Official statistics

Question 1

The Dark Figure of Crime

Answer 1

The British Crime Survey (2002) - only 42% of crimes were reported to the police - police did not report the less serious incidents

Question 2

Durkheim ‘suicide statistics’

Answer 2

Atkinson- suicide rates are not a true reflection of the number of suicides but instead are a result of what coroners label as suicide

Question 3

studying historical topics

Answer 3

Laslett- used parish records in his study of family structure in pre-industrial England.

Question 4

UK Census

Answer 4

Filled out every ten years and is compulsory to complete.

Question 5

Concepts can change over time

Answer 5

between 1979 and early 1990 the definition of what it meant to be considered in the unemployment statistics changed 29 times.

Question 6

Difference between official definitions and sociological ones

Answer 6

The government may want to use ‘absolute’ measures of poverty whereas a sociologist may want to use ‘relative’ measures of poverty. As a result, there could be a wide range variance in what each definition may record. in which case presents both issues of reliability as well as validity.