Summer 2017  |  SOC 3811 Section 001: Social Statistics (82959)

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:
Summer Session 10 wk
 
06/12/2017 - 08/18/2017
Tue, Thu 03:30PM - 05:20PM
UMTC, West Bank
Carlson School of Management 2-213
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: Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for Soc 5811 (Soc 5811 offered Fall terms only). Undergraduates with strong math background are encouraged to register for 5811 in lieu of 3811. Soc Majors/Minors must register A-F.
Class Notes:
Click this link for more detailed course information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?stewa777+SOC3811+Summer2017
Class Description:

Statistics are powerful tools for studying society. For some sociologists, they are one of the best ways to understand broad trends across time, space, and social groups. For others, they are the kind of elite, technological wizardry that turns people into numbers and blinds us to important sociological questions about who decides what we "know" about the world. Some of us think math is fascinating, and some got into this business because we don't speak math. This class tackles both sides. We want to provide you with the skills you need to understand and use statistical analyses, but also to think about where and when these skills are best put to use. The University of Minnesota is especially concerned that students spend time in the classroom "doing the work of the field, not just reading about it," and so we will take a hands-on approach to working with real life data. By the end of this class, students will be able to:

  • Find statistical information, interpret what it tells us, and decide whether to believe it

  • Manage data and do basic statistical analyses with a computer program

  • Interpret the output from that program and clearly communicate that information to other people using plain language and effective visual figures

Whether you plan to go to graduate school, go into a data-driven job such as policy analysis or non-profit work, or just want to be a better consumer of information, these skills should serve you well. This course also fulfills UMN's Mathematical Thinking Core. We will be discussing the math behind each statistical concept as both a body of knowledge that is worth understanding on its own and a logical tool that can help us work through real-world problems. While we will be working through a few calculations to do this, the point of these exercises will be to improve your ability to explain what a particular process does to our data and how we should interpret the results.

"Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write." - H.G. Wells

"No one man should have all that power." - Kanye West

Grading:
Grades will be based on three major assignments, three in-class exams, attendance, and participation in both class and lab.
Exam Format:
The point of learning statistics is to understand and explain the substantive meaning behind the math. Exams will include some calculation problems and multiple choice questions to measure knowledge of the concepts, but the majority of questions will be short answer responses where students will draw conclusions from statistical analyses and explain results.
Class Format:
Class time will include lecture, discussion, and exercises to practice the material. Weekly lab attendance is required and will offer time to practice and work on major assignments using university software.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/82959/1175
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
25 February 2016

ClassInfo Links - Summer 2017 Sociology Classes

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