Methods for Macrosociological Research

Strategies of analysis for macrosociological data have long relied on questionable methodology which sacrifices information in exchange for summary measures. This practical book provides the means to handle distributions and compositional data without forfeiting the information from which they derive. Real-world data and illustrations are featured throughout the text, and for easy reference, each chapter contains a summary and bibliography. For further ease, this handy reference is divided into three sections. Part I discusses comparative analysis of distributions, compositions, sequences of rates and other vectors. Part II studies the interdependence of the parts which together make up the whole. Part III investigates the aggregative analysis of such parts in both static and dynamic terms. Its chapters organized around substantive, current issues. It features illustrations based on real data. Bibliographic notes guide readers to further readings. Concluding remarks at chapter end focus attention on topics for additional study.