1 Introduction
In this advanced statistics course, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of estimating causal effects—a crucial aspect that complements the complex mathematical concepts covered in the previous semester. Our focus will be on investigating thought-provoking questions like the impact of anomie on suicide rates or the relationship between capitalism and happiness. To explore these questions, we will combine the knowledge acquired from your research design class in the first semester with the foundational principles taught in your basic statistics course last semester. By integrating these insights and adding additional tools, we will delve into the methods employed by researchers to address significant questions that resonate with all of us.
Reading: Angrist and Pischke (2014, Introduction XI-XV) & Johnson et al.’s The Atlantic article The Accidental Experiment That Changed Men’s Lives; Don’t get hung up on them talking about Economics. Simply replace it with Sociology in your mind.