Notes on social indicators: Promises and potential

Abstract

Widespread interest in social indicators--indeed, what may be characterized as a new social movement--has developed among both social scientists and policymakers. The concept of social indicators, however, continues to be diffuse and there are exaggerated claims of the utility of indicators. Deficiencies in both conceptualization and method limit the potential of indicators for such tasks as priority setting and program evaluation. Moreover, the development of social accounts, based on the analogy with economic accounts, is fallacious. Redirection in effort and more realistic claims can reduce the possibility of an eventual decline in work on indicators and enhance the value of the movement for both polieymakers and social scientists concerned with the analysis and prediction of social change.

Health resource allocation and quality of care measurement in a social policy framework

“…He argues that, "there is no necessary consensus on preferred states of social condition" and that one can clearly develop social indicator models in the absence of such normative considerations. He seems to agree with Sheldon and Freeman (1970) that indicator models may be insufficiently developed at this point for program evaluation. While one must acknowledge the inevitable lack of consensus on preferences for social states and the probable crudeness for now of many estimated input/output relationships, there are strong arguments for pressing ahead with the social policy model, especially in the health area.…”

Housing vacancy and early warning systems

“…Already in the sixties a scientific movement (the so-called social indicator movement) had emerged, particularly in English-speaking countries, that aimed to monitor social developments by means of indicators (Sheldon and Freeman, 1970;Land, 1971). In physical planning similar suggestions have been made, for instance in the late seventies when the 'monitoring of regional or structure plans' was an important issue both in the United Kingdom (Barnes, 1976;Haynes, 1974) and in the Netherlands (PSC-TNO, 1976;Scheurwater and Masser, 1981;van Est et al, 1984).…”

Social indicators for health planning and policy analysis

“…The indicator should be of direct normative interest. Although Sheldon, Freeman, and Land have all criticized this criterion from different points of view [1,2], we believe that the indicator should have a welfare orientation. This requires an implicit or explicit value component so that if the indicator improves, all other things being equal, society can be considered better off.…”