Real-Life Math -- Solution
You're trying to figure out whether societies that trace their family
trees through the mother, or matrilineal societies, are more successful than
patrilineal societies -- societies that trace their line of decent through
the father.
First let's look at matrilineal societies.
Take
the population of the matrilineal society in 1870 and subtract the population
from the same society in 1950.
74,540 - 71,384 = 3,156
Between
1870 and 1950, the population decreased by 3,156. What percentage is that?
3,156
/ 74,540 x 100 = 4
The population decreased by 4 percent.
Now,
perform the same steps on the information from the patrilineal society.
28,451
- 10,939 = 17,512
17,512 / 28,451 x 100 = 61.55
The
population decreased by 62 percent.
If maintaining a population
means success and the matrilineal population only decreased by four percent,
while the patrilineal population decreased by 62 percent, then you might conclude
that the matrilineal societies were more successful than the patrilineal societies
during this time period.
"Statistics can tell us how people relate
and react to their environment," says Schwimmer.