The study of the family as a social institution. Emphasis on the demographic determinants of its structure and life cycle. Special attention is given to comparative cross-cultural data concerning nuptiality, fertility, and mortality under the impact of modernization. The course studies data analysis techniques, stressing application to public policy. It includes measurement, descriptive statistics, data collection, probability, exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing, simple and multiple regression, correlation, and graphical procedures.
Some training is offered in the use of computers.
No previous training in statistics is required. The course is divided into separate sections according to the students level of mathematical sophistication. The basic level assumes a fluency in high school algebra as a minimum, while the advanced level assumes a fluency in calculus. The course starts with a review of linear models for continuous responses and then considers logistic regression models for binary data, log-linear models for count data, including rates and contingency tables, and hazard models for duration data. Attention is paid to the logical and mathematical foundations of the techniques, but the main emphasis is on the applications, including computer usage.