Educational Research - the Ethics and Aesthetics of Statistics

72 N. Grube
Table 5.3 Human beings – incomplete beings?
‘Do you know what... No (%)
1952 ...a functionary is’? 29
1954 ...an emigrant is’? 40
...opposition means’? 57
1951 ...“subsidies” are’? 58
1952 ...national sovereignty is’? 60
1954 ...“to ratify” means’? 71
1954 ...federalism means’? 87
1961 ...the Federal Council is’? 90
Noelle and Neumann (1967, p. 119)
from Allensbach have maintained their ambitions as regards the verification of adult
citizens’ educational levels (Petersen, 2008). In political affairs polls underline and
construct the widespread ignorance of the people, but the pollsters do not consider
the situation of respondents who must react to surprising questions. Polls even
present experts as ignorant, because they are not as prepared to answer the questions
as the interviewers are (Schmölders, 1966, pp. 190–215). Most of the respondents
could not explain terms such as ‘national sovereignty’, ‘NATO’, ‘grand coalition’,
‘Federalism’ or ‘opposition’ (Table 5.3).
Furthermore, many Germans did not know Charlemagne’s date of birth or if
Martin Luther had lived before or after Thirty Years’ War (Noelle & Neumann,
1967, pp. 116–120). These artificial tests were supposed to reveal clear results about
deficits in political knowledge. But these interrogations only served the interests of
political leaders. This sort of questioning presupposes that the respondent is simultaneously
rational and ignorant/irrational. The pollsters did not consider the outlook
on life of most of the respondents and could not detect capacities and the potential
of people who were overwhelmed with the tasks of everyday life. Many of
the respondents recognise that polls transform into tests and keep silent. This is
revealed by both declining response rates (Koch & Porst, 1998). But these results
were grist to the mill of pollsters and politicians who have often stressed that 80%
of West Germans had only visited an elementary school. They then demanded the
improvement of political education.
Because pollsters from Allensbach observe the population and explain the data
they feel competent to give advice on education. Referring to poll data Neumann
complained, ‘Bad school education, insufficient information by a psychological
ineffective edited press, superficial political education, distraction by material sorrows:
these are the preconditions that stand against a lively relationship between the
mass and political and economic leaders. The deficiency of systematic explanation
must lead to disgust with the existing system (...)’. 7
Pollsters and other scientists had various educational ambitions. Paul
F. Lazarsfeld, who founded the ‘Bureau of Applied Social Research’, supported the
educational ambitions of applied social research. Such ambitions included the elimination
of racism, a change in consumer behaviour and greater comprehension of