Analyzing Social and Political Change A Casebook of Methods [Hardcover]

Understanding change over time is a central concern for research in sociology, political science, education, geography and related disciplines. It is also an issue which presents significant methodological problems, in response to which different techniques have been developed - for example, time series analysis, multilevel models, log-linear models and event history analysis. Outlining the nature of such techniques, this accessible collection covers: the respective values of cross-sectional and longitudinal data in the analysis of change; the variety of methods available for the analysis of change over time; the types of research objective to which various techniques are suited; the limitations and constraints of individual methods; and thUnderstanding change over time is a central concern for research in sociology, political science, education, geography and related disciplines. It is also an issue which presents significant methodological problems, in response to which different techniques have been developed - for example, time series analysis, multilevel models, log-linear models and event history analysis. Outlining the nature of such techniques, this accessible collection covers: the respective values of cross-sectional and longitudinal data in the analysis of change; the variety of methods available for the analysis of change over time; the types of research objective to which various techniques are suited; the limitations and constraints of individual methods; and th`[A] valuable sourcebook.... It starts with a lucid introductory chapter by the editors in which they review the main benefits of using longitudinal data and describe the different sorts of such data that are becoming increasingly available, identifying the research questions each may address and the statistical methods appropriate to each. Chapter 2 by Davies is an elegant demonstration of the benefits of longitudinal over cross-sectional analysis, particularly in separating ageing andl.