Social Statistics for a Diverse Society

The basic premise of "Social Statistics for a Diverse Society, Sixth Edition", is that substance and statistical techniques are truly related in social science research. Therefore, the authors have tried to integrate clear explanations of statistical techniques with issues of particular relevance to society. The substantive focus of this book recognizes that students live in a world characterized by a growing diversity and richness of social differences. Using straightforward prose and emphasizing intuition and common sense, this book teaches basic statistics while incorporating real research examples related to the dynamic interplay of race, class, gender and other social variables within our society and our global neighbors. The text includes resources designed to support effective teaching: illustrations showing how statistical concepts are used to interpret social issues, guides for reading and interpreting the research literature, SPSS demonstrations, and a rich variety of exercises. This title provides a close link between the practice of statistics, important social issues, and real-world examples. This shows students that in the social sciences there is a constant interplay between social concerns and the methods of inquiry and investigation. It provides a informal writing style - coupled with the use of real-world example, the conversational writing style results in a book that is more accessible and engaging for students. A focus on race, class, gender and other aspects of social diversity is threaded throughout the book, and sets the book apart from others in the field and mirrors the major emphasis in the social sciences today. Reading the Research Literature sections in most chapters help students read and interpret statistical information in professional and scholarly publications. Integration and Review Chapters on the accompanying CD-ROM bundled with the text review the two halves of the book for descriptive and inferential statistics. Boxes and Learning Checks in chapters - Throughout the book are boxes containing information on statistics in practice and insightful tips on using various techniques. The Learning Checks allow students to test their understanding of concepts just presented. Emphasis on Computing SPSS for Windows is used throughout the book in conjunction with General Social Survey data to introduce students to one of the most commonly used analytical software packages in the field. At the end of each chapter is a demonstration of a related SPSS procedure, along with a set of exercises.