Statistik als Instrument der empirischen Wirtschafts- und Sozialforschung - Eine methodologische Betrachtung aus der Sicht der Frankfurter Schule der sozialwissenschaftlichen Statistik

In the first part the history of the ideas of the Frankfurt School of statistics is presented. In the second part the function of statistics within the process of gaining empirical knowledge by economic and social research is systematically analysed. An essential is the distinction between the theoretical, political and institutional dimension on the one hand and the statistical one on the other. For each application in economy und society on optimal adequacy between the theoretical, political and institutional concepts and the statistical definitions and methods is necessary as well as a critical and competent interpretation of the results to make them suitable for well-founded theoretical or political decisions.