Quantitative methods in life course research: Event history analysis and sequence analysis
20-22 February, 2013, University of Tampere
Instructors:
Christian Brzinsky-Fay, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung
Juho Härkönen, Stockholm University and University of Turku
This two-and-half day course provides an introduction to life course research and two methods commonly used to analyze quantitative life course data, namely sequence analysis and event history analysis. The “life course approach” can be seen as an umbrella concept for analyses on the development of human lives, usually across socially defined positions and roles. Examples of such research include studies on the transition to adulthood and its various roles, research on labour market careers, and analysis of family life courses. The two methods covered in this course can be seen as complementing one another, as one focuses on describing holistic life course trajectories (sequence analysis), whereas the other (event history analysis) concentrates primarily on well-specified transitions from one state to another (Mayer, 2009). The objective of the course is to provide students with an understanding of the life course approach as a theoretical framework and give basic knowledge into these two methods for conducting life course research. The advantages and drawbacks of both are highlighted, as are some alternative methods for life course research. The software used during the course is Stata. Students should have knowledge of regression analysis and of a common statistical software package (such as SPSS, SAS, R, Stata); however, prior experience with Stata is not required.
Schedule
Wednesday, 20 February:Life-Course Research
10.00 – 11.00Introduction
11.00 – 11.15Coffee Break
11.15 – 12.30Life course research: a primer (Part 1)
12.30 – 13.30Lunch Break
13.30 – 14.30Life course research: a primer (Part 2)
14.30 – 14.45Coffee Break
14.45 – 15.45Methodological approaches to the study of life courses
15.45 – 16.00Coffee Break
16.00 – 18.00Overview about sequence analysis
Thursday, 21 February:Sequence analysis
9.00 – 10.30Sequence description & visualisation (incl. exercises with Stata)
10.30 – 10.45Coffee break
10.45 – 12.15Sequence comparison & cluster analysis (incl. exercises with Stata)
12.15 – 13.30Lunch Break
13.15 – 14.45Application examples, exercises & discussion
14.45 – 15.00Coffee break
15.00 – 16.00Event history analysis: what and why?
16.00 – 16.15Coffee break
16.15 – 18.00Basic game plan: Data set-up and descriptive analyses
Friday, 22 February:Event History Analysis
9:00 – 10:30More descriptives and event history regression
10:30 – 10:45Coffee break
10:45 – 12:15Wrapping up, extensions, and discussion
12:15 – 13:30Lunch