Danilo Bolano és Doctor en Ciències Socials-Demografia per la Université de Genève i actualment investigador sènior a la Université de Lausanne, Suïssa

Conferència: “The Link Between Previous Life Trajectories and a Later Life Outcome: A Feature Selection Approach”.

Abstract:
Several studies have investigated the link between a previous trajectory and a given outcome later on in life. A common analytical approach is to use sequence analysis clustering together similar trajectories and using the clusters as an explanatory variable. However, trajectories are complex objects. Identifying which aspects of the life trajectory is relevant is of primary interest in terms both of prediction and testing specific demographic theories. In this work, we propose an innovative approach based on data mining feature selection algorithms. The approach works in two steps. We start by automatically extracting several properties of the sequences. Using a life course approach, we focus here on features related to three key aspects of the life course: sequencing, timing and duration. Then, in a second step, we use feature selection algorithms to identify the most relevant properties associated with the outcome. The proposed approach is illustrated through a study of the effects of family and work trajectories between age 20 and 40 on women’s earning in mid-life.
Joint work with Matthias Studer – University of Geneva