Statistics of Sociology

Paper Assignment.

“I am not a product of my environment; my environment is a product of me”. Statistics are a funny thing; they define where we come from, our current living conditions and where we’re headed. The United States of America has a total population of 301,237,703 according to the 2000 consensus; the total population of Northampton is 16,274 people. It is a relatively small town with 39% males and 61% females. This could be owing to the fact that it houses one of the largest all women’s colleges in the country, Smith College. The community is predominantly white with 87.9% of a white population and an almost negligent black population of 2.6%. Surprisingly enough I didn’t find this statistic out of the ordinary seeing that in my short time at Smith, I have encountered more whites than blacks. The population of people 25 years of age or older approximately 10,508. In a town consisting of young adults and college students all with a thirst for knowledge, it is no surprise that over 52% of the population has a college diploma and some have even gone on to acquire further education. 89.9% of the population has a high school diploma and within the smith community, with the various books, libraries and near by colleges it is no wonder that the statistics in this small town surpass those of the U.S where a mere 24.4% of the population has earned a college degree. With the exorbitant college expenses lurking in the distance, it is no wonder that over 60% of the population is employed in the labor force. The average family income is $55,350 and is above that of the average U.S family. This fact speaks for itself, with the high education rate in the town, the amount of employment opportunities are far greater for the residents and thus they are able to earn more and are qualified for more jobs in comparison to a community with more high school drop outs. This further justifies why the per capita income is higher than the average U.S household. I.e., 23,203...