Interlocking Memberships of Social Science Societies
Nearly 70 per cent of the statisticians have no other affiliation among the other three societies, possibly because of the large number interested in business enterprises. They have, however, a greater proportion of overlapping memberships than any other society, the economists coming next, with sociologists and political scientists following in the order named. In this article we present ables showing the extent of overlapping among the membership lists of four social science societies. The figures provide indices, first, of the degree to which the interests of each professional group are confined within its own organization; second, of the degree to which the interests of any two groups tend to coincide. Several specific questions which suggested the inquiry are of general interest, and at the same time illustrate, in the answers given, the utility which the data may have: i. The American Statistical Association at its annual meeting, December 28, I928, amended its constitution to provide for the election of six vice-presidents, each representing "a distinct field of statistical interest." The obvious intent was to counteract noticeable tendencies for the Association to become too closely identified with a single field. How pronounced have these tendencies become? Reference to our data shows that among the statisticians, economists are more than six times as numerous as sociologists, and more than sixteen times as numerous as political scientists. 2. The Social Statistics Committee of the American Statistical Association wishes to learn precisely the extent of common ground between statisticians and sociologists. We find that the number of 'The manuscript of this article was originally sent to this journal, suggesting publication in case the editor of the American Statistical Journal did not wish to use it. After it was in type Professor Rice informed the editors that the Journal of the American Statistical Association was printing it in its September issue. The editors have, with the consent of all parties concerned, decided to print it here since the information is of interest to our readers, of whom only about 5 per cent subscribe to the statistical journal.