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9 February 2009

Western on "Analyzing Inequality with Variance Function Regressions"

Please join us this Wednesday, February 11th when Bruce Western, Professor of Sociology, will present "Analyzing Inequality with Variance Function Regressions". Bruce provided the following abstract:

Regression-based studies of inequality model only between-group differences, yet often these differences are far exceeded by residual inequality. Residual inequality is usually attributed to measurement error or the influence of unobserved characteristics. We present a regression that includes covariates for both the mean and variance of a dependent variable. In this model, the residual variance is treated as a target for analysis. We apply this model to study the effects of union membership decline on the growth in men's earnings inequality from 1970 to 2006. The union membership data offer additional challenge for data analysis, because survey respondents may misreport their union membership status.

The Applied Statistics Workshop meets each Wednesday at 12 noon in K-354 CGIS-Knafel (1737 Cambridge St). The workshop begins with a light lunch and presentations usually start around 1215 and last until about 130 pm.

Posted by Justin Grimmer at 4:47 PM