This paper focuses on the issue of surveying older people. Increasing interest in the issue of ageing and old age has been accompanied by infrequent debate on the methodological pitfalls that might influence research into this specific, albeit very heterogeneous population. Interviewers routinely complete post-interview questions that provide important information on such criteria as respondent difficulty in answering the questions posed. This article examines such difficulty in terms of interviewer and respondent characteristics. It investigates three potential explanations of why interviewers judge an interview as difficult: (1) interviewer characteristics (age and gender), (2) socio-demographic characteristics of the respondent and (3) respondents’ sense of well-being. The data used in this study were obtained from four surveys conducted with older people in the Czech Republic between 2007 and 2011. These surveys explored ageing and old age. The findings show the crucial importance of respondents’ sense of well-being and level of education. No interviewer age or gender effects were observed., Marcela Petrová Kafková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This article examines the relationship between voter turnout (or, precisely, turnout intention) and variables related to the perception of the election campaign in the broader context of the other types of variables such as basic socio-demographic or political characteristics. The data used in this analysis are from surveys conducted during the period of three month before elections in 2010. All of the surveys were designed as public opinion polls and approximately 1000 Czech adults were interviewed nationwide at the beginning of each month. To explain the relationship between voter turnout (or rather a kind of readiness to vote) and the perception of the campaign, the binary logistic regression was chosen and three models were created. In relation to voter turnout, in addition to basic socio-demographic characteristics, the variables related to the perception of the election campaign are statistically significant, too. In the extended model, however, it is showed that behind the effects of most of them stands the rate of interest in politics. The only variable, which draws on a basis other than the interest in politics, proved to be awareness and acceptance of campaign influence on own voting behaviour. The frequency of consumption of media content proved to be more important than age, education and living standards. However, again behind these variables stands the interest in politics. Therefore, the interest in politics appears to be essential in relation to voter turnout in our analysis., Paulína Tabery, Gabriela Šamanová., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The degree of party polarization is a significant analytical measure contributing to our understanding of the party system development and it’s dynamic in time. It influences the government formation and indirectly also its stability. Moreover, the party polarization affects electoral choice and thus the voter decision-making process. Despite these it has been wrongfully neglected in the Czech political science literature so far. The aim of this paper is to fill this gap and present empirically backed data on the intensity and change of the party polarization in the Czech Republic. The analysis is based on the data sets of CVVM which monthly records the voter self-placement on the left-right scale in the long term. By analysing these data and using Dalton’s index of party system polarization it is proved that party polarization in the Czech Republic has generally increased since 1993 and that it was usually higher during General election campaign. Within the period under review (1993-2013) the polarization index reached its lowest value in 2001, while the highest value was found in June 2010., Eva Lebedová., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
If investments into human capital (HC) are as convenient as theory says why some people do not invest in the development of their HC and why other people with resources do not stimulate people without HC to invest including lending money for such investments? The paper tries to answer the question by identifying selected barriers causing lenders do not give money (resources) to the investments and potential borrowers are not willing to borrow them. From our point of view statistical discrimination and phenomena described as “acting -white” in the case of Afro -American community belong among the most important barriers, although they are not mentioned so often. The paper deals with both of the barriers and suggests how to solve them., Petr Wawrosz, Herbert Heissler., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Advances in the statistical analysis of longitudinal data has been so rapid, that it has been difficult for empirically oriented social scientists to remain informed of all new developments in this important area of social methodology. This article offers some guidance on the use of various types of panel data analysis techniques, paying particular attention to the analysis of longitudinal panel data. The aim of this article is to describe in a succinct manner the logic underpinning a number of panel analysis techniques; outlining the types of inferences that can be drawn from employing specific techniques, and providing the reader with references to the literature associated with particular forms of panel data analysis. Five types of panel data analysis are discussed: Event history analysis, Sequential analysis, Hierarchical linear (or multi-level) modeling (with application to longitudinal data analysis), Structural equation modeling with longitudinal data, and use of Log- linear and Markov chain models for longitudinal data with categorical variables., Petr Pakosta, Petr Fučík., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy