The Blog at Quants Corner

Nhlanhla Ndebele This blog is based on part of my PhD research focusing on the measurement of  quality of work and employment  (QWE) of UK employees and modelling how this has changed over time. This might be of particular interest to students who want to pursue studies in advanced quantitative methods as well as researchers conducting research focusing on measuring unobservable or latent concepts. Standard analysis of the labour market tends to focus on quantity, but there is an increasing interest in the quality of jobs created. However, there is no consensus on the conceptualisation and operationalisation of QWE, demonstrating not only the novelty of research and policy development in this area, but also the considerable challenges in measuring this concept (Muñoz de Bustillo et al. 2011). Quality, in general, is a complex concept to measure as it is unobservable. To measure such a concept, observable variables thought to be indicators of different aspects of the conce...

Dr Francesca Romana Ammaturo and Dr Koen Slootmaeckers   In the first part of this series, we considered how maps (and associated data) can be used to create a new worldview. We discussed how and why maps operate as productive devices. We then reviewed the use of the Rainbow Map since its creation in 2008 to the present to highlight how its use by political elites can reinforce existing hierarchies and silence already marginalised voices. In this second part we will analyse the map in order to argue that there is a disconnect between the map and lived experiences, and that an uncritical reading of the map can lead to the projection of fictional queer utopias and dystopias.   Queer Utopias and Dystopias and the displacement of LGBTQI+ Lived experience Whereas arguments relating to the use of the Rainbow Map often remain within the conceptual arena, the almost simultaneous publication of the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map and the  EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) report on the...

Dr Francesca Romana Ammaturo and Dr Koen Slootmaeckers Every year, around the International Day Against Homo, Bi, and Transphobia, ILGA Europe, the biggest LGBTQI+ umbrella organisation in Europe working on LGBTQI+ rights, releases its  Rainbow Index and Rainbow Map  into the world. This moment generates a lot of media attention to the plight of LGBTQI+ rights in Europe and provides an important moment in the work of ILGA-Europe. Whilst we recognise the usefulness of this resource in advocacy work, we also see several issues with the mapping of LGBTQI+ rights in this way.  In this two-part long read, we explain how maps (and the mapping of data onto them) do not only depict a world, but also generate political narratives that do not always reflect reality. We will particularly demonstrate how the focus on LGBTQI+ rights from its legal perspective can lead to a misunderstanding and sometimes even misrepresentation of actual LGBTQI+ lived experiences. We present our argumen...

Aisha Shafi I had the pleasure of doing my internship at the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) as part of the Q-Step programme offered at City, University of London where I am currently an undergraduate studying Criminology (BSc).  Q-Step allows students studying social science degrees to develop their data analysis skills for employment. I was eager to participate in the programme because I knew it would give me more job opportunities when I graduate as I’d have analytical skills that many other graduates lack. As part of the programme I was expected to apply my knowledge and skill in quantitative methods in the workplace.  During my placement I worked closely with Tristram Hooley, who is the ISE’s Chief Research Officer. We worked together to analyse responses from the  Pulse Survey  and the  Student Development Survey .  In particular I worked with the tool  Tableau  to create interactive public data visualisations. You can see an example of...

Tamanna Rashid Immigration has been at the forefront of public and political debate in the UK as recent net migration to major international destinations reaches unprecedented levels. Yet hostility towards immigrants has historically featured in British public consciousness, shaping racial tensions that preexist in the UK today. This research highlights the dominance of immigration as a problem reinforced by British political elites and media. It investigates public attitudes towards immigration and immigrants during a period of increasing public interest. Using the latest round from the European Social Survey (ESS), it examines immigration attitudes in the UK context while disaggregating immigration attitudes contingent to the racial profile of immigrants; this approach has allowed comparisons between how white and non-white immigrants are received by host countries. Secondary analysis on data from the 2014 round of ESS including over 2000 UK respondents shows that optimists outnumber...