Notes on Social Measurement: Historical and Critical

In these notes towards a sociology of measurement the author examines early and recent developments in social measurement. He explores why we measure, what we try to measure, what we can measure reasonably well and what we cannot. He blends historical allusions and helpful comparisons to the physical sciences with discussions of prevailing social measurement methods and models. The result is a synthesis of the fundamental issues which underlie the uses (and limits) of measurement in social research.