Units of Analysis (UA)
UA –are those units we use to describe in
order to create summary descriptions of all
such units &
Explain differences among them
Four major Units of Analysis–
• 1. Individuals – most typical UA in social
science: gender, race, income, gpa…
• Example. 1. Older people are more afraid of
crime than younger people.
• Variables: Age and fear of crime
•
2. Groups – family and small
frienship groups (narrowly
defined)
• Social groups – another unit of analysis. When
analyze groups, the focus is group characteristics –
not individuals within groups.
• Example: compare single vs. double parents
family in terms of poverty rate, delinquency…
• Gangs: compare Asian gangs vs. Latino gangs in
terms of criminal activity and group cohesion
3. Organizations
• Organization – another important unit of
analysis. When organization is the UA, the
focus is on organizations’ features – not on
• Individuals within the organization
• Example: company, college, mental
hospitals – compare the size of organization
4. Geographic areas
• Geo- areas --another common UA.
• It includes neighorhoods, cities, nations…
• Example 1: The greater the growth air traffic at
the city's airport, the greater the economic growth
• Vars: growth of air traffic and Economic growth
in the city.
• example 2. Economic development in a country
affects the birth rate.
•
Vars: Eco Develop. & birth rate
– Symmetric Measures
•
Value
Apporx. Sig