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"Behind the Scenes in Social Research discusses the informal, adaptive, real-life process of doing social science research. It complements the material in standard methods texts that describe the basics - how to choose topics, ways of obtaining and analyzing data - but in doing so miss out on many of the obstacles and practicalities of doing research. Researchers may find themselves adrift when they start their research and discover that what confronts them doesn't precisely match exactly what is described in the basic textbooks, such as the obstacles that frequently occur, the logistical matters that must be handled, and the improvisations in research design and data gathering techniques that successful projects require. This book covers this material, while also paying attention to the ways in which the personal characteristics of those doing the research affect how projects are designed and data gathered. In addition, it explores the manner in which doing research affects the researchers themselves, affecting self-images, altering political or social views or providing skills that extend beyond the research enterprise. Based on the author's own experiences and interviews with senior researchers in a variety of social science fields, Behind the Scenes in Social Research explores the practical problems that arise in undertaking a research project while showing how these problems can be overcome through perseverance and improvisation. It will therefore appeal to scholars and students across the social science with interests in research methods and the practical issues that arise during any research project"--

Behind the Scenes in Social Research discusses the informal, adaptive, and real-life process of doing social science research. It complements the material in standard methods texts that describe the basics--how to choose topics and ways of obtaining and analyzing data--but in doing so miss out on many of the obstacles and practicalities of doing research. Researchers may find themselves adrift when they start their research and discover that what confronts them doesn't precisely match exactly what is described in the basic textbooks, such as the obstacles that frequently occur, the logistical matters that must be handled, and the improvisations in research design and data gathering techniques that successful projects require. This book covers this material, while also paying attention to the ways in which the personal characteristics of those doing the research affect how projects are designed and data gathered. In addition, it explores the manner in which doing research affects the researchers themselves, affecting self-images, altering political or social views, or providing skills that extend beyond the research enterprise. Based on the author's own experiences and interviews with senior researchers in a variety of social science fields, Behind the Scenes in Social Research explores the practical problems that arise in undertaking a research project while showing how these problems can be overcome through perseverance and improvisation. It will therefore appeal to scholars and students across the social science with interests in research methods and the practical issues that arise during any research project.

Based on interviews with mayors, together with documentary evidence, analyses of public meetings, and the author's own experience of advocacy, this book provides a guide to becoming an empowered citizen, giving advice on how to achieve success when advocating with local government.

Advocacy for Social Change- Front Cover -- Advocacy for Social Change -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface -- Reference -- Abbreviations, acronyms or shorthand expressions -- PART I: The focal catalytic coalition model -- Chapter 1: Advocating for the poor through state and national coalitions -- A schematic model of how FCCOs work with coalition members to influence the public sector -- How coalitions determine which issues to pursue and the impact it has on the evolution of the FCCO -- Conclusion and prelude -- References -- Chapter 2: NCRC and the issues that emerge from defending the Community Reinvestment Act -- The development of NCRC -- Issues pursued -- NCRC's signature issue: the CRA Modernization Act -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 3: NLIHC and issues on affordable housing for lower-income individuals -- The evolution of NLIHC -- Issues pursued -- The development of the Trust Fund campaign -- Conclusion -- References -- PART II: Mobilizing and informing members -- Chapter 4: Mobilization: building a foundation for coalition action -- Four illustrations of mobilization efforts -- Overview presentation of issues -- Conversational exchanges to clarify policies -- Planning actions -- Imitating activism -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 5: The power of information and information as power -- Research data -- Newsletters: focus on Memo to Members -- Conclusion -- References -- PART III: Advocacy and lobbying efforts to bring about policy changes -- Chapter 6: The tools of coalition advocacy: working with the mass media to frame issues -- Reaching out to the mass media -- How to reach out and influence through press releases and letters to the editor -- Press conferences and media appearances -- A proactive media campaign: valuing affordability -- Conclusion -- References

A recent literature documents the successes of community-based development organizations (CBDOs) in providing housing and employment in impoverished communities. Such successes provide hope that it is possible to reverse urban decline. Whether, at the same time, it is possible to create jobs and housing in ways that empower the people within poor communities and increase community capacity for self-directed growth is less certain, as funders emphasize physical production over the goals of empowerment and capacity building. This article, based on in-depth interviews with more than 100 community activists, describes the efforts of CBDOs to balance pressures to concentrate on physical production with their efforts to build capacity and create empowerment within poor communities. The implications of how they do so for the new institutionalism paradigm in organization theory are explored.