Overview

Collecting and analyzing data on unemployment, inflation, and inequality help describe the complex world around us. When published by the government, such data are called official statistics. They are reported by the media, used by politicians to lend weight to their arguments, and by economic commentators to opine about the state of society. Despite such widescale use, explanations about how these measures are constructed are seldom provided for a non-technical reader. This Measuring Society book is a short, accessible guide to six topics: jobs, house prices, inequality, prices for goods and services, poverty, and deprivation. Each relates to concepts we use on a personal level to form an understanding of the society in which we live: We need a job, a place to live, and food to eat. Using data from the United States, we answer three basic questions: why, how, and for whom these statistics have been constructed. We add some context and flavor by discussing the historical background. This book provides the reader with a good grasp of these measures. Chaitra H. Nagaraja is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University in New York. Her research interests include house price indices and inequality measurement. Prior to Fordham, Dr. Nagaraja was a researcher at the U.S. Census Bureau. While there, she worked on projects relating to the American Community Survey.

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Reviews

As with the other chapters in this volume, I enjoyed the writing style that has been adopted. I believe that it will appeal to the intended audience. Presenting technical material of this type in a non-technical manner is no easy task, and the author should be congratulated on the quality and consistency of the book as a whole. ~David Giles, University of Victoria Reading the additional chapters was a pleasure, and the author is to be congratulated for the clarity of the writing and for maintaining a balanced presentation throughout all of the chapters. One aspect of the work that I find especially appealing is the extensive use of historical narrative. Given the intended audience, this is extremely helpful, and it definitely adds to the readability. ~William Nicholson, Cornell University

As with the other chapters in this volume, I enjoyed the writing style that has been adopted. I believe that it will appeal to the intended audience. Presenting technical material of this type in a non-technical manner is no easy task, and the author should be congratulated on the quality and consistency of the book as a whole. ~David Giles, University of Victoria Reading the additional chapters was a pleasure, and the author is to be congratulated for the clarity of the writing and for maintaining a balanced presentation throughout all of the chapters. One aspect of the work that I find especially appealing is the extensive use of historical narrative. Given the intended audience, this is extremely helpful, and it definitely adds to the readability. ~William Nicholson, Cornell University

Author Information

Chaitra H. Nagaraja is Associate Professor of Statistics at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University in New York. Her research interests include house price indices and inequality measurement. Prior to Fordham, Chaitra was a researcher at the U.S. Census Bureau. While there, she worked on projects relating to the American Community Survey.

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