Rhetoric in the construction of a system of socioeconomic indicators

Abstract

Indicators are quantitative data that are the product of procedures established by the researcher, where results are generated, but they are not findings of the object; measurement methodologies and techniques acquire greater relevance than knowledge of reality. The interest in precise measurement is more attractive to the researcher than the explanation and knowledge of the object. The construction of indicators has to do mainly with the need to measure empirically the phenomenon presented, therefore indicators are considered as the description of the morphological attributes of the object, and also as those units of measurement for morphological analysis. They do not respond to an immediate connection with the environment, based on a pre-existing theory, but also respond to mediations that come to be articulated by a theory that offers a foundation to the object of study; therefore they are conceptualizations thought from the object and the articulations that it presents. In conclusion, indicators are one of the tools that make it possible to quantify, to verify conditions, to compare different places and situations, to manage information and also to anticipate future trends and conditions. Having a list of them will not by itself solve the challenges of regional development, although they do contribute to its promotion.