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Essays on welfare economicsJanuary 1992 (has links)
This dissertation consists of four essays on welfare economics. The first essay investigates Arrow's general possibility theorem by introducing a particular comparability of individual utilities. The well-known voting procedure, the median voter method, is characterized by using this particular comparability of individual utilities. The second essay investigates Arrow's problem by going to another direction, viz., without introducing any concept of individual or social preference. Instead, we examine the problem of aggregating individual choices. Several plausible axioms are introduced for this exercise, and approval voting and the plurality rule are characterized. The third essay examines Sen's impossibility theorem. We prove that the conflict roots on the informational contents of two different value judgments about social welfare. The fourth essay examines the problem of measuring the extent of freedom of choices. Depending on the valuation system, a concept of hierarchical importance of freedom is introduced. Then we propose several axioms for measuring the extent of freedom of choice in the framework and two lexicographic counting rules and a dominance relation rule are characterized / acase@tulane.edu
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A Monte Carlo comparison of model modification strategies in covariance structure modelingJanuary 1992 (has links)
A covariance structure model consists of a measurement model, which is a collection of variables and their associated constructs or factors, and a structural model, which is a set of predictions about the causal relationships among the constructs. Data are collected on the variables and a covariance or correlation matrix is computed. The covariance structure modeling (CSM) procedure estimates the parameter values in the model that has been specified and assesses how well the model fits the data. Models failing to provide a good fit to the data are often modified. This process is known as a specification search The current Monte Carlo study investigated the effectiveness of the choice of one of five initial structural models, the method used to address the measurement model, and the search statistics used (Lagrange multiplier and expected parameter change) on the success rate of specification searches. 700 specification searches were conducted on 40 sample matrices (N = 300) generated from 4 population models. The effectiveness of the search statistics differed by the method used to address the measurement model with the expected parameter change having a higher success rate when the measurement model was assessed independently of the structural model and the Lagrange multiplier having a higher success rate when the measurement and structural models were assessed simultaneously. Successful model recovery did not differ significantly by the initial structural model used but the full initial model always performed equal to or superior to the other initial models. Successful model recovery differed markedly by population model with success rates ranging from 16% to 73%. The research concludes with a call for future research and a list of suggested research topics / acase@tulane.edu
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The applicability and potential elaboration of Spector and Kitsuse's social constructionist modelJanuary 1989 (has links)
For over fifteen years Spector and Kitsuse's social constructionist model has served as the most popular explanation of how social problems develop. Despite its popularity, their natural history perspective has received little empirical scrutiny. This investigation (1) assesses the applicability of Spector and Kitsuse's model to the empirical reality of social-problem histories reported in the literature and (2) suggests a practical elaboration of the schema Initial consideration is given to an historical survey of natural history models prior to the Spector and Kitsuse schema. Subsequently, their natural history framework is systematically diagramed in evolutionary sequence. Theoretical contributions and limitations of the Spector and Kitsuse framework are examined. This segment ends with a review of three successive natural history models A second section surveys 53 social-problem histories appearing in the literature since 1973. The studies are analyzed to determine presence of agreement with the implied premises, labelling, ordering, content, and particular contingency points of Spector and Kitsuse's model. An assessment of how studies of social-problem development are constructed empirically is based upon the references, data sources and methods, research designs, concept operationalization, levels and periods of data analyses, specification of variables, and deviations from the Spector and Kitsuse perspective utilized in the data set A third section explores empirical concerns associated with the role and use of Spector and Kitsuse's schema in research investigations. Problems in model application relate to linearity and stage demarcation, specification of processes and subprocesses, designation of study variables, data adequacy and reliability, and 'cult research' practices The following section updates and extends the work of Spector and Kitsuse by providing a tool to study systematically the social processes making up social problems. The rudimentary taxonomy dissects social-problem solving into nine activity steps whose outcomes are shaped by three necessary factors and six contingent factors Last, the study recapitulates survey findings and reviews two recent attempts at theoretical exposition of the social definitionalist perspective. The final segment considers future directions of the taxonomic research proposed / acase@tulane.edu
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Behavioral surveillance using respondent driven sampling among commercial sex workers in Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamJanuary 2005 (has links)
This dissertation evaluates Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) as a method to sample female sex workers (FSW) in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. The empirical analysis of this dissertation is based upon a behavioral surveillance survey of 420 FSWs conducted by the author, in conjunction with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Global AIDS Program (GAP) during the spring of 2004. The survey sample includes FSWs over the age of 18 years, having exchanged sex for money in the past one month, and living and/or working in Ho Chi Minh City Estimating the behaviors, size and composition of 'hidden populations' (e.g., Intravenous drug users, men who have sex with men, sex workers, etc.) in countries with increasing HIV prevalence is of particular interest to researchers and public health officials hoping to respond to the HIV epidemic. However, the fact that these sub-populations often lack sampling frames, are rare in the population, and have behaviors that are stigmatized and/or illegal, hinders researchers from obtaining estimates that are unbiased and reliable. Until recently, most research conducted on these groups relied on sampling methodologies with well know biases and limited external validity Recently, researchers have become interested in a variant of chain referral methodology known as RDS. RDS claims to reduce biases associated with chain-referral methods, by utilizing a dual system of structured incentives, whereby peers recruit their peers. RDS uses several recruitment waves to ultimately yield a sample with a composition independent of the non-randomly selected initial subjects. And, in some cases, RDS can be relatively faster and less expensive than the other sampling methods mentioned above (Salganik, 2003; Semaan, 2002) / acase@tulane.edu
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New tools and approaches to uncertainty estimation in complex ecological modelsBrugnach, Marcela 19 December 2002 (has links)
This dissertation investigates the problem of uncertainty in complex ecological
models. The term "complex" is used to convey both the common and scientific
meanings. Increasingly, ecological models have become complex because they are
more complicated; ecological models are generally multi-variate and multi-leveled in
structure. Many ecological models are complex because they simulate the dynamics
of complex systems. As a result, and as science moves from the modern/normal to
postmodern/post-normal paradigm view of the world, the definition of uncertainty and
the problem of uncertainty estimation in models tread the lines between the technical
and the philosophical. With this in mind, I have chosen to examine uncertainty from
several perspectives and under the premise that the needs and goals of uncertainty
estimation, like ecological models themselves, are evolving. Each chapter represents
a specific treatment of uncertainty and introduces new methodologies to evaluate the
nature, source, and significance of model uncertainty. In the second chapter,
'Determining the significance of threshold values uncertainty in rule-based
classification models', I present a sensitivity analysis methodology to determine the
significance of uncertainty in spatially-explicit rule-based classification models. In the
third chapter, 'Process level sensitivity analysis for complex ecological models', I
present a sensitivity analysis methodology at the process level, to determine the
sensitivity of a model to variations in the processes it describes. In the fourth chapter,
'A Component Based Approach for the Development of Ecological Simulations',
investigate how the process of developing an ecological simulation can be advanced
by using component-based simulation frameworks. I conclude with reflection on the
future of modeling and studies of uncertainty. / Graduation date: 2003
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Men who sell sex to men in China: Identity, work, and HIV.Muessig, Kathryn E. Unknown Date (has links)
In the context of China's growing HIV epidemic, men who have sex with men (MSM) have become a population of special interest and male sex work has emerged as an area of particular concern. Dominant narratives about men who sell sex to men in China from Chinese gay communities, health workers, and the general population have variably framed them as rural-to-urban migrants, questioned the authenticity or appropriateness of their homosexuality, and emphasized their role in driving the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections among MSM and to the broader population. Despite the quasi-legal and socially stigmatized status of sex work, changes in labor and economic policies and the broadening visibility of gay entertainment scenes have seemed to open up more spaces for the evolution of male-male commercial sex. / From 2007 to 2009 I conducted multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork in China. My fieldwork activities included semi-structured life history interviews with men who sell sex to men and individuals connected with the male sex industry, extensive observation in the spaces of male sex work, migrant labor markets and organizations involved in HIV-prevention among MSM, and historical inquiry into the evolution of the male sex industry. / I find that the existing framings of male prostitution in China do not adequately incorporate consideration of the social and economic processes that are shaping male sex work and men's participation in this industry. I argue that male sex work is more accurately seen by the men themselves as a job, whether temporary or professional, which for some offers the opportunity to engage in China's emerging urban gay communities and express sexual identity; and for others requires the inconvenience of (unwanted) sex in a process---not of survival in absolute terms---but of urban advancement and participation in modern, cosmopolitan China. I argue that the current growth and structure of the Chinese male commercial sex industry cannot be understood separately from its historical development, emergent issues surrounding gay or tongzhi identity formation and expression---including negotiating HIV/AIDS---and struggles for economic success within China's post-socialist market economy. I show how accounting for these connections and broadening the public health focus beyond government sponsored efforts on HIV-testing and education provides a more inclusive view of subpopulations of male sex workers.
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Choosing to serve: Modeling antecedents of public service motivation in undergraduate students.Greentree, Vivian Walker. Unknown Date (has links)
This research builds upon the public service literature to better understand the distinctive nature of motivations associated with pursuing careers in the public sector. Previous research has shown that a wide variety of socialization experiences help to develop one's public service motivation (PSM). However, the research has fallen short of providing a comprehensive explanation. Additionally, a majority of the research focuses on those already employed in the public sector, with a dearth of exploration into students' preferences. This study utilized Perry's (1996) original survey instrument to measure PSM scores (both composite and dimensions) in college students, those who we must understand in order to attract and maintain vibrant public administrators with a public service ethos. Sixteen hypotheses were testing using bivariate analysis and a modified version of Perry's (1997) antecedent model, including the introduction of an educational socialization, was examined through multivariate regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) in order to ascertain which antecedent factors were most influential in students' PSM levels. / The study confirmed Perry's (1996) PSM construct by applying it to a group of undergraduate students. The findings on the effects of parental modeling of altruism and closeness to God on PSM levels in students support Perry's (1997) results. Additionally, several other variables, including a liberal political ideology and student volunteerism emerged as important antecedents. The modified political ideology construct had two variables with significant relationships with overall PSM level in both bivariate and multiple regression analysis---being liberal and having trust in government were positively related with overall NM level and several of the dimensions. Being more liberal was also found to be significant in the SEM analysis. The new educational socialization construct was also supported through bivariate, multivariate, and SEM analysis. Hypotheses testing revealed that students who majored in the humanities or social sciences, who indicated a preference towards finding employment in the public sector, who had participated in a service learning experience, and who participated in extra-curricular activities and volunteered (within or outside of their university experience) had higher mean PSM scores than those students who didn't. / Overall, the findings of this study support Perry's (1996, 1997) construct of PSM and his findings on several antecedent variables while expanding the knowledge of the effects of the educational socialization process on students, thus providing another avenue for future inquiry into the motivations of our future public leaders.
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Disputing an Analytic Construct of Philosophical ConservatismEvans, Daniel Carson 01 January 2012 (has links)
This paper examines and ultimately objects to a version of political Conservatism as described in Geoffrey Brennan and Alan Hamlin’s paper “Analytic Conservatism.” Brennan and Hamlin’s argument makes several claims about economic forecasting and societal risk-aversion that ultimately uphold the status quo within society. This paper examines these claims and refutes them, while also considering counter-arguments Brennan and Hamlin could use to defend their theory. In conclusion, this paper supports the analytic dimension of Brennan and Hamlin’s theory while criticizing the trivial and arbitrary nature of valuing the status quo.
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The Potential Role of Business Intelligence in Church OrganizationsFelder, Charmaine 09 January 2013
The Potential Role of Business Intelligence in Church Organizations
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Women in drug markets: An intersectionality approach to a sociological theory of drug dealing.Sales, Paloma. January 2009 (has links)
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of California, San Francisco, 2009. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: . Adviser: Howard Pinderhughes.
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