Damned Lies and Statistics essay
Statistics is one of the oldest branches of knowledge that has emerged and developed in connection with the needs of society in different kinds of quantitative data, without which it is impossible to govern the state, to study what happens in society, and to explore different events and processes. Thus, statistics being an important method in research process allows us to understand surrounding reality using different facts and numbers as an example. The book “Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians, and Activists” written by famous sociologist Joel Best gives its readers an opportunity to revalue existed knowledge and form own opinion about situation that has a place in our world. In such a way, we are going to discuss this book in some details and understand as it pertains to research methods.
In the beginning of this essay we can mention that Joel Best has used very interesting phrase for the title of his book. In its original form the phrase sounds in the next way: “Lies, damned lies, and statistics”, and it is necessary to say that this phrase was firstly popularized by Mark Twain or Benjamin Disraeli (among others who like to use it), and continuing our discussion we can explain that the phrase means that numbers have their great persuasive power, because when people hear the word ‘statistics’ they believe even in unbelievable facts and estimates. Sociologist Joel Best divided people into several groups such as awestruck, naive, cynical, and critical. He stated that the vast majority of our population is naive and it forced to believe in everything that press, television or other sources of information present to them. Thus, we see that Joel Best describes different types of statistical discrepancies in his book, trying to prove that people should begin to evaluate information in critical way, and, firstly, it is necessary to think about the fact, analyze it from different perspectives, find the original place (when and why it was taken from it), and only then to believe in something. Comparing author’s position towards statistics to research methods it is necessary to add that it helps to be more specific in research work, using some data and facts for its credibility.
Thinking about research methods it is possible to say that statistics in sphere of their implementation is an independent social science, which has its own subject and methods of investigation, which came into existence from the needs of public life. Moreover, statistics is the science that studies the quantitative aspect of socio-economic phenomena and helps researchers to be more specific in their findings and investigations. It is impossible to leave without attention the fact that, for instance, the concept ‘social statistics’ has two interpretations: as an area of science and as an area of practice. Social statistics as a branch of science is a developing system of techniques and methods for collecting, processing and analysis of numerical information about social phenomena and processes in society, while social statistics as a practice area is focused on practical implementation of different numerical material, received in various ways mentioned above, and which characterizes certain social processes by the national statistics bodies and other organizations. It is a well-known fact that autonomous existence of social statistics as a science or as a practice area would be meaningless. These areas should and could develop only in the unity and interdependence, and discussing them in the frames of this essay we can mention that Joel Best is trying to show readers that statistics not always say true, because it misses some steps in the process of its development.
It is normal practice in our life, when assertions, backed up by statistics and by sending to the authorities, are considered reliable, and different doubts in their validity have only those people, who hold the opposite view and have in their hands other statistical data that really prove the opposite assertion. Statistics becomes a toy in hands of our politicians, for example; it has a place because sometimes invented statistics are given to people not for the purpose of to convince them that somebody is right, but vice versa, it gives people false information and proves the audience that the person who tells true is absolutely wrong (it makes the person’s status lower and takes his/her political or scientific power away of the person).
Using the book “Damned Lies and Statistics” as an example, it is possible to say that Joel Best shows how activists tried to prove that Ronald Reagan was wrong in his words, arguing that the U.S. had a half a million homeless on its territory. Activists have used false data, but that fact of unfair use of statistics has spoiled the reputation of government, because the general public was sure that government underestimates unattractive numbers and tries to lie to the people of own country.
To sum up, taking everything into consideration it is possible to conclude that statistics plays its significant role in research work and Joel Best has proved with a big variety of examples that it is necessary to be careful and not believe in statistics without its critical analysis and monitoring.
