The Data Game: Controversies in Social Science Statistics Mark H. MaierPublisher: M. E. Sharpe,Inc.,80 Business Park Dr.,Armonk,NY 10504;914-273-1800;FAX [phone] Year of Publication: 1991 Price: $39.95 cloth,$14.95 paper Length: 256 pages Intended Audience: Faculty members who use data or teach research methodology

Abstract

Summary: While not a computer book, this work discusses data that are fundamental to much of what social scientists do with computers. Maier discusses various data sources, such as the census, the American Housing Survey, the Uniform Crime Reports, Federal Reserve Board statistics, and others, presenting the controversies behind each. For instance, with regard to the census, Maier discusses population undercounting, undocumented immigrants, difficulties of predicting birth rates, problems in interpreting the ratio of elderly to working population, issues about who is Hispanic or black, the difference made by considering households rather than families, state differences in divorce statistics, and many other issues. The points are made in a lively, concise manner that goes a long way toward illuminating the social science research process as well as its pitfalls. For instance, the section "Oh No, I Forgot to Get Married" discusses the data and forecasting assumptions behind the much-publicized social science report of 1986 that asserted that women who had not married by age 35 had only a 5% chance of ever marrying. By examining dozens of cases of this type Maier has thrown light on controversies ranging from whether welfare works to whether poverty causes crime to why people are living longer. For instructors seeking to convince their students that social sci-ence is interesting and that it is not just "common sense," this is the book to assign-but even experienced researchers will benefit from taking its insights and warnings to heart.