Key Recent Publications
This page reports some of the key recent publications about QCA broadly speaking, such as textbooks or icon QCA applications. If you have any suggestion or comment concerning this page, please send an email to Damien Bol
- Configurational Comparative Methods by Benoit RIHOUX and Charles RAGIN (eds.)
- Redesigning Social Inquiry by Charles RAGIN
- The EU as International Environmental Negotiator by Tom DELREUX
- Vulnerable daughters in India by Mattias LARSEN
- Linguistic Fuzzy Logic Methods in Social Sciences by Badredine ARFI
- The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy by Philip HOWARD
- Colonialism and Postcolonialism Development by James MAHONEY
- Poltics of Risk-Taking by Barabra VIS
- The Consolidation of Democracy by Carsten SCHNEIDER
- Politics, Gender, and Concepts by Gary GOERTZ and Amy MAZUR (eds.)
THE EU AS INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL NEGOTIATOR
Tom Delreux
2011, hardback
Ashgate
ISBN: 978-1-4094-1182-6
£ 60.00
Description:
Delreux examines how the EU functions when it participates in international environmental negotiations. In particular, this book looks at the internal EU decision-making process with regard to international negotiations that lead to multilateral environmental agreements. By studying eight such decision-making processes, the book analyses how much negotiation autonomy (or 'discretion') the EU negotiator (the European Commission or the Council Presidency) enjoys vis-à-vis the member states it represents and how this particular degree of discretion can be explained. The book's empirical evidence is based on extensive literature review, primary and semi-confidential document research, as well as interviews with EU decision-makers. It is aimed at a readership interested in EU politics and decision-making, global/multilateral governance, environmental policy science and methodological development of Qualitative Comparative Analysis.
Contents:
Introduction; The EU and mixed agreements; Member states as principals, EU negotiators as agents; The EU as negotiator in eight international environmental negotiations; Explaining the EU negotiator's discretion; Unravelling the EU decision-making process; Conclusions; Appendices; Bibliography; Index
For more information and to order it, click HERE (Ashgate)
VULNERABLE DAUGHTERS IN INDIA. Culture, Development and Changing Contexts
Mattias Larsen
2010, hardback
Routledge
ISBN: 978-0-415-59751-7
$ 95.00
Description:
Underlying the widespread problem of sex-selective abortions in India is the puzzling fact that daughters have become vulnerable in a time of general improvement in welfare, female status and dramatic economic and social changes. The findings in this book are centred on a contradiction between the continued importance of the cultural factors which for so long have established that a son is necessary, and socioeconomic changes that are challenging the foundations for these very factors. This contradiction entails an uncertainty over sons fulfilling expectations which has - instead of titling the balance in favour of daughters - increased the relative importance of sons and intensified negative consequences for daughters.
Based on original research, this book studies the use of sexselective abortions to discriminate against daughters and focuses on the reasons behind it. It takes its starting point in the fact that declining child sex ratios are a result of an ongoing process of societal change in India, and addresses a nationwide social pattern and problem. Its deliberate focus on the dynamics of the problem and its connection to development and change sets it apart from other studies on gender imbalance and sex ratios in India, and opens up new avenues to examine the problem. It will therefore be of interest to researchers and students in gender studies, development studies, sociology and social policy, as well as policy-makers, advisors, planners and activists.
Contents:
Chapter 1. The Problem; Chapter 2.Intergenerational Interests and Systematic Case Comparisons; Chapter 3.Exploration and Specification of the Context; Chapter 4.Structural Continuity and the Role of the Son; Chapter 5.Contextual Changes in Two Paths to Low CSR; Chapter 6.Structure, Change and Uncertainty ; Appendix ; Bibliography
For more information and to order it, click HERE (Routledge)
LINGUISTIC FUZZY LOGIC METHODS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
Badredine ARFI
2010, 270p., hardcover
Springer-Verlag Publisehd
ISBN: 978-3-642-13342-8
€ 99.95
Description:
Linguistic fuzzy logic theory deals with sets or categories whose boundaries are blurry or, in other words, “fuzzy,” and which are expressed in a formalism that uses “words” to compute, not numbers, termed in engineering as “soft computing.” This book presents an accessible introduction to this linguistic fuzzy logic methodology, focusing on its applicability to social sciences. Specifically, this is the first book to propose an approach based on linguistic fuzzy-logic and the method of computing with words to the analysis of decision making processes, strategic interactions, causality, and data analysis in social sciences. The project consists of systematic, theoretical and practical discussions and developments of these new methods as well as their applications to various substantive issues of interest to international relations scholars, political scientists, and social scientists in general.
Contents:
Linguistic Fuzzy-Logic and Computing With Words.- Elements of Linguistic Fuzzy-Logic and Framework.- Linguistic Fuzzy-Logic Decision-Making Process.- Linguistic Fuzzy-Logic 2x2 Games.- Linguistic Fuzzy-Logic Social Game.- Linguistic Fuzzy-Logic and Causality.- Linguistic Fuzzy-Logic Data Analysis.- Conclusion.
For more information and to order it, click HERE (Springer-Verlag Publisher)
THE DIGITAL ORIGINS OF DICTATORSHIP AND DEMOCRACY. Information Technology and Political Islam
Philip N. HOWARD
2010, 252p., paperback
Oxford University Press
ISBN13: 9780199736416
$ 24.95
Description:
Around the developing world, political leaders face a dilemma: the very information and communication technologies that boost economic fortunes also undermine power structures. Globally, one in ten internet users is a Muslim living in a populous Muslim community. In these countries, young people are developing their political identities— including a transnational Muslim identity—online. In countries where political parties are illegal, the internet is the only infrastructure for democratic discourse. And in countries with large Muslim communities, mobile phones and the internet are helping civil society build systems of political communication independent of the state and beyond easy manipulation by cultural or religious elites. The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy looks at the role that communications technologies play in advancing democratic transitions in Muslim countries. As such, its central question is whether technology holds the potential to substantially enhance democracy. Certainly, no democratic transition has occurred solely because of the internet. But, as Philip Howard argues, no democratic transition can occur today without the internet. According to Howard, the major (and perhaps only meaningful) forum for civic debate in most Muslim countries today is online. Drawing upon material from interviews with telecommunications policy makers and activists in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Tajikistan and Tanzania and a comparative study of 74 countries with large Muslim populations, Howard demonstrates that these forums have been the means to organize activist movements that have lead to successful democratic insurgencies.
Contents:
Prologue: Revolution in the Middle East Will be Digitized Introduction: Political Communication and Contemporary Muslim Media Systems; 1. Evolution and Revolution, Transition and Entrenchment; 2. Lineages of the Digital State; 3. Political Parties Online; 4. New Media & Journalism Online; 5. Civil Society and Systems of Political Communication; 6. Censorship and the Politics of Cultural Production; Conclusion: Information Technology andDemocratic Islam
For more information and to order it, click HERE (Oxford University Press)
COLONIALISM AND POSTCOLONIALISM DEVELOPMENT. Spanish America in Comparative Perspective
James MAHONEY
2010, 424p., paperback
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521133289
£ 16.99
Description:
In this comparative-historical analysis of Spanish America, Mahoney offers a new theory of colonialism and postcolonial development. He explores why certain kinds of societies are subject to certain kinds of colonialism and why these forms of colonialism give rise to countries with differing levels of economic prosperity and social well-being. Mahoney contends that differences in the extent of colonialism are best explained by the potentially evolving fit between the institutions of the colonizing nation and those of the colonized society. Moreover, he shows how institutions forged under colonialism bring countries to relative levels of development that may prove remarkably enduring in the postcolonial period. The argument is sure to stir discussion and debate, both among experts on Spanish America who believe that development is not tightly bound by the colonial past, and among scholars of colonialism who suggest that the institutional identity of the colonizing nation is of little consequence.
Contents:
1. Explaining levels of colonialism and postcolonial development; 2. Spain and its colonial empire in the Americas; 3. Mercantilist colonialism; 4. Liberal colonialism; 5. Warfare and postcolonial development; 6. Postcolonial levels of development; 7. British and Portuguese colonialism; 8. Conclusion.
For more information and to order it, click HERE (Cambridge University Press)
POLITICS OF RISK-TAKING. Welfare State Reform in Advanced Democracies
Barbara VIS
2010, 248p., paperback
Amsterdam University Press
ISBN: 9789089642271
€ 34.95
Description:
How much and in which direction have the welfare states among the Western democracies changed over the past decades? Moreover, under which conditions have governments enacted these changes? Based on insights from prospect theory, a psychological theory of choice under risk, Vis demonstrates ably that the context in which governments find themselves (losses or gains) affects their attitude towards risk and thereby the degree and type of reform they pursue. Facing socio-economic losses or political ones, governments accept the electoral risk involved in unpopular reforms, such as benefit cutbacks; confronting gains, they steer away from them. The study’s new theoretical stance and innovative methodological approach (fuzzy-set analysis) make Politics of Risk-Taking a must read for policymakers, scholars as well as students interested in the politics of welfare state reform.
Reviews:
- "Given the electoral risks, the question of why governments reform the welfare-state at all has long been in need of an answer. Based on prospect theory, “The Politics of Risk Taking” offers an original answer. It is a must for anyone interested in the politics of welfare-state reforms." Prof. Christoffer Green-Pedersen, Professor of Political Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
- "Innovative in theoretical and methodological terms, Barbara Vis’ book is a model of cutting-edge scholarship. Her cognitive-psychological theory of decision-making convincingly explains the transformation of European welfare states, and her configurational approach to causal inference submits this theory to a rigorous test." Prof. Kurt Weyland, Lozano Long Professor of Latin American Politics, University of Texas, USA
- "This is an excellent book that contributes to one of the most important debates -- both in comparative political economy and in the political debate within mature democracies. It shows that governments have more options than a 'hands off'-approach in recent welfare state reform." Prof. Klaus Armingeon, Professor of Political Science, University of Berne, Switzerland
For more information and to order it, click HERE (Amsterdam University Press)
CONFIGURATIONAL COMPARATIVE METHODS. Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and Related Techniques
Benoit RIHOUX and Charles C. RAGIN (eds)
2008, 240p., paperback
Sage Publications
ISBN: 9781412942355
USD 32.95
To the Textbook's pages
Description:
Configurational Comparative Methods paves the way for an innovative approach to empirical scientific work through a strategy that integrates key strengths of both qualitative (case-oriented) and quantitative (variable-oriented) approaches. This first-of-its-kind text is ideally suited for "small-N" or "intermediate-N" research situations, which both mainstream qualitative and quantitative methods find difficult to address. Benoît Rihoux and Charles C. Ragin, along with their contributing authors, offer both a basic, comparative research design overview and a technical and hands-on review of Crisp-Set QCA (csQCA), Multi-Value QCA (mvQCA), and Fuzzy-Set QCA (fsQCA).
Key Features:
- Discusses existing applications in many different fields and disciplines along with state-of-the-art coverage of the strengths and limitations of these techniques
- Demonstrates further inventive ways of using QCA techniques
- Provides advice on how to develop a comparative research design (case and variable selection) as well as a specific technique called MSDO/MDSO (most similar, different outcome/most different, same outcome).
- Shows how to perform the technical operations linked to three specific QCA techniques: csQCA, mvQCA, and fsQCA
- Includes a glossary, an extensive bibliography, and a detailed list of good practices at every stage of the research process
Intended Audience:
A must for any student or researcher who wants to engage in systematic cross-case comparison in the social and behavioral sciences, the book is ideal for use in upper-level undergraduate and graduate-level social science research methods courses.
For more information and to order it, click HERE (Sage Publications)
REDESIGNING SOCIAL INQUIRY. Fuzzy Sets and Beyond
Charles C. RAGIN
2008, 240p., paperback
The University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226702759
USD 18.00
Description:
For over twenty years Charles C. Ragin has been at the forefront of the development of innovative methods for social scientists. In Redesigning Social Inquiry, he continues his campaign to revitalize the field, challenging major aspects of the conventional template for social science research while offering a clear alternative.
Redesigning Social Inquiry provides a substantive critique of the standard approach to social research—namely, assessing the relative importance of causal variables drawn from competing theories. Instead, Ragin proposes the use of set-theoretic methods to find a middle path between quantitative and qualitative research. Through a series of contrasts between fuzzy-set analysis and conventional quantitative research, Ragin demonstrates the capacity for set-theoretic methods to strengthen connections between qualitative researchers’ deep knowledge of their cases and quantitative researchers’ elaboration of cross-case patterns. Packed with useful examples, Redesigning Social Inquiry will be indispensable to experienced professionals and to budding scholars about to embark on their first project.
For more information and to order it, click HERE (The University of Chicago Press)or HERE (amazon.com)
THE CONSOLIDATION OF DEMOCRACY. Comparing Europe and Latin America
Carsten Q. Schneider
2008, 208p., paperback
Routledge
ISBN: 9780415468060
£ 70.00
Description:
This book investigates the successes and failures in consolidating those democratic regimes that emerged in Europe and Latin America in the last quarter of the 20th century. Reinterpreting conventional claims, Schneider’s comparative analyses of 32 countries indicate that the driving force behind the Consolidation of Democracy (CoD) is the fit between the institutional type of democracy and the societal context in terms of power dispersion.
In order to develop the argument that CoD is the result of equifinal, conjunctural, and asymmetric conditions, this book discusses some general methodological issues involved when investigating causally complex claims in (macro-) comparative social research. By employing an innovative two-step fuzzy-set QCA approach, Schneider provides one of the first book-length applications of fsQCA to real data and demonstrates that this approach can be a valuable addition to the methodological tool kit of comparative social scientists. This important volume will be of interest to political scientists, particularly those with an interest in democracy, democratization, comparative methodology, and configurational comparative methods.
Selected Contents:
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Meanings and Measures of the Consolidation of Democracy (CoD)
- 3. The Consolidation of Democracy across Time and Space
- 4. CoD, Causal Complexity, and fsQCA
- 5. Contexts, Institutions, and the Consolidation of Democracy
For more information and to order it, click HERE (Routledge)
POLITICS, GENDER, AND CONCEPTS. Theory and Methodology
Gary GOERTZ and Amy G. MAZUR (eds)
2008, 322p., paperback
Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 780521723428
£ 18.99
Description:
A critique of concepts has been central to feminist scholarship since its inception. However, while gender scholars have identified the analytical gaps in existing social science concepts, few have systematically mapped out a gendered approach to issues in political analysis and theory development. This volume addresses this important gap in the literature by exploring the methodology of concept construction and critique, which is a crucial step to disciplined empirical analysis, research design, causal explanations, and testing hypotheses. Leading gender and politics scholars use a common framework to discuss methodological issues in some of the core concepts of feminist research in political science, including representation, democracy, welfare state governance, and political participation. This is an invaluable work for researchers and students in women's studies and political science.
Key Features:
- Addresses methodological and substantive issues of gender and concept analysis in a systematic manner
- Explores core concepts of feminist research in political science, such as representation, democracy, welfare state, governance, political participation, intersectionality, women's movement, state feminism and masculinism
- An accompanying website provides new material and classroom related examples
For more information and to order it, click HERE (Cambridge University Press)