Subgroup analysis and sample size

[Santiago Valdivieso]

I want to do a descriptive analysis using the World Values Survey dataset which has an N=1200. However, even thought I have searched a lot, I haven't found the methodology or a tool to calculate the sample size I need to get meaningful comparisons when I cross variables. For example, I want to know how many observations do I need in every category if I want to compare the social position attributed to the elderly over sex AND over ethnic group. That is (exemplying even more), the difference between the black vs indigenous women in my variable of interest. What if I have 150 observations in black women? Is that enough? How to set the threshold?

Expressing my gratitude in advance,

Santiago.

[Carlo Lazzaro]

Santiago:
studying sample size after data collection is not recommended.
If you're research goal is to perfom some descriptive statistics, sample size is not an issue, too.
However, your real aim has to do with comparison(s), that means inferential statistics
Knowing the type of your variable of interest (continuous; categorical; taking on integers only) can help interested listers to recommend a given (I think) regression model.