Multilevel Analysis (02-13 Aug.)

Module content

• Learn how to use statistical tools to analyse research questions on how social contexts affect individuals (e.g. Does income inequality lead to depression? Why is trust in the police higher in some countries than in others?)
• Work with multilevel/hierarchical models for analysing the influence of contextual characteristics on individual outcomes

Sociological research often deals with the question of how social contexts affect individuals. For example: Does income inequality lead to depression? Do nationalist political parties undermine support for redistribution? Why is trust in the police higher in some countries than in others? Comparative research tackles such questions.

This course introduces the statistical tools to analyze these (and many other) research questions. The methodological focus is on multilevel models, also called hierarchical models. Such models allow to analyze the influence of contextual characteristics on individual outcomes. Throughout the course, we will work with the statistical software Stata and data from the European Social Survey. Students should have basic statistical knowledge and high interest in quantitative research.

This module is part of part of the course Cross-national Comparative Research in the Social Sciences. It consists of two modules on statistical techniques that are useful in cross-national comparative research (and any other comparative research): Multilevel analysis and multi-group structural equation modeling. The two modules make use of the same software and data, which allows students to easily integrate the knowledge from both courses into their own substantive research projects. However, both courses also stand on their own and is it not necessary to visit both courses.