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The Importance of Common Metrics for Advancing Social Science Theory and Research A Workshop Summary (2011) / Chapter Skim
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5 Final Comments
Pages 71-76

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From page 71...
... In this regard, the goal may not be com mon metrics per se, but rather a few metrics widely used. • Common metrics require common concepts -- which are facilitated by agreement on theory.
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From page 72...
... Education is ultimately about a way to reduce inequality and to facilitate intergenerational mobility. Grusky believes that when there is more transparency, there is more opportunity for the scientific community to weigh in at the point of adoption of some sort of official standardized measurement.
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From page 73...
... David Johnson suggested that researchers align themselves with policy makers and statistical agencies to develop standardized measures, accepting that a perfect measure (e.g., for poverty) is sometimes not possible.
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From page 74...
... The closer any indicator gets to being used for actual administrative decisions, as with the poverty indicator, the less appropriate it is for the scientific community to lend its legitimacy to it because of the risks of distortion. However, to treat any indicator as essentially a feedback system, there are different interests in place as to what counts as good feedback.
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From page 75...
... He called for the participation of another set of actors -- representatives of statistical agencies, the Association of Public Data Users, the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, among others -- who have a direct interest in the production of federal statistics and are proactive in making their views known. Bohrnstedt agreed that harmonization could be possible when standardization is not.
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Key Terms

  • common metrics
  • poverty measure
  • trumps science
  • politics trumps
  • social mobility

  • reduce inequality
  • census bureau
  • grusky believes
  • trump reality
  • work currently

  • educational progress
  • intergenerational mobility
  • cares immensely
  • bradburn attributed
  • social class

  • johnson suggested
  • time scale
  • accepted measure
  • trump scientific
  • facilitate intergenerational

  • public data
  • program participation
  • indicators easily
  • fryback questioned
  • social economic

  • ferent statistical
  • poverty measures
  • supplemental poverty
  • david johnson
  • labor statistics


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