BEYOND AGGREGATION: SOCIAL SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN

Aggregate data, mandated or otherwise, are the most significant sources of policy relevant information in the Caribbean. While such data are often incomplete and sometimes inaccurate, they are the most critical social indicators, indices of quality of life or state of countries information available. These data are often the basis of policy initiatives, interventions and developmental planning in the region. Statistical agencies in the region produce and maintain significant amounts of data but to a large extent these efforts are driven by mandates of international agencies and monetary agreements. The need for and proliferation of especially aggregate economic data to some extent obscure the significance of other types of data collection efforts. This presentation argues for greater recognition of the symbiotic relationship among different social science methodologies and data and champions the need to move beyond mere aggregation. Using several examples, some from medical sociological research, the presentation establishes the utility of social science modeling as a significant basis for developmental initiatives in the Caribbean. Essentially, it argues for a critical assessment of the state of social science research and calls for greater investment in large-scale data research initiatives that go beyond those associated with the collection of aggregate data