Using the Statistical Abstract of the United States Module 1, Class Assignment A Teaching Module Developed by the Curriculum Task Force of the Sloan Work and Family Research Network

Statistical Abstract of the United States The National Data Book http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ “The National Data Book contains a collection of statistics on social and economic conditions in the United States. Selected international data are also included. The Abstract is also your Guide to Sources of other data from the Census Bureau, other Federal agencies, and private organizations.” The National Data Book uses a wide variety of sources from both the U.S. Government and non-government agencies. A full listing of these sources can be found in Appendix I, and sources for particular tables can be found in the citations below the tables.

The Statistical Abstract of the US contains statistics on… Section 15. Business Enterprise Section 16. Science and Technology Section 17. Agriculture Section 18. Natural Resources Section 19. Energy and Utilities Section 20. Construction and Housing Section 21. Manufactures Section 22. Domestic Trade Section 23. Transportation Section 24. Information and Communications Section 25. Banking, Finance, and Insurance Section 26. Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Section 27. Accommodation, Food Services, and Other Services Section 28. Foreign Commerce and Aid Section 29. Puerto Rico and the Outlying Areas Section 30. Comparative International Statistics Section 1. Population Section 2. Vital Statistics Section 3. Health and Nutrition Section 4. Education Section 5. Law Enforcement, Courts, and Prisons Section 6. Geography and Environment Section 7. Elections Section 8. State and Local Government Finances and Employment Section 9. Federal Government Finances and Employment Section 10. National Defense and Veterans Affairs Section 11. Social Insurance and Human Services Section 12. Labor Force, Employment, and Earnings Section 13. Income, Expenditures, and Wealth Section 14. Prices

Sections Most Relevant to Work-Family Studies Include: Section 1. Population – Tables 1-6 Section 2. Vital Statistics – Tables 70-113 Section 4. Education – Tables 202-288 Section 5. Law Enforcement, Courts, and Prisons – Tables 289-345 Section 11. Social Insurance and Human Services – Tables 518-568 Section 12. Labor force, Employment, and Earnings – Tables 569-640 These are the relevant sections in the 2004-2005 Statistical Abstracts. A new edition of the SAUS is published most years, and past editions back to 1878 are available online. When compiling trend data, the students may need to use past editions of the Statistical Abstracts, but they must be sure to double check the table and data they are using because the tables, data, and definitions of terms may change from one edition to the next.

Step 1: State a Research Question Examples: How have family structures changed over the past twenty years? In what ways are race/ethnicity associated with family structure? How have employment opportunities shifted over the past twenty years? To what extent is poverty associated with family structure? Etc. The class should be encouraged to share their personal definitions of family. This discussion should help them to remember that it is important to check to see how the source has defined terms. For example, students often confuse “family” with “household.”

Step 2: Define Key Concepts How do you define “family”? Check to see how the data source has defined “family.” The Statistical Abstract defines family as: “Family—The term family refers to a group of two or more persons related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together in a household. A family includes among its members the householder.” Source: U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). Statistical Abstract of the United States 2004-2005. Washington, D.C.: Department of Commerce, pp. 6. The definition for “family” comes from the introduction to the population section of the National Data Book. It should be pointed out to students that although many agencies use the federal government’s definitions of fluid terms, such as family, not all agencies will be using the same definitions. They must be sure to read the fine print associated with each table they use.

Step 3: Identify Relevant Tables Students should be reminded at this point that in many tables, the numbers provided must be multiplied by 1000 to get the actual population numbers. It can be useful to remind students that they should be careful to designate exactly what pages are of interest before they start printing (to avoid printing the entire section). This should be done by selecting the “Current Page” or “Pages from __ to __” option in the “Print” dialogue box.

Often multiple tables must be used to answer different parts of each question. The students should explore how and when each set of data should be used, as well as how the different data sets can be combined to answer different questions.

Step 4: Enter data into a database. Create a graph Step 4: Enter data into a database. Create a graph. Average Family Size by Year Creating a graph such as this one can be done either in Powerpoint or excel. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. (2005). Statistical Abstracts of the United States: 2005. Washington, D.C.: Department of Commerce.

Interpret the Data to Answer the Question Describe what you observe in words Compare and contrast the data Consider how the trends might impact work-family experiences