Resumo

BARRETO-VILLANUEVA, Adán. The progress of statistics and its usefulness in development assessment. Pap. poblac [online]. 2012, vol.18, n.73, pp.241-271. ISSN 2448-7147.

The present essay makes a didactical outline on the relation between statistics and its applications in social development. After a historic account on its origins and evolution, in which distinguishable is the importance this science has acquired as a transversal discipline, as a supportive one, in biology, psychology and politics. The advancement of ICT's and in general of the society of knowledge has given it an unprecedented boost and, from the first decade of the XXI century it projects as one of the most influential disciplines of this new century. Here we intend to demonstrate the practical usefulness of Statistics, how it enables measuring other values, beyond those strictly economical to venture in the construction of alternative indicators of economic progress and prosperity, to make it evident that the development of peoples not only lies in material possessions. The document contains two large sections; in the first we give an account of Statistics, its origins and applications as a transversal science; in the second we approach some of its most important contributions to social development, by means of a collection of argumentations, theses, conceptions and practices in the national and international sphere, on the topic of new alternatives to measure welfare, to make it evident indeed the idea that development goes beyond economic growth.

Palavras-chave : statistics; social development; information technology; society of knowledge.