Fall/Winter Timetable

POL2578H1S L0101

Topics in Methods

Network

Themes

Social science data are inherently network data. Individuals are embedded within networks of friendships and professional relations; administrative units influence and are influenced by the nearby units; countries are nested within complex alliance and trade networks. The course introduces the inferential tools for analyzing such data, including the Exponential Random Graph models (ERGMS), actor-oriented model of network dynamics (SIENA), Latent Space Models (LSMs), and Local Structure Graph Models (LSGMs). For each model, we work through the mathematical and theoretical foundations, discuss published social science applications of them, and utilize the models on example datasets.

Format and Requirements

Lecture, lab