Statistics Flashcards
What are statistics?
Secondary quantative method, valued by positivists
What are official statistics?
Statistics collected by the government
What is a possible problem with crime statistics?
Not all crimes recorded- dark figure of crime
Some victims may not come forward
What is a possible problem when government recorder statistics?
The government can manipulate statistics to make themselves look better
What’s an example of where statistics may lose validity due to a law change?
Rape in marriage becoming legalised means that there was many cases of rape before that weren’t accounted for
What’s a possible problem with Durkheim study on suicide using statistics?
Suicide is a very sensitive topic
What does socially constructed mean?
Created by those measuring the data
What do Hall and Gilroy say about ethnic groups in crime statisticsv
ethnic minorities especially black groups over represented in crime statistics
What are some examples of using statistics?
Readily available- practical
Free- practical
Accurate- valid
Large sample size- representative
Help identify patterns between groups
What’s a possible disadvantage to the census?
Carried out every 10 years therefore could be outdated
What’s an example of how the government can manipulate statistics?
Conservative government 1982-92 changed how they measured unemployment therefore unemployment decreased
What do interpretivists think about statistics?
Official statistics not facts but merely an interpretation made by government agencies
What’s a possible ethical disadvantage when using statistics?
Using statistics where manipulation is involved isn’t morally ethical
What is the detachment advantage of using statistics?
Detachment- no relationship is formed between the researcher and the person being researched, therefor don’t feel pressured to answer certain way- more valid
What were the 4 category’s that Durkheim used for categories of suicide?
Egoistic
Altruistic
Anomic
Fatalistic
What is meant by the fatalistic category of Durkheim study?
People lose the will to live and prefer to die, no more point existing
What is meant by the egoistic category of Durkheims study?
Individual health and rights stressed, allegenice fo wider group weak, selfish Suicide
What is meant by the altruistic category of Durkheims study?
People have insufficient motivation, happiness of individual not stressed unless for wider society
An example would be suicide bomber
What is meant by the anomic category of Durkheims study?
People naturally selfish, may be a rapid social change and people fail to conform to resort to suicide
How could Durkheims study be criticised?
Need a more in-depth and detailed understanding to know why people commit suicide, need an interpretivist approach
Why is Atkinson critical of suicide statistics?
Believes that suicide is a social construct as it is down to the coroners interpretation
What “clues” does Atkinson look for when studying his coroners decide whether or not a death is a suicide?
Suicide notes
Mode of death
Life history and mental condition
Location and circumstances
Is Atkinsons view better than Durkheims?
Atkinsons- more validity, could take long so can’t talk to as many people therefor not representative
Durkheims- opposite of above
