Official Statistics

What are official statistics?

What are official statistics?

• Form of quantitative data that has been compiled from other research methods such as questionnaires (e.g. census), opinion polls and civil service and other departmental data

• Demonstrate trends in crime, households, education, social care, health, demographics

What are advantages of statistics?

• It is readily available and covers a range of different topics

• Provide trends over time, between different social groups, genders, beliefs, sexuality etc

• High in reliability as repeated often

• This is the starting point for much sociological research, highlighting inequalities in society

What are the practical issues with official statistics?

• Time- Whilst seen as quick to access, the level of statistical data can take time to interpret

• Access- Some statistics might be unavailable for periods of time or not match the definitions of researchers

• Operationalising variables- Statistical measurements have finite criteria for what defines ethnicity, social class, gender etc, which may be less fluid than in contemporary society

What are the ethical issues with official statistics?

• Ethically official statistics are quite sound- no deception, consent or harm issues

• It can be manipulated by governments to prove political points- which means some people may not get the help they need. E.g healthcare, education, benefits

• Poverty indicators change- 60% of median income. If society becomes less affluent, fewer people will be in poverty as this figure falls

What are the theoretical issues with official statistics?

• Validity- Interpretivists would state statistics are a social construction- decisions made by those in power

• Validity- dark figures- crime, education, health

• Theoretical perspectives- functionalists would support statistics, but Marxists and feminists would be critical of official statistics because they can be manipulated to suit states’ needs

What are the examples of official statistics?

• Census data- compiled every ten years from questionnaires provides official statistics on ethnicity, household structure, employment status etc

• Crime statistics- crimes reported to and recorded by police in the previous year

• Educational league tables and exam results- reported on an annual basis