National Social Indicator Reports: Some Comparisons and Prospects.

This report provides comparisons among the social indicator reports of seven countries including Canada, France, Great Britain, Japan, Norway, the United States, and West Germany. The purpose of social indicator research in each country is to provide a means for developing more adequate answers to the questions over present and emerging social trends. Limitations of the social indicator reports are that at best the data are purely descriptive of broadly aggregate trends and can provide only a general perspective of the emerging trends. The appendix is a comparison chart of social-concern coverage reports of the seven countries on 12 areas of social concern including population characteristics; family characteristics; housing and community characteristics; social welfare and security of the population; health and nutrition; public safety and legal justice; education and training; work; income, wealth, and expenditures; leisure, recreation, and cultural activity; social mobility and social participation; and miscellaneous areas. (Author/DE)