Giulia Rivellini

Multilevel analysis in social research: An application of a cross-classified model

The multilevel approach can be a fruitful methodological framework in which to formulate the micro-macro relationships existing between individuals and their contexts. Usually, place of residence is taken as proxy for context. But individuals can be classified at the same level in more than one way. For example, not only may place of residence be relevant, but birthplace, household or working relations may also be taken into account. Contextual effects can be better identified if multiple classifications are simultaneously considered. in this sense, data do not have a purely hierarchical structure but a cross-classified one, and become very important to establish whether the resulting structure affects the covariance structure of data. In this paper, some critical issues arising from application of multilevel modelling are discussed, and multilevel cross-classified models are proposed as more flexible tools to study contextual effects. A multilevel cross-classified model is specified to evaluate simultaneously the effects of womens place of birth and womens current place of residence on the choice of bearing a second child by Italian women in the mid-1990s.

The science network in Italian population research : An analysis according to the social network perspective

The scientific community organises its relationships into network patterns, where the nodes are individuals (scientists) and the links are acquaintance and common work, usually presented at workshops and conferences and/or published in books and scientific journals. A references review on Population Studies by Italian scientists is delivered every two years by the Demography Section of the Italian Statistical Society; the review is exhaustive for academic demographers. In this paper, the properties of the demographers’ network in 1998–1999 are evaluated, with the aim of identifying factors which may influence collaborative relations among actors. The probability of cooperation between couples (dyads) of demographers is modelled, conditionally on observed characteristics of the dyad (sex, academic position, university affiliation). Main results suggest that “closeness”, defined in a wider sense and not simply as geographical proximity, plays a major role in determining actors’ relationships.

L’attività scientifica degli studiosi di popolazione. Una lettura dei più recenti convegni nazionali e internazionali

L’attivita scientifica degli studiosi di popolazione. Una lettura dei piu recenti convegni nazionali e internazionali Anche nel mondo scientifico degli studi di popolazione lo scambio, il confronto e la discussione sui temi di ricerca affrontati sono importanti canali di avanzamento della disciplina. Di queste forme di interazione se ne ha una diffusa testimonianza nell’ambito dei piu rilevanti convegni nazionali e internazionali delle associazioni scientifiche di studi demografici. In questo lavoro la visione d’insieme sugli argomenti, i metodi e le fonti dei lavori presentati a tali convegni, oltre all’analisi dell’evoluzione della partecipazione, realizzate secondo un approccio quantitativo ancora poco diffuso nello studio della produzione scientifica, consentono di documentare ordinatamente come si delinea l’attivita degli studiosi di popolazione. Sia a livello nazionale che internazionale si coglie un costante incremento di interesse per gli studi demografici tendenti a coprire un ventaglio di tematiche sempre piu ampio. Scientific production of the population scholars reading through the recent national and international conferences In the demographic field, as in other scientific contexts, the scholars invest much of their time in acquiring and disseminating new knowledge through the exchange of updates information, ideas, exploratory discussions and face to face conversations. This way of scientific interaction is often allowed during formal national and international academic meetings, mainly organized by the scientific association of population studies. Following a quantitative approach and using the collection of abstracts of four recent Italian workshops on population studies (Giornate di Studio sulla Popolazione, GSP, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2005) the aim of this research is to provide an empirical analysis on the topics, methods, data source of the presented papers. We therefore observe the evolution of participation and topics. The results show both at national and international level a stable increasing interest for population studies, which cover a range of topics always wider.