Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) and other set-theoretic methods distinguish themselves from other approaches to the study of social phenomena by using sets and the search for set relations. In virtually all social science fields, statements about social phenomena can be framed in terms of set relations, and using set-theoretic methods to investigate these statements is therefore highly valuable.
This volume entitled “Set-Theoretic Methods for the Social Sciences” guides the reader through the basic principles of set theory and then on to the applied practices of QCA. The authors Carsten Q. Schneider and Claudius Wagemann provide a thorough understanding of basic and advanced issues in set-theoretic methods together with tricks of the trade, software handling, and exercises. Most arguments are introduced using examples from existing research. An extensive online appendix provides more than 100 pages of learning material that can be used both by instructors and students of set-theoretic methods. This book provides an invaluable guide to these methods for researchers across the social sciences.
The volume is part of the Cambridge University Press Series “Strategies for Social Inquiry” edited by Colin Elman, James Mahoney, and John Gerring.
Carsten Q. Schneider and Claudius Wagemann (2012): Set-Theoretic Methods for the Social Sciences. A Guide to Qualitative Comparative Analysis, Cambridge University Press