<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar.g?targetBlogID\x3d14462747\x26blogName\x3dLIS+950:+Libraries+and+community\x26publishMode\x3dPUBLISH_MODE_BLOGSPOT\x26navbarType\x3dBLUE\x26layoutType\x3dCLASSIC\x26searchRoot\x3dhttps://lis-950.blogspot.com/search\x26blogLocale\x3den_US\x26v\x3d2\x26homepageUrl\x3dhttp://lis-950.blogspot.com/\x26vt\x3d-5071872458674266561', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>

LIS 950: Libraries and community

The purpose of this seminar is to explore an important topic in library and information studies in depth — in all its intertwined historical, cultural, philosophical, and political aspects — through a graduate reading/discussion seminar. The topic varies each time the course is taught; this time around, we will focus on "libraries and community"

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Those Census Records

OK, this is as much a heads up as anything. On page 182, Williams cites "Groff" (and the name is listed this way in the end notes, too) and his work to help validate his use of these census figures. I have to admit, I was initially a little perturbed that Williams got the name wrong. Harvey Graff is a major (MAJOR) figure in literacy studies. His book The Literacy Myth has become a current (well, 1979) foundational text in my other field of study. But ultimately, what bothers me more, is that Williams, after discussing Wisconsin Census Data, uses Graff to validate this work, stating only that Graff worked on a different period and a different area. The fact of the matter is that Graff's census data was not U.S. census data. Graff's work used Canadian census data.

So my question is, methodologically, is this a fair comparison? Can Williams validate his use of U. S. Census data for this study based on the validation of Canadian census data? How does/can this knowledge affect how we view Williams' study? Or doesn't it?

3 Comments:

Blogger k8 said...

I think that ultimately I wanted more explicit explanation for how he was using these other studies to understand and work with possible errors in the data he was using. Just a sentence or two would have been great. However, since he doesn't seem to clearly explain how he is doing this, I am suspicious. I probably don't need to be, but it is this type of omission that sends up warning flags for me. I guess I'm not a very trusting reader.

1:17 PM  
Blogger Awa said...

Oh does Williams really use the work on the Canadian census data to validate his own? It’s unbelievable! Maybe Graff uses the Canadian census data mostly but mentions something about the reliability of the US data set?

It seems that people are highly critical about this article! :P Well, as far as I’m concerned, I tend to view it as a text to understand the use of quantitative methods in historical research. And of course, the quantitative method is far from perfect in understanding humanity issues. If conbining with the analysis of the real social conditions at that time (impact of civil war, for example, of course), it might get much less criticism.

10:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whoa, what a blow to the research if indeed, the work of the Canadian census was used to validate his work. I, too, found the variables (education, mass communications, etc.) less than satisfactory. Of all the readings for the week, this one caused the most frustration in terms of the findings. One of Williams' conclusions is "Library development is a complex phenomenon." Well, I'm pretty sure we all could have came to the same conclusion without the census data.

12:36 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home