Mid-level Theories Research Articles

Taking the spatialization of heterodox economics to the next level. States, cities and money

In this note, I argue that the search for a better articulation between financial geography and heterodox economics can benefit from an explicit focus on the relations between states, cities and money. After illustrating some important insights derived from the cross-fertilization between financial geography and monetary heterodox economics, I discuss how the specific inclusion of cities in midlevel theories, which articulate broader economic and geographical thinking on money and space with empirical work on urban restructuring, allows this research agenda to both gain conceptual strength and potential political impact.

Theory and explanation in geography revisited: Mid-range causal theories and explanatory conjuncturalism

This commentary takes on Jamie Peck’s conjunctural methodologies and reflects on the epistemological matter of theory and explanation in geography. Mapping onto several key elements of conjunctural analysis, I reframe its methodological examination in relation to mid-level concepts and theories (i.e. mid-range theory), the articulation of causality and causal co-determination (i.e. causal mechanisms), and situational analysis, historicisation, and thick theorisation as context-rich explanation (i.e. context-specificity). By way of a sympathetic critique, I focus on two potential ‘blind spots’ that might require further rethinking and perhaps remedies: the underdevelopment of practical adequacy and the role of normative theorising in conjunctural methodologies.

Why does Sociology Need a New Integrative Paradigm?

The article is devoted to analyzing a new sociological paradigm proposed by Nikolai Genov, a European sociologist of Bulgarian origin, known for his work in the history and theory of sociology, social transformation in Eastern Europe and globalization. His new monograph is characterized by his desire to offer the sociological community an original outlook on the theoretical trends in the development of the discipline over the past few decades, as well as to construct a new paradigm of social interaction as a way to overcome the current theoretical crisis. It presents a rational analysis of the current state of theoretical sociology while substantiating and describing the heuristic possibilities of sociology, revealed by means of paradigmatic synthesis based on the concept of social interaction as rethought by the author. Social interactions are the prerogative of key actors operating in networks of social relations and within social processes. The new paradigm can provide sociologists with explanatory models that can serve as the basis for creating mid-level theories that would incorporate previously accumulated sociological knowledge. According to Genov, this synthesis can open up new ways for advancing sociological comprehension of controversial social problems at different levels of their consideration (macro-, meso- and micro-) and while considering modern global development trends.

Men’s Mate Value Correlates with a Less Restricted Sociosexual Orientation: A Meta-Analysis

Men, relative to women, can benefit their total reproductive success by engaging in short-term pluralistic mating. Yet not all men enact such a mating strategy. It has previously been hypothesized that high mate value men should be most likely to adopt a short-term mating strategy, with this prediction being firmly grounded in some important mid-level evolutionary psychological theories. Yet evidence to support such a link has been mixed. This paper presents a comprehensive meta-analysis of 33 published and unpublished studies (N = 5928) in which we find that that self-reported mate value accounts for roughly 6% of variance in men's sociosexual orientation. The meta-analysis provides evidence that men's self-perceived mate value positively predicts their tendency to engage in short-term mating, but that the total effect size is small.

Emerging scholars bring the case study approach back-in

This introduction to the special issue on case study research, which showcases cutting edge research by emerging scholars on France, describes the connection between these articles and current developments in political science methodology. SI contributors situate their analyses in thick description of France itself, demonstrating how modernity, rationality, common sense, citizenship, and democracy are inherently abstract concepts that only take on political meaning and significance within a specific national context. Simultaneously, these essays flesh out mid-level theories that are more amenable to cross-national generalization without losing rigor in the process, contributing to broader political science literature on experience versus reason, the European and Christian roots of secularism and how this contributes to contemporary discrimination, welfare state development, and political lawyering and the judicialization of politics.

МЕТОДЫ КРИМИНОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ

The article deals with the methods used in the study of the phenomena that make up the subject of criminology. The main task is to analyze the content of the methodology, general scientific methods, private methods and techniques used in criminological studies. In the course of their work, the authors used metaphysics and dialectic as a methodology; showed the specifics of their application to crime, as well as legal background for the nature of criminality e.g. its public danger. The authors used such general scientific methods as general scientific approaches and mid-level theories. In the case of criminality, the use of a systematic approach and philosophical teaching about human activity is shown. This enabled them to present criminality as a system the structural trait of which is a crime, and a holistic quality is a public danger which synthesizes the public danger of crimes, perpetrators and criminal groups. As a theory of the middle level, the theory of psychological alienation of the person is applied, according to which the typological feature of the criminal's personality is its anxiety for its social or biological status since the crime is psychological protection for external circumstances that cause such anxiety. Among private methods, the emphasis is on the statis-tical method used to characterize quantitative-quality crime indicators and a sociological one (interviewing, conversation, interviews, expert evaluation, analysis of documents, observa-tion). The methods above have limited possibilities: criminal statistics operate with data only on the recorded crimes, reflected in the documents of primary records, the closed criminal environment does not allow to use the method of included surveillance; the method of inter-viewing the participants of criminal groups and their relatives often gives false information, or cannot be applied because the persons in question refuse to be involved in questioning at all; the experiment deals only with certain aspects of criminal justice. The authors conclude that the combination of methodology, general scientific and specific research methods, the specificity of their application to group crime form the methodology of its study. They point out the application in criminology of sociometric and stratometric methods, by which the mechanism of formation, the dynamics of the development of criminal groups is shown, their classification is given, the number of group members is revealed, their status in the group and the structure of the group is established.

Transatlantic city, part 2: Late entrepreneurialism

The first installment of this two-part paper made a case for a conjunctural approach to urban studies, reserving a special place for the provisional formulation and ongoing revision of midlevel theories – from the entrepreneurial city to austerity urbanism and financialised urban governance – while positioning abstraction and contextualisation as simultaneous, dialogic practices. It follows that such arguments can be developed only so far in the absence of concrete cases, where conjunctural accounts actually gain traction, direction and purpose. Seeking to operationalise some of these methodological principles by way of a situated, single-city case study, this part of the paper returns to the financially challenged casino capital of Atlantic City, tracing its long (and notorious) history of entrepreneurial dealings, from Republican machine control to the ‘experiment’ with legalised gambling that was launched in the mid-1970s, and positioning the structural crisis that preceded the casino pact with the existential crisis that has been generated in the wake of the failure of this distinctive local growth machine. Atlantic City made a very large wager that did not pay off, the unravelling of its much-emulated model of entrepreneurial urbanism dramatising a distinctly ‘late-entrepreneurial’ moment of fiscally mandated governance and political crisis.

Realist complex intervention science: Applying realist principles across all phases of the Medical Research Council framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions.

The integration of realist evaluation principles within randomised controlled trials (‘realist RCTs’) enables evaluations of complex interventions to answer questions about what works, for whom and under what circumstances. This allows evaluators to better develop and refine mid-level programme theories. However, this is only one phase in the process of developing and evaluating complex interventions. We describe and exemplify how social scientists can integrate realist principles across all phases of the Medical Research Council framework. Intervention development, modelling, and feasibility and pilot studies need to theorise the contextual conditions necessary for intervention mechanisms to be activated. Where interventions are scaled up and translated into routine practice, realist principles also have much to offer in facilitating knowledge about longer-term sustainability, benefits and harms. Integrating a realist approach across all phases of complex intervention science is vital for considering the feasibility and likely effects of interventions for different localities and population subgroups.

Theoretical approaches to lightness and perception.

Theories of lightness, like theories of perception in general, can be categorized as high-level, low-level, and mid-level. However, I will argue that in practice there are only two categories: one-stage mid-level theories, and two-stage low-high theories. Low-level theories usually include a high-level component and high-level theories include a low-level component, the distinction being mainly one of emphasis. Two-stage theories are the modern incarnation of the persistent sensation/perception dichotomy according to which an early experience of raw sensations, faithful to the proximal stimulus, is followed by a process of cognitive interpretation, typically based on past experience. Like phlogiston or the ether, raw sensations seem like they must exist, but there is no clear evidence for them. Proximal stimulus matches are postperceptual, not read off an early sensory stage. Visual angle matches are achieved by a cognitive process of flattening the visual world. Likewise, brightness (luminance) matches depend on a cognitive process of flattening the illumination. Brightness is not the input to lightness; brightness is slower than lightness. Evidence for an early (< 200 ms) mosaic stage is shaky. As for cognitive influences on perception, the many claims tend to fall apart upon close inspection of the evidence. Much of the evidence for the current revival of the 'new look' is probably better explained by (1) a natural desire of (some) subjects to please the experimenter, and (2) the ease of intuiting an experimental hypothesis. High-level theories of lightness are overkill. The visual system does not need to know the amount of illumination, merely which surfaces share the same illumination. This leaves mid-level theories derived from the gestalt school. Here the debate seems to revolve around layer models and framework models. Layer models fit our visual experience of a pattern of illumination projected onto a pattern of reflectance, while framework models provide a better account of illusions and failures of constancy. Evidence for and against these approaches is reviewed.

Embedding mental health interventions in early childhood education systems for at-risk preschoolers: an evidence to policy realist review.

BackgroundCurrent early childhood systems of care are not geared to respond to the complex needs of preschoolers at risk for mental health problems in a timely, coordinated, multidisciplinary, and comprehensive fashion. Evidence-informed policy represents an opportunity for implementing prevention, promotion, and early intervention at the population or at-risk level. Exposure to risk factors as well as the presence of clinical disorders can derail the developmental trajectories of preschoolers, and problems may persist if left untreated. One way to address these multiple research-to-policy gaps are systematic reviews sensitive to context and knowledge user needs, such as the realist review. The realist review is an iterative process between research teams and knowledge users to build mid-level program theories in order to understand which interventions work best for whom and under what context.Methods/DesignThe realist review employs five ‘iterative’ steps: (1) clarify scope, (2) search for evidence, (3) appraise primary studies and extract data, (4) synthesize the evidence, and (5) disseminate, implement, and evaluate evidence, to answer two research questions: What interventions improve mental health outcomes for preschoolers at risk for socio-emotional difficulties and under what circumstances do they work? and what are the best models of care for integrating mental health interventions within pre-existing early childhood education (ECE) services for at-risk children? Knowledge users and researchers will work together through each stage of the review starting with refining the questions through to decisions regarding program theory building, data extraction, analysis, and design of a policy dissemination plan. The initial questions will guide preliminary literature reviews, but subsequent more focused searches will be informed by knowledge users familiar with local needs and further building of explanatory program theories.DiscussionPolicy makers want to know what works best for whom, but are faced with a wide and disparate intervention literature for at-risk children. Applying evidence-based standards is a good start, but the chain of implementation between research results and how to match interventions sensitive to local context are ongoing challenges.Trial registrationProspero registration number: CRD42014007301.

Theory is dead, long live theory: The end of the Great Debates and the rise of eclecticism in International Relations

The history of the discipline of International Relations is commonly told in terms of ‘Great Debates.’ These intellectual clashes resolved little and, indeed, continue to this day. Underneath this narrative is an alternative history of significant progress through mid-level or eclectic theories of world politics. After reviewing the Great Debates, this counter-narrative is developed and then supported by reviews of open economy politics and democratic peace theory. A new line of cleavage is emerging in the field between positivists and post-positivists, however, that overlaps with the second and final Great Debates. Like all others before it, this potentially great debate — if it occurs — will be inconclusive. The field would be better off focusing on important real-world problems and achieving progress within each approach according to its own criteria for success.

Why “isms” Are Evil: Theory, Epistemology, and Academic Sects as Impediments to Understanding and Progress1

This essay probes tensions between our professional practices and the quality of our professional output in the field of international studies. We organize ourselves into academic “sects” that engage in self-affirming research and then wage theological debates between academic religions. This occurs at both the level of theory and epistemology. Unfortunately, this academic sectarianism produces less understanding rather than more. Theoretically, we should focus on developing contingent, mid-level theories of specific phenomena. Epistemologically, we should recognize there are multiple valid and perhaps even complementary paths to understanding.

Whither the Roots? Achieving Conceptual Depth in Psychology of Religion

Should psychology of religion undergo a disciplinary renaissance and, if so, what might it look like? In this paper we explore that question by discussing the benefits of a better grounding of the field within mid-level theories from general psychology that provide it with greater conceptual depth. Such discussion will focus on three already existing and variously productive lines of research as case studies: attribution processes, attachment styles, and religious coping. These case studies represent lines of research at three developmental stages: 1) infancy, with little visible return but with signs of promise (attribution), 2) adolescence, with dividends already yielded but also with promise not yet fully realized (attachment), and 3) maturity, where a fruitful harvest has already been experienced but yet without decline (coping). Regardless of developmental position, it is argued that research in psychology of religion will be enhanced to the extent that it achieves conceptual depth by being framed in terms of mid-level theories.

Lightness and brightness

Lightness and brightness

Television: The Limits of Deregulation

Television: The Limits of Deregulation. By Lori A. Brainard. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2003. 198p. $49.95.In many respects, Lori Brainard's case study of the “incremental, incomplete, and highly ambiguous” deregulation of television from the midseventies through the midnineties suffers from false advertising. Rather than a mere case study in a field highly populated by such analyses, it is an ambitious attempt to critically assess competing midlevel theories of regulatory change and macrolevel determinants of policy change. As Alexander George has observed, case studies are extremely valuable, not because they test theories but because they clarify, offer critical insight into, and generate hypotheses for future research on those theories. Viewed from this perspective, Brainard's book provides a strong basis for deeper examinations of change in the regulatory and the broader policy process.

Integrating biological, behavioral, and social levels of analysis in early child development: progress, problems, and prospects.

Integration of noninvasive, biological measures into behavioral research has increased, but the interpretation of biobehavioral findings in relation to developmental outcomes is rarely straightforward. This commentary highlights the need for specific, theoretically derived hypotheses, multiple measures of behavioral and biological processes, and analytical strategies aimed at explaining interindividual differences in intraindividual change. It is suggested here that the next phase of biosocial research needs to move beyond description and toward development of mid-level theories that will enable researchers to specify, test, and refine hypotheses of how biobehavioral processes interact with social-contextual factors to influence development. These mid-level biosocial models will be necessary to determine whether individual differences in children's adrenocortical activity confer risk or resilience because of early or cumulative exposure to nonparental care.

THE PERVASIVE EFFECTS OF NETWORK CONTENT.

This study answers a growing call in organization theory for research into the qualitative processes underlying social networks. While most prior research on networks has focused on their structural properties, this study is designed to explore how variations in network content—the nature of relationships among actors—affect organizational processes and outcomes. The study used multiple methods to test three hypotheses modeling the impact of network content on organizations' market performance. The model drew on mid-level theories of group composition and group process, and analyzed data from a national survey of investment clubs, as well as interviews and long-term observation. The data show that instrumental (as opposed to affective) tie content is the most important predictor of organizational performance. Instrumental ties among individuals enhance performance at the organization level in two ways: through group heterogeneity, which increases the information pool available to decision-makers; and through task orientation, which increases members' willingness to engage in constructive debate about that information. The results of this model suggest that network content deserves to be added to the theoretical toolkit of organizational researchers.

The Structure of Archaeological Theory

Contradictory programmatic statements have increased uncertainty about the nature and roles of theory in archaeology. However, a framework can be constructed that ties together diverse kinds of theory that archaeologists use-and often create. Three overarching realms of theory can be recognized, each consisting of one or more functionally defined domains: social theory, reconstruction theory (the domains are material-culture dynamics and cultural and noncultural formation processes of the archaeological record), and methodological theory (the domains are recovery, analysis, and inference). Within each domain are high-level, mid-level, and low-level theories. Previous investigators often have overlooked the richness and complexity of archaeological theory, sometimes generalizing from a very narrow perspective.