@article{GerhardsSawertKohler2019,
  author    = {Gerhards, J{\"u}rgen and Sawert, Tim and Kohler, Ulrich},
  title     = {Des Kaisers alte Kleider: Fiktion und Wirklichkeit des Nutzens von Lateinkenntnissen},
  series = {K{\"o}lner Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie},
  volume    = {71},
  journal   = {K{\"o}lner Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie},
  number    = {2},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address   = {Wiesbaden},
  issn      = {0023-2653},
  doi       = {10.1007/s11577-019-00624-8},
  pages     = {309 -- 326},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Obwohl Latein eine nicht mehr gesprochene Sprache ist und ihr deswegen kein kommunikativer Nutzen zukommt, ist die Anzahl der Latein als Schulfach w{\"a}hlenden Sch{\"u}ler im Zeitverlauf angestiegen. Mehrere Studien haben zudem gezeigt, dass Lateinkenntnisse weder das logische Denken, noch den Erwerb anderer Sprachen, noch das Gesp{\"u}r f{\"u}r die grammatikalische Struktur der Muttersprache verbessern. Auch wenn sich empirisch keine Vorteile des Erwerbs alter Sprachen nachweisen lassen, k{\"o}nnen Menschen subjektiv an solche Vorteile glauben und ihr Verhalten an ihrer Konstruktion von Wirklichkeit ausrichten. Auf der Basis einer unter Eltern von Gymnasialsch{\"u}lern durchgef{\"u}hrten Befragung zeigen wir, dass Latein umfassende Transfereffekte zugeschrieben und Personen mit Lateinkenntnissen positiver bewertet werden als Personen mit Kenntnissen moderner Sprachen. Weiterhin zeigt sich, dass die „Illusio" der Vorteile von Latein zwar in allen Bildungsgruppen wirksam ist, doch besonders von den Hochgebildeten vertreten wird. Sie arbeiten damit an der Konstruktion einer Realit{\"a}t, von der sie selbst die gr{\"o}ßten Nutznießer sind, indem sie Latein als symbolisches Kapital verwenden.},
  language  = {de}
}
@article{KohlerClassSawert2023,
  author    = {Kohler, Ulrich and Class, Fabian and Sawert, Tim},
  title     = {Control variable selection in applied quantitative sociology},
  series = {European sociological review},
  journal   = {European sociological review},
  number    = {20},
  publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {0266-7215},
  doi       = {10.1093/esr/jcac078},
  pages     = {14},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {A review of all research papers published in the European Sociological Review in 2016 and 2017 (N = 118) shows that only a minority of papers clearly define the parameter of interest and provide sufficient reasoning for the selected control variables of the statistical analysis. Thus, the vast majority of papers does not reach minimal standards for the selection of control variables. Consequently, a majority of papers interpret biased coefficients, or statistics without proper sociological meaning. We postulate that authors and reviewers should be more careful about control variable selection. We propose graphical causal models in the form of directed acyclic graphs as an example for a parsimonious and powerful means to that end.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GerhardsKohlerSawert2021,
  author    = {Gerhards, J{\"u}rgen and Kohler, Ulrich and Sawert, Tim},
  title     = {Educational expansion, social class, and choosing latin as a strategy of distinction},
  series = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Soziologie},
  volume    = {50},
  journal   = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Soziologie},
  number    = {5},
  publisher = {de Gruyter},
  address   = {Berlin},
  issn      = {2366-0325},
  doi       = {10.1515/zfsoz-2021-0021},
  pages     = {306 -- 321},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {In times of educational expansion, privileged families are looking for new strategies of distinction. Referring to Pierre Bourdieu's theory of distinction, we argue that choosing Latin at school - a language that is no longer spoken and therefore has no direct value - is one of the strategies of privileged families to set themselves apart from less privileged families. Based on two surveys we conducted at German schools, the paper analyzes the relationship between parents' educational background and the probability that their child will learn Latin. Results indicate that historically academic families have the strongest tendency towards learning Latin, followed by new academic families, and leaving behind the non-academic families. We distinguish between four causal mechanisms that might help to explain these associations: cultural distinction, selecting a socially exclusive learning environment, beliefs in a secondary instrumental function of learning Latin, and spatial proximity between the location of humanist Gymnasiums and the residential areas of privileged families. The hypotheses are formalized by means of Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAG). Findings show that the decision to learn Latin is predominately an unintended consequence of the selection of a socially exclusive learning environment. In addition, there is evidence that especially children from historically academic families learn Latin as a strategy of cultural distinction.},
  language  = {en}
}