Spring 2023  |  SOC 3811 Section 001: Social Statistics (51715)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/17/2023 - 05/01/2023
Tue, Thu 08:15AM - 09:30AM
UMTC, West Bank
Anderson Hall 370
Enrollment Status:
Open (148 of 180 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
This course will introduce majors and non-majors to basic statistical measures and procedures that are used to describe and analyze quantitative data in sociological research. The topics include (1) frequency and percentage distributions, (2) central tendency and dispersion, (3) probability theory and statistical inference, (4) models of bivariate analysis, and (5) basics of multivariate analysis. Lectures on these topics will be given in class, and lab exercises are designed to help students learn statistical skills and software needed to analyze quantitative data provided in the class. prereq: Undergraduates with strong math background are encouraged to register for 5811 in lieu of 3811 (Soc 5811 offered Fall terms only). Soc Majors/Minors must register A-F.
Class Notes:
Click this link for more detailed course information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?bianx001+SOC3811+Spring2023
Class Description:
This course will introduce sociology majors to basic statistical measures and procedures that are used to describe and analyze quantitative data in sociological research. The topics include (1) frequency and percentage distributions, (2) central tendency and dispersion, (3) probability theory and statistical inference, (4) models of bivariate analysis, and (5) basics of multivariate analysis. Lectures on these topics will be given in class, and lab exercises are designed to help students learn statistical skills needed to analyze quantitative data provided in the class. In addition to attendance to lectures and labs, students are expected to read 15 pages of the text per week. There will be three exams. Students will need a simple calculator for assignments and exams. This course meets the CLE requirements for the Mathematical Thinking core. We explore the dual nature of social statistics as a body of knowledge with its own logic and way of thinking, and as a powerful tool for understanding and describing social reality. Students in this course are exposed to the mathematic knowledge that underlies key concepts, but they are also shown how each concept applies to real world social science issues and debates. They are asked to demonstrate their mastery of the mathematical concept and its practical application through in-class discussions, problem sets, and exam questions. Students are taught the mathematical foundations of probability and sampling theory; they are taught about sampling distributions; and they are shown the real-world implications of these ideas for how social science knowledge is gained through surveys of randomly sampled observations.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Sociology major.
Learning Objectives:
See full description under Class Description. Briefly, this is a requirement for a sociology major. You will learn basic quantitative analytic skills useful for senior thesis and a future research job.
Grading:
10% Class attendance
50% Problem solving assignments
40% Midterm exam !
05% End of course extra credit
Exam Format:
multiple choice, computational problems
Class Format:
65% Lecture
35% Laboratory
Workload:
10 pages per week reading (textbook and lecture notes)
10 out of 12 assignments and weekly problem solving labs
2 Exam(s)
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/51715/1233
Past Syllabi:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/bianx001_SOC3811_Spring2024.pdf (Spring 2024)
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/bianx001_SOC3811_Spring2020.pdf (Spring 2020)
http://classinfo.umn.edu/syllabi/bianx001_SOC3811_Spring2019.pdf (Spring 2019)
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
18 September 2020

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