Representativeness - GCSE Sociology Definition

Representativeness in sociology refers to how well the findings of a small group, or sample, reflects the larger group or population it is meant to represent. When sociologists study a smaller group of people to understand a bigger community, it's important that this group is similar in important ways, like age, gender, or social background, to the larger population. This helps ensure that the findings or conclusions drawn from the sample can be accurately applied to the whole group. For example, if a study is looking at students' opinions in a school, the sample should include students from different years, backgrounds, and interests to truly represent the whole student body.