Professor: Ian Callison
4 credits
Why do some countries remain poor while others prosper? Why do some schools consistently outperform others? Why do some people vote, while others stay home on election day? We spend billions of dollars trying to solve these problems, but in order for us to know which solutions might work, we need to identify what causes them.
Finding answers to these questions is harder than it might seem. Social problems rarely have one single cause, and the many political, economic, and social forces that shape our world are deeply interconnected. How can we determine whether college education reduces poverty, democracy promotes economic growth, or policing reduces crime when so many other factors might influence these outcomes?
Drawing on examples from political science, economics, sociology, public health, and education, this course introduces students to the challenges of understanding the causes of complex problems and the innovative research designs scholars use to study them. Students will explore different approaches researchers use to distinguish correlation from causation, and learn how to critically assess claims about what causes social outcomes. Throughout the course, students will develop a research question of their own, identify potential obstacles to establishing cause and effect, and propose a research design for investigating their hypothesis.