scholarly journals Multidimensional Deprivation in Contemporary Switzerland across Social Groups and Time

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Lucchini ◽  
Christine Butti ◽  
Jenny Assi ◽  
Dario Spini ◽  
Laura Bernardi

We have investigated the phenomenon of deprivation in contemporary Switzerland through the adoption of a multidimensional, dynamic approach. By applying Self Organizing Maps (SOM) to a set of 33 non-monetary indicators from the 2009 wave of the Swiss Household Panel (SHP), we identified 13 prototypical forms (or clusters) of well-being, financial vulnerability, psycho-physiological fragility and deprivation within a topological dimensional space. Then new data from the previous waves (2003 to 2008) were classified by the SOM model, making it possible to estimate the weight of the different clusters in time and reconstruct the dynamics of stability and mobility of individuals within the map. Looking at the transition probabilities between year t and year t+1, we observed that the paths of mobility which catalyze the largest number of observations are those connecting clusters that are adjacent on the topological space.

Author(s):  
Macario O. Cordel ◽  
Arnulfo P. Azcarraga

Several time-critical problems relying on large amount of data, e.g., business trends, disaster response and disease outbreak, require cost-effective, timely and accurate data summary and visualization, in order to come up with an efficient and effective decision. Self-organizing map (SOM) is a very effective data clustering and visualization tool as it provides intuitive display of data in lower-dimensional space. However, with [Formula: see text] complexity, SOM becomes inappropriate for large datasets. In this paper, we propose a force-directed visualization method that emulates SOMs capability to display the data clusters with [Formula: see text] complexity. The main idea is to perform a force-directed fine-tuning of the 2D representation of data. To demonstrate the efficiency and the vast potential of the proposed method as a fast visualization tool, the methodology is used to do a 2D-projection of the MNIST handwritten digits dataset.


The article analyzes different approaches to the definition of «social networks» as technological complexes of organization and management of electronic information exchange among the subjects of social relations, united by common interests, information needs and skills. Based on the analysis of the scientific literature the essential characteristics of social networks that affect the formation and development of the adolescent's personality are revealed. Role of social networks at the present stage of development of society, which is manifested in the representation of interests not only of social groups but also of entire social groups, is defined in the article. The negative impact of social networks on the personality of the adolescent, which is manifested in the expansion of adolescents in cyberspace, the desire for independence and adulthood, selfexperimentation, which leads to risky activities both on the Internet and in real life are revealed. Concept of safe behavior in social networks as a set of actions of the individual when using the Internet, helping to meet the needs and at the same time prevent the possibility of causing damage to physical, mental, social well-being and property of man and others is analyzed. The basic rules of safe behavior in social Internet communities are highlighted. The structural components of safe behavior of adolescents in social networks are singled out: cognitive, motivational and actionreflexive; the concept of «professional training of future social professionals for the formation of safe behavior of adolescents in social networks» is revealed. Readiness is revealed as a result of the process of training future social specialists for professional activity on the formation of safe behavior of adolescents in social networks; the author's definition of the concept «readiness of future social professionals to form safe behavior of adolescents in social networks» is given. Components of readiness of future social workers to form safe behavior of teenagers in social networks, such as cognitive, motivational-personal and activity, are described.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-202
Author(s):  
Adrian Costea

Abstract This paper assesses the financial performance of Romania’s non-banking financial institutions (NFIs) using a neural network training algorithm proposed by Kohonen, namely the Self-Organizing Maps algorithm. The algorithm takes the financial dataset and positiones each observation into a self-organizing map (a two-dimensional map) which can be latter used to visualize the trajectories of an individual NFI and explain it based on different performance dimensions, such as capital adequacy, assets’ quality and profitability. Further, we use the map as an early-warning system that would accurately forecast the NFIs future performance (whether they would stay or be eliminated from the NFI’s Special Register three quarters into the future). The results are promising: the model is able to correctly predict NFIs’ performance movements. Finally, we compared the results of our SOM-based model with those obtained by applying a multivariate logit-based model. The SOM model performed worse in discriminating the NFIs’ performance: the performance classes were not clearly defined and the model lacked the interpretability of the results. In the contrary, the multivariate logit coefficients have nice interpretability and an individual default probability estimate is obtained for each new observation. However, we can benefit from the results of both techniques: the visualization capabilities of the SOM model and the interpretability of multivariate logit-based model.


1962 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 461-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isaac Namioka

Let Δn (n > 0) denote the subset of the Euclidean (n + 1)-dimensional space defined byA subset σ of Δn is called a face if there exists a sequence 0 ≤ i1 ≤ i2 ≤ … < im ≤ n such thatand the dimension of σ is defined to be (n — m). Let denote the union of all faces of Δn of dimensions less than n. A topological space Y is called solid if any continuous map on a closed subspace A of a normal space X into Y can be extended to a map on X into Y. By Tietz's extension theorem, each face of Δn is solid. The present paper is concerned with a generalization of the following theorem which seems well known.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörn Lötsch ◽  
Alfred Ultsch

Advances in flow cytometry enable the acquisition of large and high-dimensional data sets per patient. Novel computational techniques allow the visualization of structures in these data and, finally, the identification of relevant subgroups. Correct data visualizations and projections from the high-dimensional space to the visualization plane require the correct representation of the structures in the data. This work shows that frequently used techniques are unreliable in this respect. One of the most important methods for data projection in this area is the t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE). We analyzed its performance on artificial and real biomedical data sets. t-SNE introduced a cluster structure for homogeneously distributed data that did not contain any subgroup structure. In other data sets, t-SNE occasionally suggested the wrong number of subgroups or projected data points belonging to different subgroups, as if belonging to the same subgroup. As an alternative approach, emergent self-organizing maps (ESOM) were used in combination with U-matrix methods. This approach allowed the correct identification of homogeneous data while in sets containing distance or density-based subgroups structures; the number of subgroups and data point assignments were correctly displayed. The results highlight possible pitfalls in the use of a currently widely applied algorithmic technique for the detection of subgroups in high dimensional cytometric data and suggest a robust alternative.


Author(s):  
Mihwa Choi

Burials had become a focal point of some Confucian efforts to build a socio-moral order based on Confucian norms. “Simple burial,” idealized by scholar-officials, used a simple pit tomb with minimal burial items, based on the mainstream Confucian tradition of rejecting literary and material expression of the concrete social imaginaries of the world-beyond. Its focus rested with a tomb inscription tablet highlighting the public accomplishments and virtue of the deceased. On the other hand, many rich merchants were able to conduct a “lavish burial,” believing that the material furnishing of the tomb would actually influence the soul’s transitional process and its well-being in the world-beyond. Nevertheless, there were some exceptional cases that did not fit into the general pattern of correlations between social groups and burial practices, which suggests that tombs tended to remain as private spaces.


2020 ◽  
pp. 107755872093013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrike Muench ◽  
Matthew Jura ◽  
Joanne Spetz ◽  
Rachel Mathison ◽  
Charlene Herrington

Over 1.5 million new jobs need to be filled by 2026 for medical assistants, nursing aides, and home care aides, many of which will work in the long-term services and supports (LTSS) sector. Using 16 years of data from the American Time Use Survey, we examined the financial vulnerability of high-skill and low-skill LTSS workers in comparison with other health care workers, while providing insight into their well-being by measuring time spent on work and nonwork activities. We found that, regardless of skill status, working in LTSS was associated with lower wages and an increased likelihood of experiencing poverty compared with other health care workers. Results from time diary data indicated that the LTSS workforce spent a greater share of their time working and commuting to work. Low-skill LTSS workers were hardest hit, spending more time on paid and unpaid activities, such as household and child care responsibilities.


1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Bicchieri ◽  
Yoshitaka Fukui

Norms of discrimination against women and blacks, norms of revenge still alive in some Mediterranean countries, and norms that everybody dislikes and tries to circumvent, such as the invisible norms of reciprocity that hold among the Iks studied by Turnbull, are all examples of unpopular and inefficient norms that often persist in spite of their being disliked as well as being obviously inefficient from a social or economic viewpoint. The world of business is not immune to this problem. In all those countries in which corruption is endemic, bribing public officials to get lucrative contracts is the norm, but it is often true that such a norm is disliked by many, and that it may lead to highly inefficient social outcomes (Bicchieri and Rovelli 1995).From a functionalist viewpoint such norms are anomalous, since they do not seem to fulfill any beneficial role for society at large or even for the social groups involved in sustaining the norm. In many cases it would be possible to gain in efficiency by eliminating, say, norms of racial discrimination, in that it would be possible to increase the well-being of a racial minority without harming the rest of society. To social scientists who equate persistence with efficiency, the permanence of inefficient norms thus presents an anomaly. They rest their case on two claims: when a norm is inefficient, sooner or later this fact will become evident. And evidence of inefficiency will induce quick changes in the individual choices that sustain the norm. That is, no opportunity for social improvement remains unexploited for long. Unfortunately, all too often this is not the case, and this is not because people mistakenly believe inefficient norms to be good or efficient.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document