First Lecture:  How Statistics Advances Sociology

To complement the Clogg work, we focus on sociological theory, using examples from the study of inequality, fairness, status, and immigration.  We highlight two sets of statistical tools -- probability distributions and theorems on the variance.  For example, we show that in a society with two subgroups based on a categorical characteristic (e.g., race) and income modeled by classical continuous distributions, whether intersubgroup conflict increases or decreases with the proportion in the disadvantaged subgroup depends on the specific form of the income distribution, as do the proportions integrationist and segregationist.  The second tool consists of fundamental theorems on the variance, which lead to predictions about, for example, the effect on wage inequality of the number and association of the personal characteristics rewarded.

PUBLIC LECTURE:
Tuesday, April 2
1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
2:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Follow Up Q&A 
201 Thomas Building, Penn State Main Campus