Official Stats

Question 1

Stats Practical

Answer 1

\:)
Free
Huge resource
Easy to compare time/place/people
Only states can enforce (2011 census only had 5% refusal rate)

:(
Operationalisation changes over time so less comparable and between nations

Mismatch between your topic and topic of stats

Not available on all topics ie France census ignores race.

Question 2

Stats - Methods in Context- Practical

Answer 2

Crime is very political so lots of Gov stats

Biased towards notifiable offences- Motoring only recorded 1998.

Different catagorisation of crimes - TOMBS - Health and Safety deaths not recorded as manslaughter.

Question 3

Stats- Methods in Context- Theoretical

Answer 3

Reliability
-Inconsistent recording both between forces and as if more than one crime only most serious recorded.

Representativeness
Have to keep data but vary in how and if report. Changes in law mean not comparable over time.

Validity
HM Revenue and Customs solve outside courtroom
90% reported by public, more likely to report car theft than sexual attack.
BCS- Police record 60% crime
Companies and bouncers may not report dependent on policy
Clear up rate debatable.

Question 4

Stats- Theoretical issues

Answer 4

FEMINISM
OAKLEY AND GRAHAM_ Patriuachal state use stats to hide oppression. ie ignore domestic Labour as economic inactive
BUT 2001 Household Class now judge on owner not man so women slightly more represented.

INTERPRETIVIST
CICOUREL- Stast jsut reflect labels and a series of interactions.
Soft stats less valid than hard stats (ie birth and death rates)

POSITIVISM
standardised tool of measurement
test hypothesis
often same operationalism ie class = job so comparable.
Representauve as large scale (esp births)

MARXISM
ALTHUSSER - Part of ideological state apparatus. Operationise unemployment so seem lower. Class based on job so seems to slope. 1980s+ Census does not compare class death rate.