Radical Statistics
The Radical Statistics Group, usually known as "Radical Statistics" or "Radstats", is a group of statisticians based in Britain, which was initiated in 1975 following on the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science (BSSRS).
The mission statement on the RadStats website states:
- We believe that statistics can be used to support radical campaigns for progressive social change. Statistics should inform, not drive policies. Social problems should not be disguised by technical language.
Radstats publishes a regular journal which has included contributions from a variety of British academics, including Peter Townsend and Danny Dorling.
History
The researchers and statisticians who started Radstats shared a common concern about the political implications of their work and an awareness of the actual and potential misuse of statistics.
Its journal has publications going back to 1975.
Activities
Radstats has had working groups in population studies, education, health, nuclear arms, 'race', and social indicators. Currently, only the population studies working group is active. It started activities in 2010, initiating an investigation into the debates on population and the environment that pose an ‘optimum population’.
It has an active mailing list , is well integrated into the Royal Statistical Society, and publishes a regular newsletter/journal. Its annual AGM and conference is usually a two-day social and business affair in February. The 2011 conference is on the theme Cuts and Corporations. In 2010 the Radical Statistics Blog focused on worldwide reports of cuts in public provision of statistics.