Chapter 8 longitudinal studies and secondary sources official statistics

Longitudinal studies

Follows the same sample or group over an extended period of time

West and Farringdon

411 working class males born in London in 1953, the boys were ages 8-9 when the study began, the study aimed to describe development of delinquency and crime in inner city males

It allowed the researchers to cast the net wide in identifying and measuring different variables over the course of a persons life

The findings went a long way in shaping and influencing government policy making especially related to drugs, alcohol and poverty

By the time the men aged 32 the researchers caught up with them however 8 had passed away, 20 had permanently emigrated, 40% of men had at least one criminal conviction by 40

British viewing habits

Longitudinal study of people’s viewing habits over 5 years, 509 respondents were used, after 5 years 427 of the respondents were still involved, potentially because the researchers maintained regular close contact sending Christmas cards and keeping in touch

Seven up

Researchers followed 14 British children since 1964 when they were 7, they represented a cross section of British society. Every 7 years the researchers they film those people who still wish to take part

Lucinda Platt

Advantages of longitudinal methodology:

Draws out cause and effect relationships

Disentangles the effects of age and cohort

Tracks the impact of social change

Few of us are fully understood by a snapshot of our lives

Positives of longitudinal studies

Trace social change over a period of time- more detail

Allows researchers to build rapport encouraging honesty

Used to check the reliability and validity of those findings produced using other research methods (triangulation)

Negatives of longitudinal studies

Keeping track of samples can probe a major problem

If some people drop out those who remain may not be representative

The quantity of detailed information means analysis is difficult

Hawthorne effect

It’s difficult to know whether the changes in attitudes are the ageing effect or the generation effect

Secondary sources

Make use of information that other people have collected, readily available, saving time and money

Official statistics

Quantitative data collected by governments to identify beginnings of social problems that policy making can then tackle

For example statistics mapping economic problems during lockdown helped steer and shape economic policy extending the furlough scheme

Positives of official statistics

Hard statistics are as close to 100% accurate as possible such as National census (householders are required by law to complete and submit survey results to the government), however soft statistics are mouldable and can be easily manipulated

Gives quick and easy access to data relating to many research areas studies

Completely free

Durkheim- Le Suicide

Few ethical problems

High in representativeness allowing generalisations to take place

Official statistics are high in reliability and can compare changes over time, hard statistics for example are difficult to dispute

Durkheim Le Suicide

Example of using official statistics:

Durkheim used official statistics from different countries across Europe, clear correlations in the background circumstance of those who had died: those with excessive or little social integration or excessive or little control by society were at greater risk of suicide

He concluded that suicide is a social fact

Maxwell Atkinson

Official statistics are socially constructed and lack reliability, suicide rates merely represent the labels and definitions of coroners

Huge differences in the way that coroners define suicide between various countries also makes it hugely problematic to compare suicide across different countries in Europe

Example official police crime statistic

Each year the government combined all police recorded crime to give an indicator of changing trends in crime, for example worrying statistical increases in number of hate crimes for example have led to the introduction of government policies including anti extremist and anti radical teaching school

Negatives of official statistics

Maxwell Atkinson

Lack reliability and validity

Most statistics are soft statistics which an be easily manipulated and are socially constructed

Conflict perspectives:

Marxists claim that official statistics are by their very nature manipulative, concealing the truth when it’s convenient for people who produce them to do so. Typically it is government departments who give the official stamp on statistics

Marxism and official statistics

Statistics in the hands of powerful people means that the evidence put forward through statistics is used to help and justify a d support policy making

3 examples of manipulation of official statistics

Subtle changes to unemployment figures can show an artificial fall in unemployment

Subtly removing patients who were unable to keep their appointment from NHS allowed the data to show a decline in waiting times

Census data previously included a comparison of deaths against social class but this was later removed to hide the link between poverty and death rates and failed government policy

Contemporary application supporting Marxism and official statistics

An obsession with reducing crime is creating pressure on police to manipulate crime figures

CC Creedon said officers were doing everything they can to avoid crime going up and that manipulation of figures is an unintended consequence of pressure from police leaders