Statistics education and monitoring progress towards civil rights

Abstract

Monitoring societal progress towards respect of civil, economic, social and cultural human rights is mainly about analyzing trends in mass phenomena that may contradict the purposes and visions of an open society which promises equity and fairness to all its members. To assess these trends requires statistical knowledge and understanding of multivariate phenomena. For educators, these topics address issues beyond teaching technical skills for analyzing data and concern matters of value clarification, understanding and embracing the principles of human equality and dignity - topics that address the mind and the heart. Moreover, students experience statistical analyses playing a role in understanding pressing social and political issues of our time. Exemplified by data from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights and by a large multivariate data set on racial bias in European football we discuss potentials and implications of taking this topic to the classroom.