Social statistics is the use of statistical measurement systems to study human behavior in a social environment. This can be accomplished through polling a group of people, evaluating a subset of data obtained about a group of people, or by observation and statistical analysis of a set of data that relates to people and their behaviors.
Social scientists use social statistics for many purposes, including:
- the evaluation of the quality of services available to a group or organization,
- analyzing behaviors of groups of people in their environment and special situations,
- determining the wants of people through statistical sampling.
Read more about Social Statistics: Statistics in The Social Sciences, Social Science Statistics Centers
Famous quotes containing the words social and/or statistics:
“Throughout the 1980’s, we did hear too much about individual gain and the ethos of selfishness and greed. We did not hear enough about how to be a good member of a community, to define the common good and to repair the social contract. And we also found that while prosperity does not trickle down from the most powerful to the rest of us, all too often indifference and even intolerance do.”
—Hillary Rodham Clinton (b. 1947)
“He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts—for support rather than illumination.”
—Andrew Lang (1844–1912)