The need for nationally representative longitudinal data for addressing key questions about family change

Q3 Social Sciences

Journal of Economic and Social Measurement Pub Date : 2015-01-01 DOI:10.3233/JEM-150404

R. Kelly Raley

引用次数: 1

Abstract

The United States is undergoing rapid social change. The nation faces declines in stable family formation, related to growing income inequalities and stalled improvements in population health. This essay considers key questions about families in the United States and whether a new nationally representative panel study is necessary to answer these questions. It argues that current data systems are not well equipped to evaluate the potential sources of these changes over historical time. Most of our longitudinal data systems are designed to follow a single cohort as it ages. This provides an incomplete picture, one that ignores period context, because cohort studies confound period changes with aging. Comparisons across cohort studies can be helpful, but leave a wide gap in our knowledge. A new nationally representative panel study would fill that gap.

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需要有全国代表性的纵向数据来解决有关家庭变化的关键问题

美国正在经历迅速的社会变革。由于收入不平等的加剧和人口健康状况的改善停滞不前，该国稳定的家庭结构正在下降。本文考虑了关于美国家庭的关键问题，以及是否有必要进行一项新的全国代表性小组研究来回答这些问题。报告认为，目前的数据系统还不能很好地评估历史时期这些变化的潜在来源。我们的大多数纵向数据系统都是为了跟踪一个单一的队列而设计的。这提供了一个不完整的画面，一个忽略了时期背景，因为队列研究混淆了时期变化与年龄。跨队列研究的比较可能会有所帮助，但在我们的知识中留下了很大的空白。一项新的具有全国代表性的小组研究将填补这一空白。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Economic and Social Measurement Social Sciences-Social Sciences (all)

CiteScore

1.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Economic and Social Measurement (JESM) is a quarterly journal that is concerned with the investigation of all aspects of production, distribution and use of economic and other societal statistical data, and with the use of computers in that context. JESM publishes articles that consider the statistical methodology of economic and social science measurements. It is concerned with the methods and problems of data distribution, including the design and implementation of data base systems and, more generally, computer software and hardware for distributing and accessing statistical data files. Its focus on computer software also includes the valuation of algorithms and their implementation, assessing the degree to which particular algorithms may yield more or less accurate computed results. It addresses the technical and even legal problems of the collection and use of data, legislation and administrative actions affecting government produced or distributed data files, and similar topics. The journal serves as a forum for the exchange of information and views between data producers and users. In addition, it considers the various uses to which statistical data may be put, particularly to the degree that these uses illustrate or affect the properties of the data. The data considered in JESM are usually economic or social, as mentioned, but this is not a requirement; the editorial policies of JESM do not place a priori restrictions upon the data that might be considered within individual articles. Furthermore, there are no limitations concerning the source of the data.