The course offers a selection of methods and techniques useful for identifying, summarizing, and communicating the information contained in statistical data for the interpretation of social phenomena. By combining theoretical lectures and practical exercises, students learn the principles of statistical investigation, the organization of collected data, their analysis, and the communication of the results obtained.
The course is structured in three parts: Statistics for the Social Sciences; Selected Topics in Economic and Social Statistics; Introduction to Demography.
The course is worth 6 ECTS credits for students enrolled in Scienze Internazionali e Diplomatiche, Economia e Commercio, and Media Comunicazione e Società, and 9 ECTS credits for students enrolled in Scienze dell'Amministrazione e della Politica. The differences in the exam programs are specified in the sections below.
The course provides tools for describing and analyzing social and economic data, with particular focus on descriptive and official statistics. Students learn how to represent, summarize, and compare variables, identify relationships between characteristics, and construct and interpret statistical indicators. The main sources of official data are introduced, along with basic elements of demographic analysis and measures of inequality, with particular attention to gender disparities. The aim is to develop skills applicable to empirical analysis and to support public policy.
The primary objective of the course is to provide a comprehensive overview of the process followed in a statistical survey: from defining the object of study, to its quantitative measurement, data analysis, and evaluation of results for policy-making purposes. This objective is achieved by alternating between two teaching phases: traditional lectures and practical exercises. Particular attention is given to the use of statistics as a communication tool for decision-makers.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding Students will acquire adequate knowledge of the fundamental elements of descriptive statistical analysis, as well as of the nature and measurement principles of the main economic and social phenomena of interest to public decision-makers (such as wealth, well-being, inflation, unemployment, demographic change, etc.).
Applying Knowledge and Understanding Students will be able to interpret basic statistical reports, produce their own, retrieve the data necessary to understand economic, social, and demographic phenomena, and replicate the analyses studied in the course on new data.
Making Judgements Students will be able to assess the quality of data available online, particularly in terms of whether their collection and analysis adhere to the quality standards of official statistics. Moreover, having understood the foundations of statistical indicator construction, they will be able to evaluate the adequacy and methodological robustness of summary indicators representing social phenomena.
Communication Skills Students will acquire fundamental statistical vocabulary, enabling them to communicate clearly and unambiguously with both specialist and non-specialist audiences. In particular, they will learn to interpret, from an operational perspective, press releases, data tables, and graphical representations commonly used in the economic, social, and demographic sciences, especially when produced by official statistical agencies.
Learning Skills By becoming familiar with numerous official surveys, students will be able to assess the quality of the data they will encounter during their academic studies and professional careers.
Knowledge Acquired
Skills Developed
All lectures will be delivered in person in Genoa at the Albergo dei Poveri campus. Recordings of all lectures will be made available via links published on Aulaweb.
In addition, students enrolled in MEDIA, COMUNICAZIONE E SOCIETÀ 11417 (L-20) – SAVONA will also have the option to attend the lectures synchronously via Microsoft Teams.
Introduction
Variable Representation: Tables and Graphs
Summarizing Distributions: Central Values
Summarizing and Comparing Distributions: Measures of Inequality
Analysis of the Relationship Between Two Variables
Introduction to Official Statistics
Statistical Indices and Indicators
Selected Topics in Economic and Social Statistics
Gender Inequality
Introduction to Demography
Objectives and definitions
Time, Age and Generations
Renewal Processes: The Extinction of Generations
Renewal Processes: The Formation of New Generations
Population Size and Structure
Demographic Situation and Long-Term Perspectives
The Demographic Transition
Students are required to take the exam on different parts of the syllabus depending on their degree programme:
SCIENZE DELL'AMMINISTRAZIONE E DELLA POLITICA 11161 (L-16) – GENOVA (8/9/10 CFU) and 9 ECTS credits Erasmus Students: Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the syllabus, plus one chapter of choice from those listed in the "Textbooks/Bibliography" section and one selected reading from the supplementary materials listed in the same section. Any additional readings to choose from will be posted on Aulaweb.
SCIENZE INTERNAZIONALI E DIPLOMATICHE 8768 (L-36) – GENOVA (6 CFU), MEDIA, COMUNICAZIONE E SOCIETÀ 11417 (L-20) – SAVONA (6 CFU) and 6 ECTS credits Erasmus Students: Parts 1 and 2 of the syllabus.
ECONOMIA E COMMERCIO 8699 (L-33) – GENOVA (6 CFU): Parts 2 and 3 of the syllabus.
For Part I of the syllabus:
For Part II of the syllabus:
For Part III of the syllabus (only for students with 9 CFU):
One optional chapter in demography (only for 9 CFU students – choose one of the following):
Supplementary readings (only for 9 CFU students – choose one of the following):
Please check Aulaweb for any additional readings that may be suggested during the course.
International students may contact the instructor to arrange alternative reference materials in English or another language.
Ricevimento: Office hours are usually Wednesdays from 4.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. on Teams. If a meeting in presence is requested, the teacher's studio is located on the 5th floor of the West Tower of the Albergo dei Poveri's teaching centre. The students of the Department of Economics can arrange a reception by appointment.
ENRICO DI BELLA (President)
LUCA GANDULLIA
PIETRO STANISLAO PARISI (Substitute)
2nd semester
he exam format differs slightly depending on the degree programme:
For students enrolled in Scienze Internazionali e Diplomatiche and Media, Comunicazione e Società and Erasmus Students with 6 ECTS, the exam is written only. It covers Parts I and II of the syllabus and consists of theoretical questions and practical exercises. No oral examination is required. During the exercises related to Part I, students are allowed to consult the printed textbook, but personal notes are not permitted.
For students enrolled in Economia e Commercio, the exam is written only and covers Parts II and III of the syllabus. It consists of theoretical questions and practical exercises. No oral examination is required.
For students enrolled in Scienze Politiche e dell'Amministrazione and Erasmus Students with 9 ECTS, the exam includes a written component covering Parts I, II, and III of the syllabus, with theoretical questions and exercises. The use of the textbook is allowed during the exercises related to Part I. An oral examination is also required, following the written test. It focuses on one chapter of choice from the demography textbook (as listed in the syllabus) and one optional supplementary reading.
The written exam will assess, in its theoretical section, the student's knowledge of the topics covered, and in its practical section (exercises), the skills acquired in applying the techniques presented during the course. In the theoretical part, clarity of exposition and precision in the use of technical language will be particularly important for evaluation.
As for the practical part, which will be conducted in open book mode, assessment will focus on the ability to solve quantitative problems using the wide range of tools introduced during the course, as well as on the interpretation and commentary of the results obtained. The exercises will take the form of problem-solving tasks, requiring students to choose the most appropriate techniques and offering them broad discretion in how to extract relevant information from one or more datasets.
The oral exam will assess the student’s ability to independently read and interpret supplementary texts in social statistics and demography. In particular, the evaluation will focus on the presentation skills demonstrated in explaining the content of the selected chapter and book, the critical thinking applied to the techniques and methods discussed, and the quality of the statistical sources referenced.
Students with special educational needs, disabilities, or specific learning disorders (SLD) are invited to contact the Departmental Coordinator (Prof. Aristide Canepa) and the course instructor in order to agree on teaching and examination arrangements that take into account individual learning styles and provide appropriate compensatory tools.
