David Kaplan - Böcker

Most countries implement social protection programs to help individuals manage risks such as unemployment, disability, illness, longevity or death. In many middle income countries, these are often based on a 'Bismarckian model' (named after Otto von Bismarck), where benefits are financed by contributions levied on salaried employment. In countries with a large informal sector, however, only a fraction of the population is covered by this system and non-contributory programs have been added or are planned to increase coverage. This can create distortions in the labor market, and the book is about policies to expand the coverage of social insurance programs to all workers, without reducing incentives to job creation and formal work.While few would argue against the need and social merits of social insurance and social assistance programs there are growing concerns about their unintended consequences on labor markets because of poor design. The programs can distort incentives and individual behaviors in ways that either reduce employment levels and/or promote informality, ultimately affecting productivity and economic performance. For instance, high social security contribution rates can reduce formal employment; badly designed unemployment benefits can reduce incentives to keep, search, and take jobs; and fragmented social assistance programs can become a tax on formal labor and encourage informality.The book reviews the evidence regarding the effects of social insurance and social assistance programs on labor market outcomes and discusses options to improve their design and implementation. The book focuses particularly on middle income countries in Latin America and Asia with a large informal sector and suggests ways to reduce these distortions and better manage and finance the subsidies to make coverage universal, while creating good jobs. The book compiles expert papers from the joint conferences of the World Bank (WB), the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on Employment and Development.

Anthropological theory has been much discussed in recent years, yet the crucial questions still remain--how can it be defined, how is it developed, how is it to be applied, and how can one confirm it? The editors of Anthropological Theory answer these questions by presenting essays relating to various aspects of anthropological theory. Their selections from widely scattered and often difficult-to-obtain sources present a comprehensive set of writings that describe the current position and issues involved in theory.The development of field work in anthropology generated a tremendous emphasis on empirical data and research. The plethora of information awaiting collection and the enthusiasm with which the field embraced it so immersed anthropologists that they were unable to relate this new information to the field as a whole. Manners and Kaplan believe that this lack of generalization had a profoundly negative effect upon the discipline. Therefore, they look closely into the relationship between field work and theory in an opening essay and go on to present material that demonstrates the value and the necessity of theory in anthropology. Essays by anthropologists and other social scientists deal with "explanation," evolution, ecology, ideology, structuralism, and a number of other issues reflecting throughout the editors' conviction that anthropology is a science, the goal of which is to produce generalizations about sociocultural phenomena.The book provides necessary perspective for examining and evaluating the crucial intellectual concerns of modern anthropology and will therefore be important for the work of every anthropologist.

This is VII in a series of ten volumes on the Theory in Anthropology. Originally published in 1968, this is a sourcebook that was created by the authors’ need for making accessible in a single volume a sample of those important pieces which are presently scattered in numerous publications, some of which are difficult for the student to obtain. Our second reason had to do with certain convictions they hold about the aims and methods of anthropology.

This is VII in a series of ten volumes on the Theory in Anthropology. Originally published in 1968, this is a sourcebook that was created by the authors’ need for making accessible in a single volume a sample of those important pieces which are presently scattered in numerous publications, some of which are difficult for the student to obtain. Our second reason had to do with certain convictions they hold about the aims and methods of anthropology.

Click ′Additional Materials′ for downloadable samples"The 24 chapters in this Handbook span a wide range of topics, presenting the latest quantitative developments in scaling theory, measurement, categorical data analysis, multilevel models, latent variable models, and foundational issues. Each chapter reviews the historical context for the topic and then describes current work, including illustrative examples where appropriate. The level of presentation throughout the book is detailed enough to convey genuine understanding without overwhelming the reader with technical material. Ample references are given for readers who wish to pursue topics in more detail. The book will appeal to both researchers who wish to update their knowledge of specific quantitative methods, and students who wish to have an integrated survey of state-of- the-art quantitative methods."—Roger E. Millsap, Arizona State University"This handbook discusses important methodological tools and topics in quantitative methodology in easy to understand language. It is an exhaustive review of past and recent advances in each topic combined with a detailed discussion of examples and graphical illustrations. It will be an essential reference for social science researchers as an introduction to methods and quantitative concepts of great use."—Irini Moustaki, London School of Economics, U.K."David Kaplan and SAGE Publications are to be congratulated on the development of a new handbook on quantitative methods for the social sciences. The Handbook is more than a set of methodologies, it is a journey. This methodological journey allows the reader to experience scaling, tests and measurement, and statistical methodologies applied to categorical, multilevel, and latent variables. The journey concludes with a number of philosophical issues of interest to researchers in the social sciences. The new Handbook is a must purchase."—Neil H. Timm, University of PittsburghThe SAGE Handbook of Quantitative Methodology for the Social Sciences is the definitive reference for teachers, students, and researchers of quantitative methods in the social sciences, as it provides a comprehensive overview of the major techniques used in the field. The contributors, top methodologists and researchers, have written about their areas of expertise in ways that convey the utility of their respective techniques, but, where appropriate, they also offer a fair critique of these techniques. Relevance to real-world problems in the social sciences is an essential ingredient of each chapter and makes this an invaluable resource.The handbook is divided into six sections:• Scaling• Testing and Measurement• Models for Categorical Data• Models for Multilevel Data• Models for Latent Variables• Foundational IssuesThese sections, comprising twenty-four chapters, address topics in scaling and measurement, advances in statistical modeling methodologies, and broad philosophical themes and foundational issues that transcend many of the quantitative methodologies covered in the book. The Handbook is indispensable to the teaching, study, and research of quantitative methods and will enable readers to develop a level of understanding of statistical techniques commensurate with the most recent, state-of-the-art, theoretical developments in the field. It provides the foundations for quantitative research, with cutting-edge insights on the effectiveness of each method, depending on the data and distinct research situation.

This review of protein-based materials from a materials science perspective is divided into three sections: the chemical and biological approaches to this class of materials; introductions to the key classes of protein materials - silks, protein composites and elastomeric and adhesive proteins; and processing issues, such as liquid crystal phase formation, the spinning of protein fibres, formation of protein-based films and coatings, and self-organizing protein systems. This book is the first in a sequence of Birkhauser texts describing biologically-inspired materials and their role in biotechnology. This interdisciplinary field, best described by the term "biomimetics" (as in mimicking nature), is a cross-section of biology, chemistry, materials science and engineering.

The MRS Symposium Proceeding series is an internationally recognised reference suitable for researchers and practitioners.

Provides a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of Urban Geography The leading undergraduate textbook on the subject, Urban Geography covers the origins, historical development, and contemporary challenges of cities and metropolitan areas around the world. Incorporating the most recent research in urban studies, authors David H. Kaplan and Steven R. Holloway provide an overview of the dynamic field, introduce key elements of urban theory and methodology, analyze issues of immigration, ethnicity, and urbanism, and more. Exploring the urban experience in a global context, 16 student-friendly chapters address urbanization processes, industrial urbanization, discrimination in the housing market, gentrification, metropolitan governance, urban planning, geographical and political fragmentation, urban immigration, urban-economic restructuring, and more. Each chapter includes an introductory road map, learning objectives, definitions of key terms, discussion questions, and suggestions for research topics and activities. The fourth edition of Urban Geography contains two entirely new chapters on urban transportation and the relationship between cities and the environment, including climate change and natural disasters. New discussion of the impact of COVID-19 and other health aspects of cities is accompanied by new data, new figures, new themes, and new pedagogical tools. In this edition, the authors present traditional models of urban social space and new factors that organize intra-urban space, such as globalization and postmodernism. Examining cities in the developed world and in less developed regions, Urban Geography, Fourth Edition, is the ideal textbook for Urban Geography classes and related courses in Urban Studies, Sociology, and Political Science programs.

Introduction to Geography is written to clearly and concisely convey the nature of the field of geography, its intellectual challenges, and the logical interconnections of its parts. Even if students take no further work in geography, they will have come into contact with the richness and breadth of Geography and have new insights and understandings for their present and future roles as informed adults. This new edition provides students content and scope of the subfields of geography, emphasizes its unifying themes, and provides the foundation for further work in their areas of interest. 

Nature learned long ago how useful proteins are as a diverse set of building blocks to make materials with very diverse properties. Spider webs, egg whites, hair follicles, and skeletal muscles are all largely protein. This book provides a glimpse into both nature's strategies for the design and produc­ tion of protein-based materials, and how scientists have been able to go beyond the constraints of natural materials to produce synthetic analogs with potentially wider ranges of properties. The work presented is very much the beginning of the story. Only recently has there been much progress in obtaining a molecular understanding of some of nature's com­ plex materials, and the mimicry or replacement of these by synthetic or genetically engineered variants is a field still in its infancy. Yet this book will serve as a useful introduction for those wishing to get started in what is sure to be an active and productive field throughout the 21st century. The authors represent a wide range of interests and expertise, and the topics chosen are comprehensive. Charles R. Cantor Center for Advanced Biotechnology Boston University Series Preface The properties of materials depend on the nature of the macromolecules, small molecules and inorganic components and the interfaces and interac­ tions between them. Polymer chemistry and physics, and inorganic phase structure and density are major factors that influence the performance of materials.

The second edition of this practical book equips social science researchers to apply the latest Bayesian methodologies to their data analysis problems. It includes new chapters on model uncertainty, Bayesian variable selection and sparsity, and Bayesian workflow for statistical modeling. Clearly explaining frequentist and epistemic probability and prior distributions, the second edition emphasizes use of the open-source RStan software package. The text covers Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, Bayesian linear regression and generalized linear models, model evaluation and comparison, multilevel modeling, models for continuous and categorical latent variables, missing data, and more. Concepts are fully illustrated with worked-through examples from large-scale educational and social science databases, such as the Program for International Student Assessment and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. Annotated RStan code appears in screened boxes; the companion website (www.guilford.com/kaplan-materials) provides data sets and code for the book's examples.New to This Edition*Utilizes the R interface to Stan--faster and more stable than previously available Bayesian software--for most of the applications discussed.*Coverage of Hamiltonian MC; Cromwell’s rule; Jeffreys' prior; the LKJ prior for correlation matrices; model evaluation and model comparison, with a critique of the Bayesian information criterion; variational Bayes as an alternative to Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling; and other new topics.*Chapters on Bayesian variable selection and sparsity, model uncertainty and model averaging, and Bayesian workflow for statistical modeling.

This book offers an alternative to faith-dependent analytical approaches, explaining how original data can be transformed into cogent and compelling interpretations with analytical techniques that are straightforward and accessible to biomedical scientists. Some data-related topics covered in the book are the aesthetics of data or how beauty in data inspires, erroneous data by fraud or honest mistake, and what role it plays in biomedical science, the difference between experimental and observational data, reproducibility of data, and the implications of focusing on original data for peer review, leading to both publication and scientific funding. By considering these various subjects, this book has synthesized a philosophy to help students develop an effective and appropriate sensibility. It can serve as a guide for biomedical research investigators in their studies, assist practitioners in making sense of complex mechanisms for patient benefit, and for business professionals who may learn from a thoughtful consideration of biomedical science. This book is intentionally accessible for those without an extensive biomedical science background, and hopes to motivate readers to expand their data literacy and comprehension, in the age of AI.

This volume brings together educational effectiveness research and international large-scale assessments, demonstrating how the two fields can be applied to inspire and improve each other, and providing readers direct links to instruments that cover a broad range of topics and have been shown to work in more than 70 countries. The book’s initial chapters introduce and summarize recent discussions and developments in the conceptualization, implementation, and evaluation of international large-scale context assessments and provide an outlook on possible future developments. Subsequently, three thematic sections – “Student Background”, “Outcomes of Education Beyond Achievement”, and “Learning in Schools” – each present a series of chapters that provide the conceptual background for a wide range of important topics in education research, policy, and practice. Each chapter defines a conceptual framework that relates recent findings in the educational effectiveness research literature to current issues in education policy and practice. These frameworks were used to develop interesting and relevant indicators that may be used for meaningful reporting from international assessments, other cross-cultural research, or national studies. Using the example of one particular survey (the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA 2015)), this volume links all theoretical considerations to fully developed questionnaire material that was field trailed and evaluated in questionnaires for students and their parents as well as teachers and principals in their schools. The primary purposes of this book are to inform readers about how education effectiveness research and international large-scale assessments are already interacting to inform research and policymaking; to identify areas where a closer collaboration of both fields or input from other areas could further improve this work; to provide sound theoretical frameworks for future work in both fields; and finally to relate these theoretical debates to currently available and evaluated material for future context assessments.

This volume brings together educational effectiveness research and international large-scale assessments, demonstrating how the two fields can be applied to inspire and improve each other, and providing readers direct links to instruments that cover a broad range of topics and have been shown to work in more than 70 countries.

It is our pleasure to present this special volume on tissue engineering in the series Advances in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology. Thisvolume re?ects the emergence of tissue engineering as a core discipline of modern biomedical engineering, and recognizes the growing synergies between the technological developments in biotechnology and biomedicine. Along this vein, the focusof thisvolume istoprovide abiotechnology driven perspective on cell engineering fundamentals while highlighting their signi?cance in p- ducing functional tissues. Our aim is to present an overview of the state of the art of a selection of these technologies, punctuated with current applications in the research and development of cell-based therapies for human disease. To prepare this volume, we have solicited contributions from leaders and experts in their respective ?elds, ranging from biomaterials and bioreactors to gene delivery and metabolic engineering. Particular emphasis was placed on including reviews that discuss various aspects of the biochemical p- cesses underlying cell function, such as signaling, growth, differentiation, and communication. The reviews of research topics cover two main areas: cel- lar and non-cellular components and assembly; evaluation and optimization of tissue function; and integrated reactor or implant system development for research and clinical applications. Many of the reviews illustrate how bioche- cal engineering methods are used to produce and characterize novel materials (e. g. genetically engineered natural polymers, synthetic scaffolds with ce- type speci?c attachment sites or inductive factors), whose unique properties enable increased levels of control over tissue development and architecture.