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WiSe 14/15: Attitudes towards Social Inequality

Zsófia Ignácz / Uwe Ruß

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TOPIC How do people in a better paid job justify the unequal distribution of resources? What determines whether an unequal payment is considered fair? Why are Americans more likely than Swedes or Germans to view their society as unequal? Why do Scandinavians prefer to live in a more equal society than most other Europeans? Do citizens of the new EU member states exhibit different attitudes towards social inequality than citizens of other European countries? These and similar questions are the focus of this research placement, in which students will develop and conduct their own quantitative research project. METHODS The research questions developed by students during the progress of the course will be approached by applying basic quantitative methods to international survey data (ESS or ISSP). These include a variety of regression based methods, as well as factor analysis. Students can choose whether to work with SPSS or STATA. LEARNING OBJECTIVES After completing this research placement, students will be acquainted with current state-of-the-art research in the field of subjective inequality and empirical justice research. They will be qualified to identify gaps in previous research, derive their own research questions, and develop an innovative research design, that is well-suited to answer their research question. During hands-on work with the computer students will learn how to handle survey data for these specific purposes. Once completing their research report, students will be able to show their ability to present and document findings according to academic standards. INTRODUCTORY SESSION & REGISTRATION In the winter term 2014/15 four research placements will be offered. All of them will be presented at joint session on ###, in room ###. The aim of the first session is to provide a better overview of the thematic scope and methodological focus of each course and to secure an equal distribution of participants in the placements. Of course, those students who are already decided which of the four courses they want to take can register in campus management before the first meeting. BASIC READING Babbie, Earl R. 2001. The Practice of Social Research. Belmont: Wadsworth, 9th Edition. Dieckmann, Andreas. 2010. Empirische Sozialforschung: Grundlagen, Methoden, Anwendungen. Reinbek: Rowohlt-Taschenbuch-Verlag, 4. Auflage. Field, Andy. 2009. Discovering statistic using SPSS. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 3rd Edition. Kohler, Ulrich & Kreuter, Frauke. 2012. Data Analysis Using Stata. College Station: Stata Press, 3rd Edition. Landman, Todd. 2005. Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics. New York: Routledge, 2nd Edition. EXAM Research report of approx. 10,000 words. Deadline: March 31, 2015. close