This is an advance announcement of the Radical Statistics Biennial Critical
Essay Competition 2008. This announcement is available as an attachment if
required.

Please accept my apologies for any duplicate mailing.

This announcement is available as an attachment if required, and further
information and Posters will be available in October 2007.

Please contact me at [log in to unmask] if you are able to
encourage anyone to submit an entry. Note that the competition is open to
students, employed, unemployed and retired.

Please forward this message to anyone who may be interested. I have used
the UK University list, but personal contact is always more effective.

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Radical Statistics invite submissions for the Fourth Radical Statistics
Critical Essay Competition 2008.

First prize £300, Second prize £200

Your submission must be your own unaided original work:
either -specifically produced for the competition, or - originating from
your course of study.
It could address a current social research policy/question with critical use
and interpretation of relevant data sources, or be a critique of statistical
methodology in an applied context.
In some circumstances the submission may be the work of more than one
person, in which case any prize awarded would be shared.

Submissions are invited in two categories:
Student: undergraduate or postgraduate
Open: any non-students.
The indicative length is 3,000 words maximum.
Where the work submitted originates from course work, written consent of the
tutor responsible will be required.
The deadline for submission is 1st July 2008.

Prizes in both categories will be awarded on the basis of readability, clear
presentation of statistical material, critical perspective and convincing
argument.

The team of judges will include: Professor Danny Dorling (University of
Sheffield) and Dr Eileen Magnello, University College London.

Winning essays will be featured on the Radical Statistics website and
published in a special issue of ‘Radical Statistics’, the newsletter of
Radical statistics. Judges decision will be by 1st September 2008. More
detailed information can be found on the website www.radstats.org.uk.

Applications are encouraged well before deadline. Enter, by sending your
essay by e mail, labelled: Radstats Critical Essay, including full name,
address, age and number of years for which you have been studying or engaged
in statistics, social research, or the social sciences to
[log in to unmask]

 
RADICAL STATISTICS
www.radstats.org.uk
The Radical Statistics Group, usually abbreviated to Radstats, was formed in
1975 as part of the radical science movement associated with the
establishment of the British Society for Social Responsibility in Science
(BSSRS).

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. Sadly, neither the BSSRS nor
other organizations affiliated to the BSSRS, survived the 18 years of
Conservative rule from 1979 to 1997.

RadStats is now independent of any other organisation. Members are 'radical'
in being committed to helping build a more free, democratic and egalitarian
society. Members of Radstats are concerned at the extent to which official
statistics reflect governmental rather than social purposes. Our particular
concerns are:

§ The mystifying use of technical language to disguise social problems
as technical ones
§ The lack of control by the community over the aims of statistical
investigations, the way these are conducted and the use of the information
produced
§ The power structures within which statistical and research workers
are employed and which control the work and how it is used
§ The fragmentation of social problems into specialist fields,
obscuring connectedness

Radstats members believe that statistics can be used as part of campaigns
for progressive social change - just as they were used to support measures
that led to improvements in public health in the 19'th century.

Join Radstats
Upon joining or renewing, members receive one year's subscription to Radical
Statistics (normally three issues per year), ISSN 0268-6376. Members are
invited to the annual conference & AGM. Radstats also hosts an email
discussion list which is open to both members and the public.

Membership is £4 (unwaged), £6 (low-waged), £15 (waged and overseas), and
£25 (institutional subscriptions), enquiries to [log in to unmask]

Radstats is not a professional or an academic organization. The
administrative work is handled by a Troika elected at the AGM (this forms
part of the Annual Conference). Radstats is a membership organisation run
by volunteers. As such, members are always welcome to help, and are needed
for activities such as: writing articles for the newsletter, guest editing a
special issue, helping with conference organising, working on projects with
related groups, publicising the work of Radical Statistics. If you are
interested in helping out, please write to [log in to unmask]




 

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Disclaimer: The messages sent to this list are the views of the sender and cannot be assumed to be representative of the range of views held by subscribers to the Radical Statistics Group. To find out more about Radical Statistics and its aims and activities and read current and past issues of our newsletter you are invited to visit our web site www.radstats.org.uk.
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