nep-sog New Economics Papers
on Sociology of Economics
Issue of 2012‒02‒27
four papers chosen by
Jonas Holmström
Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration

  1. Persistence and Academic Success in University By Dooley, Martin D.; Payne, A. Abigail; Robb, A. Leslie
  2. The cult of statistical signicance. What economists should and should not do to make their data talk By Walter Krämer
  3. To Be or Not to Be... a Scientist? By Chevalier, Arnaud
  4. HOMO OECONOMICUS și HOMO ACADEMICUS: limite și aspecte conceptuale By Hălăngescu, Constantin I.

  1. By: Dooley, Martin D.; Payne, A. Abigail; Robb, A. Leslie
    Abstract: We use a unique set of linked administrative data sets to explore the determinants of persistence and academic success in university. The explanatory power of high school grades greatly dominates that of other variables such as university program, gender, and neighbourhood and high school characteristics. Indeed, high school and neighbourhood characteristics, such as average standardized test scores for a high school or average neighbourhood income, have weak links with success in university.
    Keywords: University Success, High School, Neighbourhood
    JEL: I23
    Date: 2012–02–19
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ubc:clssrn:clsrn_admin-2012-7&r=sog
  2. By: Walter Krämer
    Abstract: This article takes issue with a recent book by Ziliak and McCloskey (2008) of the same title. Ziliak and McCloskey argue that statistical significance testing is a barrier rather than a booster for empirical research in economics and should therefore be abandoned altogether. The present article argues that this is good advice in some research areas but not in others. Taking all issues which have appeared so far of the German Economic Review and a recent epidemiological meta-analysis as examples, it shows that there has indeed been a lot of misleading work in the context of significance testing, and that at the same time many promising avenues for fruitfully employing statistical significance tests, disregarded by Ziliak and McCloskey, have not been used.
    Date: 2011
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rsw:rswwps:rswwps176&r=sog
  3. By: Chevalier, Arnaud (Royal Holloway, University of London)
    Abstract: Policy makers generally advocate that to remain competitive countries need to train more scientists. Employers regularly complain of qualified scientist shortages blaming the higher wages in other occupations for luring graduates out of scientific occupations. Using a survey of recent British graduates from Higher Education we report that fewer than 50% of science graduates work in a scientific occupation three years after graduation. The wage premium observed for science graduates stems from occupational choice rather than a science degree. Accounting for selection into subject and occupation, the returns to working in a scientific occupation reaches 18% and there is no return to a science degree outside scientific occupations. Finally, scientists working in a scientific occupation are more satisfied with their educational and career choices, which suggests that those not working in these occupations have been pushed out of careers in science.
    Keywords: science, graduate, labour market
    JEL: I21 J24 J44
    Date: 2012–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6353&r=sog
  4. By: Hălăngescu, Constantin I.
    Abstract: The subject of this paper consist in theoretical study on the relationship between two models of the social-human typology in the context of globalization: homo oeconomicus and homo academicus. Reviewing some of the most approved views on theoretical and conceptual aspects and limits of the two human types presented are not exhaustive and is a starting point for further research that can asnswe to questions like: How far can go the convergence between academics and economics? There are constraints or favorite elements in the relationship between Homo Oeconomicus and Homo Academicus? The assertion of Conclusions section, that homo academicus is deeply involved in mundus academicus, while homo oeconomicus stimulates in a global manner the whole mundus academicus, generates various approaches in which the economics and the academics either mingle or dissociate, and that leads to an absolutely justified interrogation in the globalized present: Will homo academicus be able to adapt to the values of homo oeconomicus, sell its know-how and produce conveniently?
    Keywords: homo oeconomicus, homo academicus, globalisation, higher education, economics, academic reforms, knowlegdebased society, knowlegde based economy, brain-power industries
    JEL: I29 N01 A20 A12 N30
    Date: 2012–02–21
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:36822&r=sog

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