ABSTRACT
Social indicators are a varied set of measures to describe and evaluate social trends in society. In this chapter, origins, different approaches, and leading research projects in the “social indicator movement” are discussed. Some examples of Dutch social reporting are also presented. Furthermore, the social indicator movement is confronted, for theoretical and methodological reasons, with a split between objective and subjective social indicators. As examples, the main research projects of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris and the Institute for Social Research (ISR) in Michigan are outlined. Some questions about the macro-and micro-approaches, and especially about the harmonization of “social indicators”, are discussed to indicate the social indicator perspective.
It is concluded that an integrated approach has not yet been achieved and that integration and harmonization have still a long way to go. However, a growing need for internationally comparable data and information is stimulating the integration of research processes and procedures.
