Social Sequence Analysis: Methods and Applications by Benjamin Cornwell (review)

The dynamic nature of social processes has for long been at the center of social sciences. Researchers from various fields, such as sociology, economics, psychology, and political or organizational science, all investigate the sequential and ordered social phenomena using a set of similar methods and techniques described as sequence analysis. Seeing this similarity, Benjamin Cornwell set out to amass the concepts and methods of this interdisciplinary research perspective in his book Social Sequence Analysis: Methods and Applications.

Social Sequence Analysis is a thorough and comprehensive introduction to the sequence analysis approach. In his book, Cornwell covers the conventional sequence analysis methods and summarizes the most recent developments related to sequence differentiation and data visualization. Social Sequence Analysis includes chapters on elementary notions and techniques of sequence analysis, detecting sequence structure and sequence comparison, as well as sections that cover new directions in social sequence analysis: network analysis and microsequence analysis. Each section is succinct and yet exhaustive, providing the reader with a cohesive overview of the topic and suggestions for further reading.

In the introduction, the author argues that this book is intended as the primer on sequence analysis for social scientists. This goal is clearly achieved. Social Sequence Analysis is an extensive collection of the extant advancements in sequence analysis. Cornwell carefully analyzed previous publications and synthetized the material into one source, fairly discussing the strengths and the weaknesses of the method. Cornwell gave praise to the versatility of the sequence analysis methodology but also rigorously acknowledged all the critiques voiced to date while providing suggestions of how these critiques can be answered and how the field could move forward. His objective writing together with his detailed explanations of the sequence analysis methodology make Social Sequence Analysis a useful reference for those who are not familiar with the method but want to learn more about it in a short period of time. In just over 200 pages, Cornwell answers all the initial questions one might have when first exposed to a new research method. As such, the book makes a perfect resource for graduate students and junior faculty who seek to explore conventional methods of sequence analysis. It could also be used in graduate seminars that cover longitudinal data analysis.

However, Social Sequence Analysis goes beyond providing basic information about the existing sequence analysis methodology. By compiling material scattered throughout numerous recent publications, Cornwell has made the book appealing to researchers already acquainted with the method. Cornwell also offers new perspectives to be considered in the field by focusing on network analysis and micosequence analysis.

Chapter 6 of Social Sequence Analysis bridges together sequence analysis and network analysis to demonstrate how both methods could benefit from adapting perspectives from one another. Cornwell points out that the field of network analysis increasingly acknowledges the importance of the order in which social contracts are enacted and the field of sequence analysis moves toward investigations of networks of sequences of multiple actors. Cornwell makes a convincing point of how sequence analysis could be improved by adapting methods of statistical inference developed within the network analysis framework, such as exponential random graph models (ERGM). This innovative perspective could provide inspiration for the next wave of sequence analysis techniques.

The second major contribution of Social Sequence Analysis is the inclusion of the new, promising application of sequence analysis in the studies of microtime use (chapter 7). Cornwell compellingly argues that sequence analysis can be efficiently used to study the order of everyday life. Examples from Cornwell's own work on health are used to prove that microsequential processes have implications for individuals, their families, and society. The relevance of sequence analysis for studies of microinteractions, synchronization, and routinization of family life is discussed. By reaching out to a new field of research and answering original sociological questions of daily life patterns, Cornwell showcases the versatile utility of social sequence analysis.

What also can be found on the pages of Social Sequence Analysis is a more pragmatic but important suggestion of...