SOC 206 Sp 1998

First assignment:

Part One

Answer the following questions in writing and add any other idea or observation you feel pertinent. Szelenyi, Socialist Entrepreneurs I. Szelenyi presents three alternative explanations or theories why small-scale private farming survived under socialism in Hungary, despite efforts to industrialize agricultural production by creating large agricultural cooperatives. In Chapter Two he lays out the 1.proletarianization theory, the 2.peasant worker theory and the 3.interrupted embourgeoisement theory. Szelenyi's original question is an historical one: why did Hungarian agriculture developed the way it did ?

1. His three alternative theories shift this historical question into a sociological one: who are the people who participate in household farming ? The actual unit of analysis is not an historical phenomenon anymore but practices of individuals. How does Szelenyi justify this shift ? What alternative strategies could he have followed ?

2. For each theory Szelenyi gives a set of empirically testable hypotheses. These hypotheses are more specific than the theories by identifying precisely the relevant variables/factors and the direction of the relationship between the explanatory variables and what is to be explained (i.e. the extent and form of household farming).

a. First, rewrite these verbal presentations in mathematical form saying that the variable to be explained is an unspecified function of the explanatory variables by using one letter for each variable. Table 2.1. on p.58. will help.

E.g.

Y= f(A,B,C,D) where Y= the value of agricultural

household production,

A= ..... etc.

A variable can have two values: 0 = No, 1 = Yes. These are binary or so called 'dummy' variables. So the variable B could be: whether the producer commutes to his workplace in the city (0 = does not commute, 1 = does commute).

Get one equation for each theory. Keep notation consistent ! What do you see ? What is the relationship among these equations?

b. Given the three theories as stated by Szelenyi, what other explanatory factors/variables should Szelenyi have included ?

3. Present the three equations as a flow chart (causal diagram).. Szelenyi makes use of various metaphors quite often throughout the book. Give at least one example.

Part Two Take three variables: one dependent with at least 5 categories and at least ordinal level of measurement (Y)

and two other variables (X,Z) with at least ordinal level of measurement (dichotomies are OK). Formulate a hypothesis that link Y and X and present a short explanation (theory) why they are linked.

1. Present a second hypothesis that explains the relationship between Y and X in terms of Z.

a. Write out these two equations in mathematical form.

b. Present them in the form of causal diagrams.

2. Create a scatter plot of Y and X.

a. Run the regression of Y on X. Interpret the results. (Slope, intercept, R-square, F and t statistics.)

b. Create a 3-D scatter plot of Y and X and Z.

c. Run the regression of Y on X and Z. Save the residuals (RES) and the predicted value (PRED). Did the effect of X on Y change? Does Z have an effect? Interpret the results. Looking at Beta, which has a stronger impact X or Z?

4. Run a correlation between Y, X, Z and the RES and PRED. What do you see?