Official statistics
- Created by: Revisonf
- Created on: 05-01-14 16:27
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- Official Statistics
- ADVANTAGES:
- Cheap and easily available; also cover alot of social aspects.
- Only data available for certain topics.
- Allow sociologists to see the pattern of change overtime. Can study trends such as crime, unemployment, abortions, ect.
- May be used as part of the research design; one of the many methods used in a sociologists' research.
- DISADVANTAGES:
- The definitions of certain situations may vary between a sociologist and an official.
- EXAMPLE: Divorce rates exclude the number of empty-shell marriages and separations that did not go through court.
- It is not possible to check validity of official statistics.
- Statistics on uneployment tell us nothing about what it means to the individuals involved to be unemployed.
- Not all statistics can be publishes as facts; for example, assault may not be reported to the police therefore not involved in statistics.
- The definitions of certain situations may vary between a sociologist and an official.
- ADVANTAGES:
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