In der Soziologie finden Rational-Choice (RC)-Erklärungen zunehmende Verbreitung. Sie sollen einerseits zu einer Lösung allgemeiner theoretischer Kernprobleme (Erklärung von sozialer Ordnung, Kooperation und sozialen Normen) beitragen. Darüber hinaus dominiert die RC-Theorie mittlerweile zahlreiche Felder der empirischen Forschung. In diesem Band beschreiben namhafte Autoren die umfangreichen theoretischen und empirischen Anwendungsmöglichkeiten. Ein Schwerpunkt der theoretischen Arbeiten sind Analysen sozialer Normen. Die empirischen Beiträge und Anwendungen behandeln ein breites Spektrum von Themen, u.a. aus der Soziologie des abweichenden Verhaltens, der politischen Soziologie und der Analyse des Terrorismus. Abgerundet werden die Aufsätze durch methodologische Überlegungen. Der Band liefert Studierenden und Forschern eine umfassende Orientierung über wichtige Entwicklungslinien dieses Forschungsprogramms.
Mathematicians delight in finding surprising connections between seemingly disparate areas of mathematics. Whole domains of modern mathematics have arisen from exploration of such connections--consider analytic number theory or algebraic topology. Finding Ellipses is a delight-filled romp across a three-way unexpected connection between complex analysis, linear algebra, and projective geometry. The book begins with Blaschke products, complex-analytic functions that are generalizations of disk automorphisms. In the analysis of Blaschke products, we encounter, in a quite natural way, an ellipse inside the unit disk. The story continues by introducing the reader to Poncelet's theorem--a beautiful result in projective geometry that ties together two conics and, in particular, two ellipses, one circumscribed by a polygon that is inscribed in the second. The Blaschke ellipse and the Poncelet ellipse turn out to be the same ellipse, and the connection is illuminated by considering the numerical range of a $2 \times 2$ matrix. The numerical range is a convex subset of the complex plane that contains information about the geometry of the transformation represented by a matrix. Through the numerical range of $n \times n$ matrices, we learn more about the interplay between Poncelet's theorem and Blaschke products. The story ranges widely over analysis, algebra, and geometry, and the exposition of the deep and surprising connections is lucid and compelling. Written for advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students, this book would be the perfect vehicle for an invigorating and enlightening capstone exploration. The exercises and collection of extensive projects could be used as an embarkation point for a satisfying and rich research project. You are invited to read actively using the accompanying interactive website, which allows you to visualize the concepts in the book, experiment, and develop original conjectures.
Der Sammelband vereint Beiträge von führenden Forscherinnen und Forschern im Bereich statistischer Methoden und deren Anwendung in den Sozialwissenschaften mit einem besonderen Fokus auf sozialen Räumen. Multivariate Skalierungsmethoden für kategoriale Daten, speziell Korrespondenzanalyse, werden verwendet um die wichtigsten Dimensionen aus komplexen Kreuztabellen mit vielen Variablen zu extrahieren und Zusammenhänge in den Daten bildlich darzustellen. In diesem Band werden statistische Weiterentwicklungen, grundsätzliche methodologische Überlegungen und empirische Anwendungen multivariater Analysemethoden diskutiert. Mehrere Anwendungsbeispiele thematisieren verschiedene Aspekte des Raumes und deren soziologische Bedeutung: die Rekonstruktion „sozialer Räume“ mit statistischen Methoden, die Illustration räumlicher Beziehungen zwischen Nähe, Distanz und Ungleichheit, aber auch konkrete Interaktionen in urbanen Räumen. Der Band erscheint zur Würdigung der wissenschaftlichen Leistungen von Prof. Jörg Blasius.
There are more than 20 theories that explain crime. Each theory has weaknesses, and no scholar knows which theory is best. To remedy this unsatisfactory situation a new research program of comparative theory testing is proposed. Comparing the theories with each other has not yet been successful. The alternative, suggested in this book, is to show how criminological theories must be modified if they are compared with a general behavioral theory. The book shows under which conditions the major criminological theories provide valid explanations of crime. The latter thus become integrated as parts of the general theory. The general theory that is chosen is a version of the theory of rational action. This is not the problematic version discussed in the literature, but states the real conditions of decision making and, thus, explains when people actually violate the law or remain law-abiding. The general theory is a component of a theoretical approach that explains individual behavior in interaction with societal (macro) conditions. This micro-macro approach is summarized in a proposed structural-cognitive model. This is part of the new program of Analytical Criminology. It suggests empirical theory comparison, process explanations, and micro-macro explanations. The book is not only written for readers who are interested in theories of crime and deviant behavior. It is also a treatise in "analytical" (i.e., rigorous) theory construction and empirical theory comparison.
One hundred years after Austrian satirist Karl Kraus began writing his dramatic masterpiece, The Last Days of Mankind remains as powerfully relevant as the day it was first published. Kraus’s play enacts the tragic trajectory of the First World War, when mankind raced toward self-destruction by methods of modern warfare while extolling the glory and ignoring the horror of an allegedly “defensive” war. This volume is the first to present a complete English translation of Kraus’s towering work, filling a major gap in the availability of Viennese literature from the era of the War to End All Wars. Bertolt Brecht hailed The Last Days as the masterpiece of Viennese modernism. In the apocalyptic drama Kraus constructs a textual collage, blending actual quotations from the Austrian army’s call to arms, people’s responses, political speeches, newspaper editorials, and a range of other sources. Seasoning the drama with comic invention and satirical verse, Kraus reveals how bungled diplomacy, greedy profiteers, Big Business complicity, gullible newsreaders, and, above all, the sloganizing of the press brought down the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the dramatization of sensationalized news reports, inurement to atrocities, and openness to war as remedy, today’s readers will hear the echo of the fateful voices Kraus recorded as his homeland descended into self-destruction.
Karl Geiringer's biography of Brahms is generally regarded as the finest study of the composer ever published in any language. It is based upon the great body of material in the archives of the Viennese Society of Friends, for which Dr. Geiringer was curator from 1930–1938, and which contains more than a thousand letters written by and to Brahms. These letters, exchanged with family and with his famous contemporaries, reveal his loneliness, grim humor, loyalty, painful shyness, and enthusiasm for the music of Beethoven and Schubert—moods that the self-effacing composer did not publicly display. Divided into sections on Brahms's solitary, scholarly existence and his fruitful composing career—including examinations of rare first drafts—the biography relates how crises in Brahms's personal life were translated into his music, and how he often managed to ignore or suppress them. Supplemented with a new appendix on "Brahms as a Reader and Collector," this third edition of a classic biography is both a literary and musicological event.
Political protest and social movements are ubiquitous phenomena. This book focuses on the current theoretical approaches that aim at explaining them: the theory of collective action, the resource mobilization perspective, political opportunity structure theory, the identity approach, the framing perspective, and the dynamics of contention approach. The book has three objectives: (1) Many basic concepts like political opportunities or identity are not clearly defined. It is further often a matter of interpretation what factors are supposed to affect which phenomena. The first aim is therefore to provide a detailed introduction to and a clear restatement of the theories. Only then is it possible to assess and improve them. (2) For each theory the major strengths and weaknesses are discussed, and various modifications and extensions are suggested. (3) Building on these analyses, it is shown how the theories can be integrated into a single theoretical paradigm: the structural-cognitive model.
This handbook gives a complete and detailed survey of the field of semiconductor physics. It addresses every fundamental principle, the most important research topics and results, as well as conventional and emerging new areas of application. Additionally it provides all essential reference material on crystalline bulk, low-dimensional, and amorphous semiconductors, including valuable data on their optical, transport, and dynamic properties. This updated and extended second edition includes essential coverage of rapidly advancing areas in semiconductor physics, such as topological insulators, quantum optics, magnetic nanostructures and spintronic systems. Richly illustrated and authored by a duo of internationally acclaimed experts in solar energy and semiconductor physics, this handbook delivers in-depth treatment of the field, reflecting a combined experience spanning several decades as both researchers and educators. Offering a unique perspective on many issues, Semiconductor Physics is an invaluable reference for physicists, materials scientists and engineers throughout academia and industry.
This is the first book to present a synthesis of rational choice theory and sociological perspectives for the analysis of social institutions.The origin of social institutions is an old concern in social theory. Currently it has re-emerged as one of the most intensely debated issues in social science. Among economists and rational choice theorists, there is growing awareness that most, if not all, of the social outcomes that are of interest to explain are at least partly a function of institutional constraints. Yet the role of institutions is negligible both in general equilibrium theory and in most neoclassical economic models. There is a burgeoning substantive interest in institutions ranging from social movements, to formal organizations, to states, and even international regimes.Rational choice theorists have made great strides in elucidating the effects of institutions on a variety of social outcomes, but they have paid insufficient attention to the social dynamics that lead to the emergence of these institutions. Typically, these institutions have been assumed to be a given, rather than considered as outcomes requiring explanation in their own right. Sociological theorists, in contrast, have long appreciated the role of social structural constraints in the determination of outcomes but have neglected the role of individual agents.Michael Hechter is professor emeritus in the department of Sociology at the University of Washington. He is the author of numerous books. He became an Elected Fellow to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004 and has been featured in Who's Who. He is also currently on editorial boards for a numerous amount of journals.Karl-Dieter Opp is professor of sociology at Univesitat Leipzig. He has been a Fellow of the European Academy of Sociology since 1999 and has been member of the Council and Treasurer since 2000. He is also current on the advisory board for the magazine Mind and Society.Reinhard Wippler is professor of theoretical sociology at the University of Utrecht and scientific director of the Interuniversity Center for Sociological Theory and Methodology.
In 1973, Dr. Ber created the Solar One house, the first house to convert sunlight into electricity and heat. His leadership made a lasting impact on science, engineering, and the solar industry. The Life of the Solar Pioneer Karl Wolfgang Ber describes the life of one of the most influential and recognized solar energy pioneers. It is a must read for anyone interested in the modern development of solar energy, Bers dynamic life as one of the key movers in the field, and his world authority in CdS (Cadmium sulfide). It provides rare insight into the personal life of a scientist growing up in turbulent postwar Berlin. After his emigration to the USA and his transformation as a leader in solar energy, he set the direction for the future in significant ways: Bridged the divide between academia and industry Wrote over 350 science publications, dozens of books, and patents Created the most successful international solid state physics journal Promoted worldwide implementation of solar energy
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