Comparative Social Research: Issues in Comparability

George, Janet

doi:10.1177/000169938602900206

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Nevertheless, as far as comparability is concerned, the debate has often been polarized (George, 1986). Philosophers such as Winch and Quine have rejected the possibility of cross-cultural comparison.…”

Section: The Problems Of Comparability and Equivalencementioning

confidence: 99%

Comparability and Equivalence in Social Research

Piovani

Baranger

2023

Sociol. Antropol.

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This study discusses some problematic issues around comparability and equivalence in empirical research, particularly focusing on the case of indicators and taking a cross-national study on linguistic skills and use of foreign languages in the scientific production of researchers from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile as reference. The discussion is framed within broader epistemological and methodological debates concerning the status of comparisons in the social sciences and, mainly, the case of cross-national comparative studies. Within these debates, and resorting to concrete examples arising from research into scientists’ linguistics skills, we address the comparability issue of target populations and samples, as well as that of indicator equivalence, with emphasis in the problems of questionnaire design, reliability, and validity.

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Section: The Problems Of Comparability and Equivalencementioning

confidence: 99%

Comparability and Equivalence in Social Research

Piovani

Baranger

2023

Sociol. Antropol.

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“…Il s'agit là d'un des objets de préoccupation les plus importants des auteurs qui se sont penchés sur la méthode de comparaison internationale (voir, parmi d'autres, Przeworski et Teune, 1970 ;Armer et Grimshaw, 1973 ;Berting, Geyeret Jurkovich, 1979 Tout en prônant la plus grande prudence en la matière, certains auteurs (George, 1986;Oliva, 1987) estiment pourtant qu'en prenant en considération ce qu'Oliva appelle le domaine de validité societal des indicateurs, il est possible d'éviter que la comparaison internationale aboutisse à des conclusions artificielles.…”

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Les comparaisons internationales

Desmarez

2015

riac

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Nombreuses sont les recherches qui, dans le domaine du travail, recourent à la comparaison internationale. Elles sont un apport indéniable à la connaissance des formes que peuvent prendre les activités de travail, en montrant notamment la relativité de régularités qui peuvent sembler « naturelles » quand on se limite au cadre d’un pays. L’auteur expose ces apports mais aussi les limites et les difficultés de la méthode, en s’efforçant de faire apparaître l’enjeu qu’elle représente pour les ambitions explicatives de la sociologie. Allant de l’entreprise à l’analyse sociétale, tout en soulignant l’importance des institutions intermédiaires (comme les branches d’activité) pour la compréhension des différences et des similitudes entre les nations, il élargit la problématique par des exemples empruntés à des recherches récentes. Enfin, remettant en question le statut privilégié accordé à la « nation » par les comparaisons internationales, il essaie de poser les principes de base d’une perspective qui dépasserait les limites des comparaisons classiques.A great deal of research in the area of work employs international comparisons. Such comparisons make an undeniable contribution to knowledge on the various forms work activities can assume, especially by demonstrating the relative nature of regularities which may appear "natural" within the context of a particular country. The author examines these contributions as well as the limits and difficulties of this method, endeavouring to represent the issues involved in terms of sociology's explanatory objectives. Moving from the organization to a social analysis, while stressing the importance of intermediary institutions (such as activity sectors) in understanding differences and similarities between nations, he expands the nature of the topic through examples derived from recent studies. Finally, in questioning the privileged status international comparisons accord to the "nation," he attempts to formulate the basic principles for a viewpoint which goes beyond the boundaries of traditional comparisons.Son varias las investigaciones que, en el campo del trabajo, acuden a la comparación internacional. Constituyen una aportación innegable al conocimiento de las formas que pueden tomar las actividades de trabajo, mostrando particularmente la relatividad de las regularidades que pueden parecer "naturales" al limitarse al marco de un país. El autor expone estas aportaciones pero también los límites y las dificultades del método, esforzándose en hacer resaltar el desafío que dicho método representa para las ambiciones explicativas de la sociología. Moviéndose entre la empresa y el análisis de la sociedad, al mismo tiempo que recalca la importancia de las instituciones intermediarias (como las ramas de actividad) para la comprensión de las diferencias y las similitudes entre las naciones, ensancha su problématica con ejemplos tomados de investigaciones recientes. Finalmente, poniendo en tela de juicio el estatuto privilegiado que se da a la "nación" en las comparaciones internac...

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Comparative Social Research: Issues in Comparability

Cited by 2 publications

References 4 publications

Comparability and Equivalence in Social Research

Comparability and Equivalence in Social Research

Les comparaisons internationales

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