Despite the growing number of statistical analyses of life-history data and a long tradition of biographical research, there is often no communication between these two streams of life-course research. It is possible to examine the life course quantitatively through life histories, which may be used to model synthetic biographies in order to reveal patterns in the timing and sequencing of life events, the durations of states between them, and the causal links between them. It is also possible to examine the life course qualitatively through life stories, e.g. biographical narratives, which reflect how persons understand, experience and attach meaning to events and states in their life. Through a quantitative analysis of life-history data we can describe and explain the morphology of particular events in the observed population, while a qualitative analysis of biographical narratives provides insight into people’s decision-making, perceptions of their options, and how they attach meanings to and experience events. This article summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches, explains in which sense they are connected or differentiated from each other, what data and analyses each perspective may utilize, and briefly introduces one type of mixed methods life course research that utilizes the complementarity of both approaches., Hana Hašková a Radka Dudová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This article deals with the topic of mixed mode data collection in quantitative social research. The first part of the article introduces mixed mode data collection in terms of its development, characteristics and terminology. Thereafter, there is a discussion of mixed mode data research design and its usage. In the second part of this paper there is a discussion of important criteria in the effective used of a mixed mode data research design. Here particular attention is devoted to mode effects. The main insights from this overview of mixed mode data research are summarised in a schematic format. The concluding section provides a brief summary of a number of statistical methods for analysing mixed mode data such as Multitrait multimethod (MTMM) approach to studying construct validity. There are also some remarks regarding future developments in mixed mode data collection and analysis in the social sciences., Martin Buchtík., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of this article is to present a specific method for the study of the life-course, which focuses on life-course trajectories as a whole through the use of sequence analysis. In the first part, two approaches for the quantitative analysis of the life-course are distinguished: an event-oriented perspective and a trajectory-based (holistic) perspective. The holistic perspective is based on sequence analysis and more specifically on optimal matching. The trajectory-based perspective does not focus on single life events, but on whole sequences of events. In the second part, using the Czech wave of the ISSP 2002 dataset, which includes partnership and family histories, this article presents several examples of the use of sequence analysis of family trajectories. This study shows that sequence analysis can help identify patterns associated with typical and distinctive life-course trajectories., Jana Chaloupková., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy