Social Sequence Analysis: An Introduction and Overview

Explore the analytical method of social sequence analysis in this comprehensive lecture. Delve into the history, research applications, data sources, capabilities, and limitations of this statistical approach. Learn about events and state sequences, time representation, and data structures using examples from the Swiss Household Panel 2002. Discover various sequence visualization techniques, including sequence index plots, modal state sequences, and state distribution plots. Examine the process of selecting dissimilarity measures and analyzing transition rates between states. Gain insights into optimal matching techniques and understand how this method can be applied to diverse research questions in social sciences. Benefit from the expertise of Sandra Ham, a statistician from the Center for Health and the Social Sciences (CHeSS) at The University of Chicago, as she guides you through this powerful analytical tool and its software options.

Intro
Objectives
Research Questions
Data Sources
Events and State Sequences
Time Representation
Data Structures
Swiss Household Panel 2002
Sequence Representation
10 Most Frequent Sequences
20 Most Frequent Sequences Sequence Index Plot
Sequence Index Plots by Cohort
20 Most Frequent Sequences by Cohort
Modal State Sequence
State Distribution by Time Plot
Selecting Dissimilarity Measures
Transition Rates Between States
Optimal Matching