Fall 2015  |  SOC 3811 Section 001: Basic Social Statistics (10658)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/08/2015 - 12/16/2015
Tue, Thu 09:45AM - 11:00AM
UMTC, West Bank
West Bank Skyway AUDITORIUM
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: Soc 1001 recomended. Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for Soc 5811 (Soc 5811 Fall terms only). Undergraduates with strong math background who have completed Soc 3801 are encouraged to register for 5811 in lieu of 3811.
Class Notes:
Click this link for more detailed course information http://classinfo.umn.edu/?bianx001+SOC3811+Fall2015
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.
Grading:
70% Midterm Exam
30% Problem Solving
Exam Format:
multiple choice, computational problems
Class Format:
65% Lecture
35% Laboratory
Workload:
15-20 Pages Reading Per Week
3 Exam(s)
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/10658/1159
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:
3 April 2014

ClassInfo Links - Fall 2015 Sociology Classes

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