AASRO (Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations)

AAPOR (American Association of Public Opinion Research)

Women in GIS

PAPOR (Pacific Association of Public Opinion Research)

This mixed methods research looks at the usefulness of viewing statistics from a rhetorical perspective and what this means for the understanding of quantitative analysis in sociology. The study explores the rhetorical function of the null hypothesis in the practice and teaching of inferential statistics. Data is first collected from various literary sources associated with teaching statistics from a social science perspective as well as those related to the demystification of statistics and its theoretical assumptions. Literature, including that by Emile Durkheim, Bertrand Russell, and Max Weber, is then used to formulate and reflect upon the taken-for-granted character of the null. Themes from this data are then developed into an online survey to test ideas of the null hypothesis. In particular, inferential statistics is treated as a means to better understand interpretations and evaluations of significance levels and p-values. This study is an exercise in the sociology of sociology and, more specifically, an exploration into the sociology of statistics, focusing on the rhetorical structure of inferential statistics.

Statistics in the Social Sciences: Inferential Statistics as Rhetoric in Sociology

Some of the most populated and storied American cities had mayoral elections in 2013. Open contests in New York City, Los Angeles and Boston, for example, offer laboratories to examine electoral trends in urban politics. Cities are facing varied predicaments. Boston was rocked by the bombing of the marathon on April 15. Detroit is roiled by being the largest U.S. city to declare bankruptcy, and Chicago, which had an open, competitive election in 2011, is dealing with significant gun violence. San Diego’s mayor resigned in August 2013 due to sexual harassment charges and other mayors are surrounded by corruption scandals. Houston and St. Louis had non-competitive elections recently but their mayors are notable for their tenure in office and emphasis will be on public policy outcomes in those cases. Leaders in most cities face dramatic changes and challenges due to economic and social realities.   The Keys to City Hall offers a complete and succinct review and analysis of the top mayoral campaigns in major American cities in recent years as well as the politics and public policy management of those urban areas. Emerging theories of urban governance, demographic changes, and economic conditions are examined in introductory chapters; the introduction will provide a unique and comprehensive focus on major trends in advertisement, changes in campaign strategies, fundraising, and the use of social media at the local level. In Part Two, scholars with expertise in local politics, urban public policy, and the governance explore some of the largest and most noteworthy U.S. cities, each of which has a recent, competitive mayoral election. They will also provide updated data on mayoral powers and problems faced by local executives.   Written as lively narratives in a highly readable style, this book advances theory on urban politics by reviewing developments in the field and aligning theoretical approaches with realities on the ground based on the most recent elections and governance structures. As such, it will be a much needed resource to scholars interested in local politics, and the public policy debates of specific major urban and metropolitan areas.

Local Politics and Mayoral Elections in 21st Century America: The Keys to City Hall (Routledge Research in Urban Politics and Policy)

Loyola Marymount University is a top-ranked national university by U.S. News and World Report, which places LMU among the top six Jesuit universities in the country and in the top six private universities in California. Founded in 1911, LMU is a Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount university with more than 7,100 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 graduate and law students. LMU offers 56 undergraduate majors and 56 minor programs, along with 46 master’s degree programs, three doctorate programs and 12 credential/authorization programs. LMU’s intercollegiate athletics teams compete in the West Coast Conference with 14 Division I varsity sports.

LMU news and events are found at: www.lmu.edu/news.

Loyola Marymount University

GIS Research (available as an independent study)

Political Internships

Brianne Gilbert is a researcher and social and spatial scientist who serves as Managing Director of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles (StudyLA) at Loyola Marymount University. A specialist in public opinion research, survey methodology, and GIS-based spatial analysis, Brianne manages the most comprehensive research center focused on civic life, governance, and quality-of-life trends in Los Angeles County.

Since joining StudyLA in 2008, Brianne has led or co-led more than 60 major research projects, including the annual Angeleno Poll, LA County leadership studies, LAPD public-perception projects, civic engagement and voting research, and large-scale client studies with agencies such as LAWA and LADWP, and multiple community-based organizations. Her current portfolio includes co-leading the 2026 Angeleno Poll, multi-year governance and public-safety studies, and CAP.LA, a post-wildfire research initiative analyzing contamination, environmental health, and resident experiences across affected communities.

Brianne is also a Senior Lecturer at LMU, where she has taught courses in political internships, GIS, spatial research, and urban studies. She also has mentored more than 100 undergraduate researchers, many of whom have earned fellowships and presented at national conferences.

Her work includes publications on civic engagement, voting, public safety, inequality, and geographic patterns of wellbeing in Los Angeles. She has been cited by outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, KTLA, LAist, Spectrum News, The New York Times, and NPR, and she has shared StudyLA findings with numerous public agencies, nonprofits, elected officials, and community groups.

Brianne is an active member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), the Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO)—where she heads up the Center Review Committee—and Women in GIS, where she is a founding member.

She holds an M.A. in Comparative Sociology from Florida International University, where she also completed advanced training in statistics, program evaluation, and GIS, and a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Statistics, summa cum laude, from Wittenberg University.

Los Angeles

Social Science Research

Public Opinion Research

Survey Methodology

Geospatial Data Mapping

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

StudyLA Homepage

Managing Director, Center for the Study of Los Angeles (StudyLA) & Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Political Science

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