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Evaluation-whether called by this name, quality assurance, audit, accreditation, or others-is an important social activity. Any organization that "lives in public" must now evaluate its activities, be evaluated by others, or evaluate others. What are the origins of this wave of evaluation? And, what worthwhile results emerge from it? The Evaluation Society argues that if we want to understand many of the norms, values, and expectations that we, sometimes unknowingly, bring to evaluation, we should explore how evaluation is demanded, formatted, and shaped by two great principles of social order: organization and society. With this understanding, we can more conscientiously participate in evaluation processes; better position ourselves to understand many of the mysteries, tensions, and paradoxes in evaluation; and use evaluation in a more informed way. After exploring the sociology and organization of evaluation in this landmark work, author Peter Dahler-Larsen concludes by discussing issues that are critical for the future of evaluation-as a discipline and a societal norm

This book offers a critique of the present status of the concept of causality in the social sciences. "The Causality Syndrome" consists of a belief in causal studies as more important than other studies, a narrow definition of causality, and rules of thumb regarding how to make causal claims. The book argues that the present dominance of this syndrome has considerable downsides and presents a challenge to social science. The book dissects the many interconnected ideas which undergird this syndrome and offers an intellectual home for advanced students, researchers and others who are concerned about the present dominance of The Causality Syndrome. The book critically discusses whether "causality" deserves the central position in social science that its advocates desire. The text shows how methodological rules about causal inference are used to protect causal studies from critique, even in situations where these rules are not followed. It is argued that institutionalization of these rules as symbols of good and trustworthy social science is highly problematic and comes with a price. One of the casualties of causality is that there is less motivation to study complex and pressing issues in society which do not lend themselves to causal study designs. The sections are short. The argument unfolds in a lively, engaged form with examples from many fields, including public health, evaluation and organizational studies. The case examples include classical experiments as well as contemporary research, e.g. studies of the effectiveness of restrictions targeting the spread of coronavirus. Peter Dahler-Larsen is Professor at the Department for Political Science at University of Copenhagen, Denmark, where he is the leader of the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Measurement and Effects (CREME).

Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- 1: Introduction -- The Many Meanings of Quality and One Thing That Keeps Them Together -- From Common Misunderstandings to Analytical Principles -- Purpose of the Book -- Theoretical Approaches and Intellectual Debts -- Structure of the Book -- A Quality Vocabulary -- References -- 2: A History of the Concept of Quality -- The Ancient World: Qualia and the World of Ideas -- Primary and Secondary Qualia -- Quality, Morality, Esthetics… and Commerce -- Quality, Norms, and Statistics -- Quality, Service, and Audits -- Quality in the Public Sector -- What the History of Quality Has Brought -- References -- 3: Quality Perspectives -- Why Distill Quality Perspectives? -- Quality as an Accomplishment of Official Political Goals -- Definition and Meaning -- Limitations and Ambiguities -- Social Conditions Favorable to Quality as an Accomplishment of Official Political Goals -- Quality as Utility -- Definition and Meaning -- Limitations and Ambiguities -- Social Conditions Favorable to Quality as Utility -- Quality as the Fulfillment of the Needs, Expectations, or Wishes of Users -- Definition and Meaning -- Limitations and Ambiguities -- Social Conditions Favorable to Quality as the Fulfillment of the Needs, Expectations, or Wishes of Users -- Quality as Expert Judgment -- Definition and Meaning -- Limitations and Ambiguities -- Social Conditions Favorable to Quality as Expert Judgment -- Quality as Compliance with Standards -- Definition and Meaning -- Limitations and Ambiguities -- Social Conditions Favorable to Quality as Standards -- Quality as Organizational Recipe -- Definition and Meaning -- Limitations and Ambiguities -- Social Conditions Favorable to Quality as Organizational Recipe -- Quality as Impact -- Definition and Meaning -- Limitations and Ambiguities -- Social Conditions Favorable to Quality as Impact.

Given ongoing changes in the social structuration of evaluation, the circulation of evaluative information is becoming an increasingly important factor in the production of constitutive effects of evaluation. There is power in the circulation of evaluative information, and therefore also power in attempts to regulate or curb it. Based on one case exemplifying massive circulation of evaluative information (Google Scholar), and one with very limited circulation (workplace assessments), we show how infrastructure, interests and institutional rules are useful analytical entry points into studies of circulation. The paper proposes a new theoretical and empirical attention to circulation of evaluative information as a fragile and contested phenomenon.