Exploratory mining of life event histories

TitleExploratory mining of life event histories
Publication TypeBook Chapter
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsRitschard, G, Bürgin, R, Studer, M
EditorMcArdle, JJ, Ritschard, G
Book TitleContemporary issues in exploratory data mining in the behavioral sciences
Series TitleQuantitative Methodology Series
Chapter9
Pagination221-253
PublisherRoutledge
Place PublishedLondon & New York
ISBN Number978-0-415-81706-6
Keywordsevent sequences
Abstract

This chapter explains how data-mining-based techniques can be used for discovering interesting knowledge from sequences of life events, that is, to find out how people sequence important life events. We illustrate with data from the biographical survey conducted by the Swiss Household Panel in 2002. The focus is on the sequencing of events in the occupational life course and of events such as starting a union and childbirth that affect the living arrangement. Addressed methods include finding of frequent sequential patterns, identification of discriminant subsequences and clustering of event sequences.