.

Programs within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have recently taken steps to enhance social science contributions to health research. A June 2000 conference convened by the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research highlighted the role of the social sciences in health research and developed an agenda for advancing such research. The conference and agenda underscored the importance of research on basic social scientific concepts and constructs, basic social science research on the etiology of health and illness, and the application of basic social science constructs in health services, treatment, and prevention research. Recent activities at NIH suggest a growing commitment to social science research and its integration into interdisciplinary multilevel studies of health.

Benefits of forests in Cameroon. Global structure, issues involving access and decision-making hiccoughs

Among many other stakes, the economic stake derived from the exploitation of tropical forest resources is a burning issue. This is evidenced by insecurity in intergenerational access to forest resources and financial benefits relating to the latter, on the one hand, and by a deep iniquity at the intra-generational level, on the other hand. The following paper highlights, as a moral, social and policy dilemma, how stakeholders and generations, ‘self-interested', mark out access to forest resources and to financial benefits relating to the latter. Through intensive participatory research, quantitative data collection, participant observation, future scenarios and some International Forestry Research's social science methods and interactive games (SSM & IG) based on the evaluation of the sustainability of forest management systems, field research conducted in the forest zone of Cameroon on access to forest resources has generated two central results. Firstly, future generations will be confronted—in a dramatic way—to quantitative and qualitative scarcity of forest resources, following their over exploitation by present generations. Secondly, as concerns the intra-generational access benefits generated by commercial exploitation of forests and the assessment of the circulation of forestry fees, there is much inequity, in as much as those benefits are more profitable to a ‘forestry elite'—‘a self-interested block'—than to local communities, who strongly claim to have historical rights over these forests. As a contribution of social science to public knowledge and to policy development, this article is nourishing ‘rational choice' and ‘rational egoism' theory and is targeting decision-making processes in the ever first attempt of forest management decentralization and ‘legal' benefits sharing in Central Africa (the second largest forest of the World). The article recommends the shortening of the distance between decision-making and beneficiaries, downwardly accountability, ‘bottom-up' mechanisms of public dialogue in forest management and a collaborative infrastructure in the circulation and the distribution of forest benefits.