7R Flashcards
(9 cards)
What are hard statistics
They refer to actual events which have taken place
What are soft statistics
They refer to an interpretation of info
Problems with crime statistics
People don’t report all crime, dark figure
Some crimes dont have obvious victims e.g vandalism
Problems with education stats
School league tables may only reflect the ability of the children at the school not the schools itself effectiveness
Can be manipulated to present schools in a more positive light
Problems with health stats
Not everyone visits the GP when ill
Some people are absent from work when ill whereas sone people with still go
Problems with family stats
Some people separate without divorce
Difficult to identify who is cohabiting
Problems with religion stats
People may be religious but not attend formal worship
People may lie on the census
Advantages of using stats
Compares trends
Ethically sound
Favoured by positivists
Disadvantages of using stats
Definitions/ catagories may be unclear
Biased
Could be out of date
