SOC 210 (A1): Introduction to Social Statistics Spring 2022 (10300)
Department of Sociology University of Alberta
Instructor: Samantha Cima, M.A. (University of Ottawa)
PhD Candidate, Department of Sociology, University of Alberta Email: [email protected]
Lectures
Monday & Wednesday 9:00am – 11:50am Education 315
Labs
Monday & Wednesday 1:00pm – 2:50pm Tory B-39
Office Hours By Appointment Tory 4-12
Required Course Text:
Healey, J.F., Prus, S.G., & Lieflander, R. (2019). Statistics: A tool for social research (4th Canadian Ed). Nelson Education.
Free access to eBook through the library:
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ualberta/detail.action?docID=6371868
Note: Earlier editions of this book are fine to use for this course. The page numbers might differ, but the chapters should match up.
Technology Requirements:
You will need access to: (1) a scientific calculator or a calculator app/program in order to complete calculations and (2) the statistical program, SPSS, to complete labs and certain homework assignments. You can access SPSS in the lab computers for free. Do not purchase!
You will also need access to a device, such as a computer or tablet.
This course uses eClass for the posting of course materials, including slides and assignments. I will also make important announcements via eClass, so please check our course page regularly and subscribe to announcements.
Prerequisite:
SOC 100 or consent of instructor.
Policy about course outlines can be found in the Course Requirements, Evaluation Procedures, and Grading section of the University Calendar.
Territorial Acknowledgement: The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant
community.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides a solid introduction to statistical methods and concepts used by social scientists to analyze quantitative data. You will be learning how to describe, calculate, and interpret various statistical measures both by hand and through the use of the SPSS software.
As this is a social sciences course, we will explore the logic, practice, and ethical implications of systematically observing the social world using statistics. You will learn basic quantitative research skills commonly employed by academics, government agencies, and organizations in the private sector.
This course is divided into three sections that cover descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and measures of association. Through hands-on exercises you will learn how to find and prepare data, compute and visualize statistical measures, and interpret data to synthesize results.
COURSE PERSPECTIVE
Learning statistics is important whether you are conducting research, reading an article, or simply evaluating others’ arguments in the media and elsewhere. However, many students fear math, and do not want to approach statistics until they absolutely must. I want to note that this course requires no prior training in statistics. If you know how to add, subtract, divide,
multiply, and take exponents and square roots (on a calculator), you can succeed in this course, provided that you work hard. You will be given all the materials (including the mathematical formulas, you will never need to memorize them) you need to do well in this course!
Statistical knowledge is cumulative in the sense that many concepts and methods build upon previous concepts. Therefore, it is essential for you to attend all lectures and lab sessions for optimal course performance. This is especially the case for a condensed course on this subject matter. This course requires your willingness to work hard on unfamiliar materials. You can consult other helpful online resources if necessary to supplement.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
After successfully completing the course, you will be able to:
• Understand the basic logic of social statistics, including description and interpretation;
• Develop the ability to carry out computations and visualizations using the statistical computing software SPSS;
• Develop critical thinking and analytical skills to evaluate statistical conclusions and the accuracy of statistical data in the media;
• Understand what types of evidence support compelling arguments.
Contacting Me:
I will be available to answer your questions/engage in discussion in a variety of ways throughout the term:
eClass Forums:
There are three anonymous forums related to different elements of the course. The anonymous forums serve as an opportunity to ask questions you may otherwise be uncomfortable asking, as well as to foster discussion amongst your classmates. I will check the forums 1-2 times daily Monday to Friday. Please check previous forum posts to ensure your question hasn’t already been answered.
I encourage students to respectfully engage in discussion in forums related to weekly content. I expect students to post discussion forums in a professional and respectful manner. I will be moderating all forums and will not tolerate any forms of bullying, abuse, or disrespect. If you disagree with someone, present evidence and engage in a productive discussion as opposed to simply stating that you think they are wrong.
Email:
Please include “SOC 210” in the subject line of your emails. I will respond to emails within 2 business days, though I usually respond quicker. I only check and answer emails from 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
If your question/concern is related to class content and I feel it is one that will benefit others, I will raise your question at the beginning of the next class. I may choose not to answer emails the evening before an exam. Please use your official uAlberta email for all correspondence.
Remember that email communication for all courses should be formal and professional. Make sure to use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
If an email response is not detailed/clear enough, you can make an appointment to meet with me. I will often be available after the lab sessions. If you are having difficulty with an assignment or there are serious extenuating circumstances affecting your work, please speak with me as soon as possible.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATIONS
1. Lab Assignments: 30% See Schedule for Due Dates
2. Homework Problem Sets: 20% See Schedule for Due Dates
3. Midterm Exam: 20% May 30
4. Final Exam: 30% Tentatively Scheduled June 16
Four components constitute your grade for this course: homework problem sets, lab assignments, a midterm exam, and a final exam. If you are having issues keeping up with course work for any reason, notify me as soon as you start to have a problem. We will be more likely to come to an acceptable arrangement if we can attack the problem sooner rather than later.
Lab Assignments:
You will have three lab assignments in this course. Lab assignments will involve analyzing data in SPSS and reporting your results in a clear and organized manner. You will have one lab assignment for each overarching section of this course: descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and measures of association. Each lab assignment is worth 10% of your final grade for a total of 30%. Lab assignments must be typed and submitted on eClass as a .pdf.
Homework Problem Sets:
You will have four homework problem set assignments in this course. You will be provided with a set of questions that you will need to answer by hand demonstrating your ability to do
calculations and follow testing procedures. You will need to scan (or photograph) your answers and upload them to eClass as pdf files. Each problem set is worth 5% of your final grade for a total of 20%. Assignments must be clearly legible.
Exams:
You will have two closed-book exams in this course. The exams will cover topics that have been taught in lectures and the assigned readings up to the date of the exam. Each exam is non- cumulative, although general knowledge obtained earlier in the course will likely assist you in the subsequent exam. Exams will consist of a mixture of multiple choice, true and false, fill-in- the-blanks, and/or matching questions.
Representative Evaluative Material:
The assigned textbook contains practice questions and answers representative of past math- based evaluative material. I will provide students with examples of SPSS computation and will work through representative evaluative examples prior to any assignments being given.
Grading:
Marks for graded course requirements are given in percentages, to which letter grades are also assigned, according to the table below. The percentage mark resulting from all graded
components produces the final letter grade for the course. Marks for grades are not curved or scaled but will be rounded up to the next whole percentage point.
Descriptor Letter Grade Raw Grade Grade Point Value
A+ 95-100 4.0
Excellent A 90-94 4.0
A- 85-89 3.7
B+ 80-84 3.3
Good B 75-79 3.0
B- 70-74 2.7
C+ 66-69 2.3
Satisfactory C 62-65 2.0
C- 58-61 1.7
Minimal Pass D+ 54-57 1.3
D 50-53 1.0
Failure F 0-49 0.0
COURSE SCHEDULE & READINGS (Subject to minor adjustments)
Dates Topic Readings Lab Topic Lab Materials Deadlines
Week 1: Introducing Variables & Data Visualization May 9 Math, Statistics,
& Variables
Prologue &
Ch.1
No Lab.
May 11 Describing Data
& Dispersion
Ch.2 & Ch.3 Intro to SPSS &
Variables
Appendix F. May 12: Last day to Add/Drop courses on Bear Tracks
Week 2: Normalcy & Sampling Procedures May 16 The Normal
Curve
Ch.4 Visualizing Data “You are the researcher”
section of Ch.2.
May 18 Sampling &
Estimation Procedures
Ch.5 & Ch.6 Central Tendency &
Dispersion
“You are the researcher”
section of Ch.3.
Homework Problem Set #1 due May 18 @ 11:59pm
Lab Assignment
#1(Descriptives) due May 20 @ 11:59pm Week 3: Hypothesis Testing (1/2)
May 23 Victoria Day No Class No Lab May 24: Course
Withdrawal Deadline (50% fee refund)
May 25 Hypothesis Testing for Chi- Square & One- Sample
Ch.7 & Ch.10 Chi-Square &
One-Sample Hypothesis Testing
“You are the researcher”
section of Ch.7
& Ch.10.
Homework Problem Set #2 due May 27 @ 11:59pm
Week 4: Hypothesis Testing (2/2) May 30 Hypothesis
Testing for Two- Samples
Ch.11 Midterm Exam Midterm Exam 1:00 – 2:50pm
Midterm Exam @ 1:00pm
June 1 Hypothesis Testing for ANOVA
Ch.12 Two-Sample &
ANOVA Hypothesis Testing
“You are the researcher”
section of Ch.11
& 12.
Homework Problem Set #3 due June 3 @ 11:59pm
Week 5: Measures of Association June 6 Measures of
Association for Nominal &
Ordinal Variables
Ch.8 & Ch.9 Nominal/Ordinal Measures of Association
“You are the researcher”
section of Ch.8
& 9.
June 8 Interval/Ratio Measures of Association
Ch.13 Interval/Ratio Measures of Association
“You are the researcher”
section of Ch.13.
June 8: Course Withdrawal Deadline (no fee refund)
Lab Assignment #2 (Inferentials) due June 8 @ 11:59pm
Homework Problem Set #4 due June 10 @ 11:59pm Week 6: Regression & Review
June 13
Multiple Regression
Ch.14 Multiple Regression
“You are the researcher”
section of Ch.
14 June
15
Final Exam Review
No Formal Lab you may still use the lab space to finish lab assignment #3
Lab Assignment #3 (Measures of Association) due
June 15 @ 3:00pm June 16: Final Exam Tentatively Scheduled @ 11:30am. Check Beartracks for details.
ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES Absences:
As per Academic Regulations of the University of Alberta Calendar: Excused absence are not granted automatically and will be considered only for acceptable reasons such as incapacitating mental and/or physical illness, severe domestic affliction, or for circumstances as described in the University’s Discrimination, Harassment, and Duty to Accommodate Policy (including religious belief). Unacceptable reasons include, but are not limited to, personal events such as vacations, weddings, or travel arrangements. When a student is absent from a term or final exam without acceptable excuse, a final grade will be computed using a raw score of
zero for the exam missed. Any student who applies for or obtains an excused absence by making false statements will be liable under the Code of Student Behaviour.
If you miss the midterm exam or are unable to complete assignments on the appropriate date, you must contact me within two business days or as soon as you are physically able to do so to apply for an excused absence. Excused absences are not automatic and are provided at the instructor’s discretion. Below is a list of documents that can support an excused absence:
For incapacitating medical illness, students can present one of the following:
• “University of Alberta Medical Statement” signed by a doctor (this cannot be required, but must be accepted if provided in lieu of other documents).
• “Request for Excused Absence or Deferral of Term Work” Faculty of Arts form.
• “Statutory Declaration” (to be obtained from the Office of the Registrar).
For all other cases, such as domestic afflictions or religious convictions, the student should submit documentation appropriate to the situation. This could include the following
• For a death in the family – a copy of the death certificate
• For a religious conflict – a letter from the church or pastor
• For a car accident – a copy of the accident report
• For other serious afflictions – consult the Instructor or Department about appropriate documents
Note: The instructor reserves the right to require a student to write an assignment for a missed midterm exam. Students granted an excused absence from a midterm exam must consult the instructor for appropriate course of action.
Policy for Late Assignments:
As a condensed, spring term course, the assignment deadlines are not flexible unless in extreme circumstances such as incapacitating illness or other acceptable absences (see
above). If you know that you will be unable to complete an assignment on-time you must contact me via email at least 24 hours prior to the due date to discuss an extension. If you are unable to contact me ahead of time, you must contact me within 2 business days of the due date, or as soon as you are physically able to do so. Up to 10% of the earned grade will be deducted each day for unexcused late assignments at the discretion of the instructor.
Deferred Final Exam:
If you fail to write the final exam, you must formally apply to your Faculty office within two business days following the missed final exam in order to be considered for a deferred final examination. The decision to grant a deferred final exam is not the instructor’s. Deferred examinations are intended to accommodate students who have experienced an incapacitating illness or severe domestic affliction; applications based on minor or inconsequential ailments will not be approved.
As per the Academic Regulations of the University of Alberta Calendar: A deferred final examination will not be approved if a student (a) has not been in regular attendance where attendance and/or participation are required and/or (b) excluding the final exam, has completed less than half of the assigned work.
Disability Accommodations:
Students who require accommodations in this course due to a disability affecting mobility, vision, hearing, learning, mental, or physical health are advised to discuss their needs with Academic Accommodations (AA), 1-80 Students’ Union Building, 492.3381 (phone) or 492.7269 (TTY). Students registered with AR who will be using accommodations in the classroom, or who will be writing exams through AR, are required to provide a “Letter of Introduction.”
Electronic Recording of Lectures:
As per the University Calendar: Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as apart of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Academic Integrity:
Per GFC 24.3(2): The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in
suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence.
Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University. All students should consult the academic integrity website.
Learning and Working Environment:
The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty, and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment.
It is the policy of the University of Alberta that sexual violence committed by any member of the University community is prohibited and constitutes misconduct. Resources and more
information can be found at https://www.ualberta.ca/campus-life/sexual-violence
Student Resources:
The best all-purpose website for student services is: https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students.
The First Peoples' House provides an environment of empowerment for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit learners to achieve personal and academic growth.
Counseling and Clinical Services available here: https://www.ualberta.ca/current- students/counselling/index.html
The Campus Food Bank also offers multiple programs to help with food insecurity.
