Cosima Rughini?|Bogdana Hum?
Who theorizes age? The “socio-demographic variables” device and age–period–cohort analysis in the rhetoric of survey research
University of Bucharest|Loughborough University
paper argue quantitative surveybased social research essentializes age specific rhetorical tools outline device sociodemographic variables discuss argumentative functions looking scientific surveybased analyses adult scientific literacy public understanding science research field sociodemographics virtually omnipresent survey literature rule used discussed bundles independent variables requiring little theoretical measurement attention sociodemographics rhetorically effective commonsense richness meaning inferential power identify main argumentation functions structure building pacification purification sociodemographics used uphold causal vocabularies supporting transmutation descriptive statistical jargon effects explained variance explanatory factors age also studied statistically main variable interest ageperiodcohort apc disambiguation technique approach generated interesting findings mitigate reductionism appears treating age sociodemographic variable working age sociodemographic variable quantitative researchers convert inadvertently quasibiological feature symmetrical regards analytical treatment pathogens epidemiological research