Social Indicators: Theory and Applications

Descripció del curs

This course aims to give a broad overview of some of the most popular indicators used in social science research, both from a theoretical and a practical perspective. It will span through a variegated set of topics, including indicators of economic inequality and poverty, composite indices of well-being, human development, segregation, polarization, gender inequality and health inequality.

Contingut

Introduction and motivation
Theoretical foundations
Inequality and poverty
Polarization and segregation
Gender inequality
Composite indices

Què aprendràs

Students will learn the foundations about how to define and construct social indicators. Students will be encouraged to construct their own measures from the tools and ideas taught in the course. It is thus expected that students have some basic programming skills or experience in manipulating datasets.

Públic objectiu del curs

The course will be useful to undergraduate, Master and PhD students working in any area of the social sciences (preferably using quantitative methods or approaches), like Demography, Sociology, Economics, Political Science or Environmental Science.

Formació i equipament necessari

It is expected that students have some basic quantitative skills (e.g., basic knowledge in mathematics and statistics).

Students must bring their own laptop to solve the suggested exercises.

Docent

Iñaki Permanyer

Iñaki is an ICREA Research Professor and Head of the Health and Ageing unit at the Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics. He has a long experience in the study and design of social indicators, which he has applied in several areas of the social sciences

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