NEWS

Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods

WISERD’s Strategic Development: Looking to the Future - p2

WISERD EDUCATION WISERD 2013 Conference Knowledge Exchange Page 4 Page 6 Page 17

Issue 6 October 2012 WISERD’s Strategic Development: Looking to the Future

WISERD is now well into its What the funding climate does underline, Certainly, close engagement with the second phase, which formally however, is the need for WISERD to pursue and the wider policy a coherent development strategy. Its in and elsewhere will runs for three years from July priorities with regard to its research and remain a cornerstone of WISERD’s work in 2012. As I outlined in the last other activities need to provide an explicit the future. issue of WISERD News, WISERD framework within which WISERD’s efforts can be focused. Clearly, these priorities The research infrastructure programme Phase 2 is being supported by have a necessary element of flexibility; the will comprise three principal elements: core funding from the St. David’s capacity to respond nimbly to new • Knowledge exchange and transfer; Day Group of . This developments is important (the Welsh • Training and capacity building; Government’s recent announcement of its • Data assembly and access. ensures that WISERD can retain intention to create a Public Policy Institute a substantial complement of provides an example here). Nevertheless, Knowledge exchange and transfer research and administrative substantial effort has been invested over activities will continue to be a major past months in developing what is element of successful social science staff, both in the Hub and in the hopefully a clear vision of what WISERD research. Accordingly, WISERD aims to research centres across the five intends to achieve during its Phase 2. extend its close collaborations with the universities. Equally, however, Welsh Government in this context; and Perhaps the first point to emphasise here seek to strengthen its relationships with WISERD’s success during Phase is that WISERD will continue to organise other parts of central government and 2 will be judged on the basis of its activities in terms of two broad local government, as well as the private its capacity to attract significant programmes: one comprised of research and third sectors. A specific target will be projects; and the other concerned with to develop a viable model of ‘interactive funding from external sources. developing the research infrastructure. social science’ with these ‘research users’. The research programme will embrace a Training and capacity building has been a It is clear that the general economic ‘mixed portfolio’ of activities, ranging from major element of WISERD’s activities climate poses problems for the funding of basic science to applied research projects. hitherto. It is envisaged that this will social science research, especially where It will continue to have a focus on the continue. However, the focus of this the STEM subjects are prioritised by Welsh economy and society, but in an activity will shift from the provision of government at all levels (European, UK essentially comparative context, across training through workshops, seminars, and Wales). However, there are indications the UK and more widely. In substantive, and so on, to the development of that high-quality projects in the social academic terms, it will focus on a small e-learning and support materials. It is also sciences are still being supported. In number of key themes, developing the anticipated that WISERD will continue to WISERD’s case, the Welsh Government work that has been carried out contribute towards the development of a continues to be a significant source of successfully by WISERD researchers national data strategy for Wales, especially funding, through major projects such as hitherto: with regard to linking data sets. In the Evaluation of the Foundation Phase, as • The distributional consequences of addition, the WISERD Geo-Portal, well as a range of smaller, yet still economic recession; providing researchers with meta-data for significant studies. In addition, as is • Devolved governance, state policy and sources of existing data of various kinds, reported elsewhere in this issue of civil society; will be further tested and refined. WISERD News, HEFCW has recently • Social mobility, spatial mobility and agreed to fund a very substantial (almost labour markets. The development of the social science £1 million over three years) programme of research infrastructure through activities research and capacity-building in the field It is intended that these academic of this type can be regarded as broadly of education (WISERD EDUCATION will be priorities will map closely on to the key equivalent to the creation of a ‘well- led by Sally Power at ). Moreover, policy concerns that are likely to dominate founded research laboratory’. The whilst Research Council funding remains the coming period in Wales (as set out, for research infrastructure is necessary to intensely competitive (especially for larger example, in the Programme for carry out high-quality social science grants), WISERD was successful recently Government 2011-2016) and more widely research. Unfortunately, the Welsh in securing two grants from the ESRC’s across the UK and internationally. These universities have not kept pace with UK – Secondary Data Analysis Initiative: one on include: let alone international – competitors in pay in the private and public sectors, led • Improving regional and local economic this regard. A key element of WISERD’s by Phil Murphy at Swansea; and the other development; strategy is therefore attempting to remedy on access to higher education, led by me • Ameliorating poverty and social this situation. at Cardiff (this latter project is jointly disadvantage; funded by HEFCW). • Improving educational attainment; Professor Gareth Rees, WISERD Director • Strengthening civil society and its capacities. 2 Evaluating the Foundation Phase Initial Research Update

WISERD’s independent practitioners. For example, how are The national element of the project is now schools managing to provide this new beginning to draw to a close, with the evaluation of the Welsh curriculum based on the principles of Welsh Government and Local Authority Government’s flagship early experiential active learning, child stakeholder interviews almost complete, development and child participation? And and the Headteacher and pre-school years policy - the Foundation is the focus on providing more relevant and Leaders survey data soon to be analysed. Phase – was introduced in exciting learning opportunities better When published, these data will provide an engaging children in their learning? overall picture of how the Foundation Issue 4 of WISERD News Phase has been received and implemented (October 2011, p.19). Since Based on models used in Scandinavia, across Wales. then, two full-time post- Northern Italy and New Zealand, the Foundation Phase largely delays ‘formal’ Existing data held in the National Pupil doctoral research associates teaching until children reach the age of Database is also being analysed and a have joined the team and the seven (Key Stage 2). The results of this forthcoming report will focus on how initial research will therefore have significant Foundation Phase outcomes compare with project is well underway. local and international implications. its predecessor (Key Stage 1) and how the Key Stage 2 results from children who The main aim of the project is to assess The research programme has been widely attended the pilot Foundation Phase how the Foundation Phase is being discussed (e.g. Child’s World Conference in schools compare to the Key Stage 2 results implemented across Wales and what Aberystwyth) and can be divided into two from children who attended non- impact this may be having on children and parts (see chart below): Foundation Phase schools. Issues surrounding adult/child ratios and staff qualifications will also be considered.

National In addition to the above, a ‘Programme Theory’ report is also due to be published soon by the Welsh Government, providing the first documentary analysis of official material on the Foundation Phase. In doing so, the report provides an initial Logic Model by linking the underpinning Foundation Phase rationale and approach to the suggested pedagogy, statutory Interviews with WG and Documentary Existing Survey of Headteachers curriculum and intended outcomes. Local Authority stakeholders evidence data and pre-school Leaders The next phase of the project will focus on 50 randomly selected case study settings (40 schools and 10 pre-schools), and this is due to start immediately. Visits to each of these settings will encompass interviews Case study settings with key staff, as well as classroom observations, direct work with children and a parent/carer survey. By working closely with these case study settings, the research aims to add important detail to the national work described above and assess in detail how the Foundation Phase is being implemented across Wales and what the initial outcomes might be. Headteacher Teacher/LSA Classroom Parent/carer survey Pupil survey interview interview observations (of FP pupils) (Yr 4) For more information, please visit www..ac.uk/foundationphase

3 £1m investment to advance education research in Wales

WISERD has successfully secured a £1m investment into the development of education research in Wales with the establishment of WISERDEDUCATION.

This Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) funded programme has the potential to change the landscape of education research in Wales and will put Wales at the forefront of research-capacity building developments in the UK and beyond. It will build on WISERD’s existing networks and infrastructure to develop a unique combination of data integration and longitudinal studies to provide a resource for ongoing and sustainable increases in educational research activity. It will draw together high-quality research expertise from across the Welsh universities to focus on the educational issues confronting Welsh society, thereby contributing to the development of more effective educational provision, from early years through to higher education and lifelong learning.

The central aims of this exciting new programme are: • to enhance the capacity to carry out high-quality educational research within universities in Wales; • to undertake research activities designed to sustain and enhance the quality of learning and the standards of teaching and teacher ; • to work with teacher educators, practitioners, policy-makers and other stakeholders to maximise the usefulness of education research; • to put in place an infrastructure which will ensure that this capacity and activity can be sustained.

4 WISERD is a splendid example of how we can achieve truly excellent research capacity in Wales by combining the skills of top-class researchers across a number of universities. “I’m delighted that it is now possible to apply this intellectual firepower to some of the challenging issues around education policy in Wales where, as devolution progresses, the need for capacity to comment on policy and its outcomes from a position of solid analysis and evidence can only grow Professor Philip Gummett, HEFCW

The four inter-related sets of activities Professor Sally Power, the Co-Director of I am delighted WISERD has that frame WISERDEDUCATION are: WISERD who will lead WISERDEDUCATION, “ 1. Research Infrastructure enhancement said: “This investment will place Wales at been successful in obtaining this to lay the foundations for a robust and the forefront of educational research grant to build research capacity sustainable research future in Wales. capacity building and harness the impetus This will improve the functionality of that has been developed through WISERD in Wales. Obviously following existing data sets through data to foster increased educational research devolution where Wales is integration and better access, and the activity in Wales.” “ establishment of longitudinal studies responsible for education, it is of different age cohorts and A major feature of the programme is to important that Wales has a institutions. offer less experienced and novice strong research base to inform 2. A series of Research Projects researchers the real opportunity of generated by the enhanced research working with more experienced education and contribute to educational infrastructure which will address key researchers, either within Wales or policy formulation in Wales given challenges within the Welsh education elsewhere. WISERDEDUCATION will seek system. to extend the skills of education the importance of improving the 3. Researcher Capacity Building across researchers, particularly in the area of skills base of the economy which Wales to provide opportunities for quantitative and mixed method postgraduate and other early career approaches, by providing a framework for is necessary if Wales is to researchers to undertake research capacity building which emphasises the compete successfully in the alongside those with greater importance of actually doing research. experience. global economy. 4. Finally, the programme will facilitate a In addition, the enhanced research Professor David Blackaby, Co-Director range of Translational Activities which infrastructure will generate robust data WISERD Swansea and Director of will enable practitioners, policy- for a series of research projects and Research, College of Business Economics makers and staff engaged in provide a highly effective vehicle for and Law, . initial and continuing teacher developing new forms of collaborative education to make the most of activity, across the Welsh universities and The creation of evidence emanating from educational more widely. “ WISERDEDUCATION represents research. Launch event a significant extension of the The establishment of a series of cohort and WISERDEDUCATION will be officially work that WISERD has been institution studies in different areas of launched at on doing over recent years. The Wales will be one of the most innovative and October 31st 2012 at 5.00pm. “ exciting aspects of WISERDEDUCATION’s For more information, please email development of an infrastructure programme. The data from these studies [email protected] will create a virtual laboratory for social to support genuinely science research which can be used to collaborative social science increase engagement and promote capacity building in a cost-effective way. across Welsh universities is a key element in enabling internationally high-quality work to be carried out by researchers in Wales. We are very pleased that this award from HEFCW will enable WISERD to extend this approach to the field of educational research. Professor Gareth Rees, Director of WISERD. “5 WISERD 2013

The WISERD 2013 Conference will take place on June 25th and 26th at the University of , attracting colleagues from academic, policy, public, private and third sectors.

Following on from three The WISERD 2013 Conference will take He moved to Southampton in 1992 and his place on June 25th and 26th at the interest methods for the geographical successful events in , attracting representation of population data have colleagues from academic, policy, public, been reflected in his longstanding research Cardiff, Swansea and private and third sectors. collaboration with the Office for National Bangor; the WISERD Statistics, leading to the system of output Following on from three successful events areas used in 2001 and 2011 censuses. For conference has become in Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor; the ten years he directed ESRC's Census WISERD conference has become Programme and he is currently a member established as one of the established as one of the most important of ESRC Council. most important events in events in the social science calendar. Prof. Laura McAllister the social science Keynote Speakers Laura McAllister is calendar. We are delighted to introduce the three Professor of Governance keynote speakers for the 2013 conference: at the University of Professor David Martin, Professor Laura Liverpool’s School of McAllister and Professor Lindsay Paterson. Management. She was educated at Bryntirion Prof. David Martin Comprehensive School, Bridgend and is a graduate David Martin is Professor of the London School of Economics and of Geography at the Cardiff University where she completed a University of Southampton PhD in politics. and a co-director of both the ESRC National Centre Laura was a member of the Richard for Research Methods and Commission on the Powers and Electoral UK Data Service. David Arrangements for National Assembly for began his academic career Wales that reported in March 2004 and as a lecturer in the School of City and advisor to the Sir Roger Jones Independent Regional Planning at Cardiff University, Review of AMs’ Pay and Support in 2008-9. where he wrote one of the first textbooks Laura’s principal academic interests centre on the socioeconomic applications of geographical information systems.

6 Conference

on public administration and politics, Prof. Lindsay Paterson The Call for Papers is now open specifically: devolution, Welsh politics and elections, sport and public policy, gender Lindsay Paterson is We are inviting submissions for papers and and politics. She has written extensively on Professor of Educational posters across themed and open strands. these areas and her recent books include Policy in the School of , The Emergence of a Political Social and Political The themes are: Party (2001), Women and Constitutional Science, University of • Health and wellbeing Politics in Wales (2007), and a forthcoming Edinburgh, where he • Education biography of Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas, teaches courses in • Environment Presiding Officer at the National Assembly educational policy and • Labour markets (2012). She is Honorary Visiting Professor research methods. Most of his research is • Innovations in research methods at Cardiff University, Queensland University based on the statistical analysis of large- • Identity of Technology, Brisbane, Australia and the scale social surveys. China National School of Administration, Submissions for the open strands should Beijing. Laura is a political analyst for BBC His main substantive interests are in reflect the research interests and priorities Wales and a regular commentator on Welsh education, civic engagement and political of the social science and policy sectors and British politics and elections. attitudes. He has published widely on within Wales, the UK and internationally. school effectiveness, on the expansion of A former Wales football international and higher education (including on social-class We are welcoming proposals for papers, national team captain with 24 caps, Laura inequalities of access to higher education), sessions and posters from academic and has been a member of Sport Wales Board on social mobility and on the relationship non-academic colleagues, to be submitted since April 2006 and was Vice Chair of the between education and civic values. via abstracts of no more than 500 words. Council from March 2007 to January 2010. Laura was appointed Sport Wales Chair He has extensive experience of using The deadline for all submissions is with effect from 1st February 2010. She is longitudinal data, notably from the Scottish December 14th 2012. Please visit the also a Board Member of UK Sport. School Leavers' Survey, the large British WISERD website to download a pro forma. cohort studies and the British Household All proposals should be emailed to Panel Study. He has served on the ESRC [email protected] Research Resources Board (2003-7), and has been commissioned on several New for 2013 occasions to provide policy advice to the Scottish Parliament's Education Committee We are teaming up with the Wales Doctoral and to the Scottish Government. He is a Training Centre (DTC) to host a PhD strand Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. at the conference and a competition for the best PhD poster and paper presented at the conference.

Booking Booking for the conference opens on 1st March 2013 with early bird rates applying until 4th May 2013. Further information about the conference and how to book will be available from the WISERD website. www.wiserd.ac.uk.

7 Measuring access to public transport opportunities and transport-related social exclusion

WISERD Co-Director Professor In our follow-up research we have been This neighbourhood classification is based Gary Higgs and Dr Mitch concerned with investigating the on 41 census variables measuring aspects distribution of access to transport of demography, household composition, Langford from the GIS Research opportunities in relation to spatial ethnic identity, health, employment, Centre at the University of patterns of social disadvantage and occupation, commuting practices, housing Glamorgan have used an geodemographic area classifications, tenure and accommodation type. A based on UK 2001 Census data, across the complex clustering algorithm is used to innovative mapping technique – city of Cardiff. In so-doing we have drawn derive, at the highest level of aggregation, known as Floating Catchment on previous studies that have identified the seven ‘Supergroup’ clusters which Analysis – to measure public characteristics of those groups more likely represent Output Areas (OAs) with similar to be dependent on public transport in socioeconomic profiles and these are used transport accessibility in order to gauge levels of association with here to compare our FCA access relation to social disadvantage. these enhanced FCA measures. Here we measures with socio-economic measures outline how a publicly available social area in order to examine spatial patterns in classification (namely the National supply of public transport opportunities Previous studies have highlighted the link Classification of Census Output Areas and potential demand for such services. between various dimensions of social (OAC)) published by the Office for National exclusion and a range of transport Statistics has been used to investigate Figure 1 shows the spatial patterns in the indicators and have drawn attention to the potential associations with disadvantage enhanced accessibility measures for the potential implications of variations in within the city. city of Cardiff and reveals complex and access to transport services for finely detailed patterns of accessibility at disadvantaged communities. the OA level.

In addition, several UK Government policy reports over the last decade have highlighted the importance of accessibility to public transport as a component of transport-related social exclusion. In a previous article (WISERD News, Issue 3) we described research which involved the use of publicly available bus timetable information to derive more nuanced measures of accessibility to transport opportunities. Briefly this incorporated aspects of proximity to bus stops, the balance between service supply and demand, and cumulative opportunity and provided enhancements to an existing measure based on ‘floating catchment analysis’ (FCA) techniques.

We concluded by suggesting that by using such measures researchers have the potential to explore small area variations in accessibility as part of wider studies investigating potential associations with existing (and projected) socio-economic patterns. This in turn should enable transport planners to identify locations where additional services could be Figure 1: Variations in enhanced and . In contrast, generally provided to satisfy potential demand as FCA scores for Cardiff more affluent areas to the north of the city have lower accessibility scores on well as permitting the implications of These are described in more detail in a this measure. However, it is also service reconfiguration in relation to forthcoming paper (Langford et al, in noticeable that there are often intricate changing patterns of social disadvantage press) but broadly show high scores in variations in accessibility within many to be monitored. the areas of the city such as Ely, , neighbourhoods that do not appear to , and St. Mellons, and the bear any close relationship to patterns inner city districts of , of material deprivation.

8 References Langford, M., Fry, R. and Higgs, G. (2012) Measuring transit system accessibility using a modified two- step floating catchment technique, International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 26(2), 193-214.

Langford, M., Higgs, G. and Fry, R. (in press) Using Floating Catchment Analysis (FCA) techniques to examine intra-urban variations in accessibility to public transport opportunities: the example of Cardiff, Wales, Journal of Transport Geography, forthcoming.

Vickers, D. And Rees, P. (2007) Creating the UK National Statistics 2001 output area classification, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, 170, 379-403.

‘supergroups’ in order to draw out broader scores tend to be higher in more deprived Figure 2: The Census Output Area contrasts between the neighbourhood areas as identified on these indices. Thus classification for Cardiff types. These trends tend to mirror those of for example the ‘Prosperous Suburbs’ class Figure 2 shows the distribution of OAC other measures of deprivation (such as the of OAs tend to have lower access scores Supergroups in Cardiff. Figure 3 presents Townsend Index) and are consistent across than the ‘Constrained by Circumstances’ box plots which show the median score and a range of accessibility measures we have Supergroup. inter-quartile range for each of the seven studied for the city, namely that access

Figure 3: Variations in access scores by OAC Classification for Cardiff The analysis conducted to date has been methodologies adopted but that also and to demonstrate how these potential very much of an exploratory nature and provides more insight into detailed measures of accessibility relate to there are a number of research strands patterns of transport related social transport users perceptions and that could be followed up. Although the exclusion at the OA level. In this study we experiences of public transport utilisation findings are consistent across a range of have taken an ecological approach that within the city. Nevertheless the use of standard deprivation indices and has enabled an analysis of the association such innovative public transport accessibility metrics, the enhanced access of FCA scores with census-based accessibility measures have real potential scores based on detailed bus timetable measures that permits an objective in transport planning both from the information and access points show comparison of access to public transport perspective of monitoring the spatial and complex patterns which we suggest are opportunities with respect to aggregate social equity implications of service re- worthy of further study. measures of social disadvantage. configuration as well as in aiding targeted policy interventions in response to current There are subtle differences in association Further research is needed to see if these and projected levels of transport-related that could be a result of the detailed findings are replicable in other contexts social exclusion. 9 Living Streets Digital storytelling with young women in Grangetown

WISERD Research Associate, Dr Kate Moles, has successfully secured funding to run a digital storytelling project with young women living in Cardiff.

Building on the success of the Beacon for Wales funded ‘Sounding the Way’ project in 2011 – where young male residents of Grangetown produced audio walks allowing them to explore their community and express their identities – this new project will involve the women of Grangetown.

The ‘Living Streets’ project will utilise Google Earth technology to enable the participants to layer audio memories, stories and experiences with photographs, and video clips to create a living street walk. Working through Google Earth will “Being the enable the walk to ‘live’ beyond the creators and project, as other groups within the initiators of this community can continue to add their own project has the stories, photos and experiences as the potential to offer a area and the community evolves and long life span changes. The resources created can be within the area and used by different groups who want to enable the girls to explore ideas of place in their community. leave their own legacy to the area they “The work we did with the group of young have grown up in” men in Grangetown was extremely Dr Moles added. successful. The men involved developed a number of important life skills; namely The project is one of increased confidence and an seven successful understanding of their own ability to applications awarded up achieve things” commented Dr Moles. to £500 as part of Cardiff University’s “The ‘Living Streets’ project will allow the Community young women to get to know members of Engagement Team their community, to talk with people they (CET) Small Grants might not otherwise talk with and to look Scheme. The CET aims at places through new eyes that provide to support and develop public engagement them with a new perspective and activities, and the final reports from all understanding of the cultural and social seven projects will be used as case studies issues that make up that place. to promote best practice in engaging the public with academic work.

10 Intersectionality and the Spaces of Belonging

In June 2012, the Belonging and The conference was a collaborative Thirdly, Dr Gurminder Bhambra, Director Ethnicity Research Group at venture between the School of Social of the Social Theory Research Centre, Sciences at , the Wales , revisited the classic Bangor University, organised Institute of Social and Economic Research sociological study ‘Middletown: A Study of and hosted an international two- Data and Methods (WISERD), the Centre Modern American Culture’ published by day conference on the themes of for Research on Migration, Refugees and Robert and Helen Lynd in 1929. It became Belonging at the University of East a best-seller and was seen to represent ‘intersectionality’ – currently a London, as well as the British Sociological “typical” American society. The study widely discussed methodological Association Social Theory Study Group. projected an image of the town which was concept across the humanities seen to be quintessentially American. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of However, in erasing the existence of the and social sciences – and the conference were the three keynote African Americans, an essentially all- ‘spaces of belonging’ – a field speakers, each of whom being leading white community was created, a myth that would refer primarily figures in the fields of gender, perpetuated by subsequent sociological postcolonialism, racism and nationalism. work. The sociological representation of belonging to national or cultural Middletown reflected dominant spaces, but which would also be Professor Nira Yuval-Davis, Director of conceptions of the US as a homogenous open enough to include a wider the Centre on Migration, Refugees and white society with others seen as marginal Belonging, University of East London, and unnecessary. variety of spaces and forms of presented on the title of her new book belonging. ‘The Politics of Belonging: Intersectional A particular insight from this discussion, Constellations’, in which she sets out the is how mid-twentieth century community mutually constitutive and overlapping studies, both in the US and in Britain, were character of divisions of class, gender, shaped by the wider national self-images ethnicity. A key point in this debate is of the time, and which could lead to the whether analytical categories of identity exclusion of others from sociological can ever do justice to the subjective and discourse. For example, within the British lived experience of belonging that they are sociology of race relations during the meant to capture. Rather, as qualitative 1970s there appeared to be a monopoly research often demonstrates, the spaces upon black and ethnic minorities from of belonging are the spaces in-between former commonwealth migrants. Whilst, the categories of identity ascribed to them. reflecting the significance of the empire, Professor Jie-Hyun Lim, Director of the class and colonialism for understanding Institute of Comparative History and Britain, it also resulted in little attention to Culture, Hanyang University, Seoul, South other kinds of racisms. Korea, discussed the complexity of forms of nationalism that are based on a sense, As an initial output, the organisers are or an experience, of being victims, publishing an in-depth overview of the typically, of other nationalisms. However, conference on H-Net (www.h-net.org). whilst the injury forms the basis of This brings together the reports of the identity, often what people keep doing conference sessions that were written by is to be fixated on the injury and not several attendants. Link to the various concentrate on its politics. It has to be audio and visual files of the keynote resolved by working through its politics presentations are also available via the and moving on. Yet it is also important to conference website. For more information not hold on to an identity once it has met see berg.bangor.ac.uk. its purpose.

11 New maps, new methods: Students and WISERD at the cutting edge

During the recent summer The students were awarded a bursary tranquillity of rural life in and around the holiday, two Cardiff University by the Cardiff University Undergraduate New Forest. Not only this, we also looked Research Opportunities Programme into the role of the mobilities turn within students have carried out (CUROP) to collect experimental data. human geography, by looking at the way in research for the WISERD Here they explain more about the which different transport modes can alter funded Biomapping project. research they carried out and how it will our emotional responses. help them in their final year This innovative research, dissertations. From the field our data has identified some devised and constructed by key initial findings which have been relevant Dr Chris Taylor (Cardiff School During the summer we have been to both topics. Firstly the data recorded by conducting research as part of the CUROP the Q sensor does correlate to our primary of Social Sciences) and award to investigate the relationship data collection, for example specific points Dr Jon Anderson (Cardiff between people and place, using a state of throughout the Q sensor graph can be School of Planning and the art piece of equipment called a Q linked back to, and explained by, our sensor. The Q sensor measures our recordings in our field diary. A crucial Geography), explores the galvanic skin response to our surrounding finding in this early stage of the project was biophysical and emotional environments, which is then produced as a that unless we are put in a position where relationship between people graph. This project combines qualitative we need to engage with place, for example analysis with quantitative data which is a crossing a road or engaging with another and place. new approach for studying human person, we tend not to be too affected by geography. our surroundings; whereas, in places unfamiliar or unknown to us our readings Our main aim of the project was to test the tend to be higher and more erratic. utility of the Q sensor in recording However, we feel that being in the company emotional responses to place. We hoped of another person, which has been that the research would provide us with essential to carrying out the research, has reliable and original data that shows how played a part in reducing our engagement place can affect people in various with place, through communication and environments. Previously the compatibility feeling at ease in each other’s company. of Quantitative measuring and Qualitative interpretation has been restricted. We We are hoping that the research we have hoped that the project would combine the carried out has sufficiently tested the two ways of analysing through the effectiveness of the sensor as a means of statistical results of the Q sensor with our measuring emotional responses. This own qualitative recordings. primary study has not only provided us with research material for our individual In order to ensure that the research would dissertations, but we hope that it enables take into account both forms of data a continuation of research in this field. We collection, it was vital we carried out all also hope that the data from the Q sensor research together. This would ensure we will be useful in affecting policy for had enough evidence to prove our data example for future planning authorities in was relevant and that the readings from regeneration schemes which would take the sensor matched our own recordings of into consideration the importance of events. Throughout our data collection we people’s perceptions of place. used primary methods which included a field diary, a voice recorder and also a GPS We feel privileged to be some of the first mapping device to back up the Q sensors students to test the equipment and we are findings. We could then correlate the pleased to say that it has been effective for readings from the Q sensor with our own our specific purpose in providing us with record of events to ensure that we could reliable and innovative research for our sufficiently explain and analyse the dissertations. We hope that our work can findings and therefore backup our own aid further studies into the relationship ideas with statistical evidence. To test the between people and place. sensor effectively we covered a range of different environments for emotional Jenny Olley and Abbey Coles aspects of human geography, from the BSc Geography (Human) and Planning, urban rush of London and Cardiff, to the Cardiff School of Planning and Geography

12 Funding awarded to examine labour market consequences of cuts in public spending

Colleagues from Swansea and The project - The Labour market The study will be based on the secondary Cardiff Universities have Implications of Changes in the Public data analysis of four existing sources of Sector: Inequality and Work Quality – data: The Quarterly Labour Force Survey, successfully secured funding will also explore the nature of regional The Annual Population Survey, from the Economic and Social variations in public-private sector wage Understanding Society, and The Skills and Research Council (ESRC) differences and consider the intrinsic Employment Survey (2012) and its quality of work in the public sector predecessors. Secondary Data Analysis compared to work in the private sector. Initiative to examine the effects The ESRC Secondary Data Analysis of spending cuts on labour The 18 month project will be led by Initiative was launched in 2011 and the call Professor Philip Murphy, Director of for the first phase of funding closed in market inequality and work Learning and Teaching at Swansea April this year. The £10.8 million initiative quality. University’s Department of Economics, aims to deliver impact policy and and Convenor of the WISERD Thematic practitioner relevant research through the Network on Employment, Skills and deeper exploitation of major data Training. resources.

Professor Murphy said, “With estimations The first phase of the initiative will fund that up to 710,000 public sector jobs will around 20 small scale projects of up to be lost as a result of public spending cuts, £200,000 (at full economic cost) each. this study is important in helping to identify the likely implications on the UK Research Team labour market. Professor Philip Murphy, Swansea University “We are delighted to have secured this Professor David Blackaby, funding from the ESRC and we’re Swansea University and confident that the results of the study will WISERD Co-Director be of interest to academic research Dr Melanie Jones, communities not only in the UK, but in Swansea University areas of Europe and North America that Professor Alan Felstead, are facing similar structural changes due Cardiff University, to funding cuts. School of Social Sciences Professor Gerald Makepeace, “Furthermore, working with WISERD on Cardiff University, this study will provide a vehicle for ensuring that the results of the research Dr Victoria Wass, are disseminated to a wide audience Cardiff University, spanning a number of disciplines in the Cardiff Business School social sciences” Professor Murphy added.

13 Exporting activity and productivity in Wales: A micro-economic analysis

WISERD researchers at Existing evidence suggests that exporting The alternative hypothesis relates to Swansea University have firms are more productive than non- learning-by-exporting, whereby exporting firms. However, the direction of knowledge flows from international buyers produced a report to the Welsh causality between exporting and and competitors, helping to improve the Government examining the productivity is likely to imply significantly productivity of exporters. Competition with relationship between different policy approaches. Proponents of foreign firms induces firms to improve free trade, openness and globalizations otherwise they are likely to lose access to productivity and exports by using see exports as a causal factor in international markets. Thus in this case, company accounts data and increasing productivity. Others have firms become more productive as a result taking a regional perspective. pointed to the barriers to exporting as of exporting. requiring threshold levels of productivity prior to exporting. Whilst there is substantial evidence for both hypotheses, the self-selection and In one theory, productivity is causally learning-by-exporting hypotheses are not related to exports with more productive mutually exclusive. The correlation firms choosing to export. The common between exports and productivity indicates explanations are that exporting is a costly only that the two characteristics are business (e.g., transportation costs, associated with each other but the distribution costs, marketing costs, causality may run in either or both networking costs etc). These costs provide directions. Distinguishing between these barriers to undertaking exporting, so that two hypotheses has important policy only the more productive firms engage in implications. If more productive firms self- exporting. Wagner (2005) suggests that select into the export market, policies productive firms might be more forward- aimed at stimulating competition on the looking, where the desire to export domestic market may be expected to tomorrow leads them to be more improve export performance. If, on the productive today. In either case, there is a other hand, exporting increases conscious self-selection explanation for productivity, this may suggest a case for exporting. A firm that wants to export supporting exporting firms in order to works hard to satisfy international buyers. reduce the cost of exporting, particularly Firms then make investment decisions by lowering the barriers to exporting. just for that purpose. Thus, the The more dominant relationship is likely to enterprises make a “technological” effort have a clearer rationale for policy support. prior to entering the export market.

14 The broad aims of the project were to The more robust parametric results relate Sector split implies that high performance consider: chiefly to UK data, where we have a firms are less affected by the decision to • the associations between performance sufficient number of observations to build export. That is, there is a less clearly (defined as productivity and a balanced panel of companies, for which observable difference between exporters profitability) and exporting behaviour we consider post- and pre- export and non-exporters amongst Priority of firms in Wales performance. Our findings indicate weak Sector located firms than is the case • the gap between the performance evidence of self-selection but stronger amongst non-Priority Sector firms in (defined as productivity and support for the learning by doing Wales. profitability) of exporters compared hypothesis since we find evidence that to non-exporters in Wales exporting improves productivity for the Firms in Priority Sectors display many of average firm, once region, firm size, firm the characteristics associated with We use the Company Accounts database age and industry are controlled for. exporters (i.e. high performance practices Financial Accounts Made Easy (FAME) for such as innovation and better the period 2002-2010 to test these Further, non-parametric analysis on management – attributes that are not relationships for Wales and the whole of Welsh firms reveals that at the high end of observable in our data), which suggests the UK. the distribution of a variety of performance that the use of Priority Sectors has been a measures, the exporting is a less relevant useful means of identifying the sort of Findings from the firm level analyses for observable characteristic. Thus, for the firms that are likely to have the dynamic Wales and the UK show that exporting most productive and profitable firms, it capabilities to perform above the average companies in Wales are more productive appears to be an empirical point whether firm. than the non-exporters. There is weak exporters are better rather than a evidence that the probability of exporting foregone conclusion (as it appears at the Catherine Robinson, Mamata Parhi, is determined by past performance of lower end of the productivity distribution, Panos Fouskas and David Blackaby firms in Wales, which suggests that self- where exporters always outperform non- WISERD, Swansea University selection is less apparent in our data, exporters). Grouping our industries compared with previous studies. We according to whether or not they are in a conclude that the more productive firms Priority Sector also reveals that there is a appear to experience a smaller export less clear-cut distinction between the premium than those at the lower end of distributions of exporters and non- the productivity distribution. exporters in priority sectors. The Priority

15 Creating a literary Map of Wales

Dr Jon Anderson (Cardiff The project forms part of an established University) and Dr Sarah Morse book contract in the ‘Spatial Practices’ book series entitled ‘Page and Place: (Swansea University) are Ongoing Compositions of Plot’ by Drs carrying out a fascinating project Anderson and Morse. The book attempts seeking to interview a number of to draw on literature as a key resource to provide insight into the connections Welsh authors about the role of between humans and place, in both geographies in their fictional material and psychological senses. work to create a literary map of According to Dr Anderson, “This book Wales. seeks to examine the key relationships between literary and literal worlds. It The project involves interviews with 16 explores how the imaginary worlds of authors using a mobile methodology stories and novels intersect, conflict, and through the real and imagined places that supplement our understanding of the form the geographies of their published material locations around us.” work. These ‘talk walks’ will be recorded in both audio and visual formats and the The book will also argue that the literary transcriptions from the interviews will and literal are closely related by exploring contribute to an academic monograph. how literature can reshape our perception of the world. “The book will explore issues The audio-visual podcasts of the of representation, interpretation and interviews will be produced to compile a consumption of pages and the places they GIS-informed interactive literary map of connect to. It may be common to frame Wales. The researchers have therefore the relationship between the literary and teamed up with WISERD due to the mixed the literal as separate and bounded – methods, qualitative GIS and multi-media distinguished by a ‘symbolic boundary’ nature of the project. that keeps apart the ‘imagined’ and the ‘real’ world. However, this book suggests Many of the places covered in the talk this boundary itself is more imagined than walks correlate closely with the areas real” Dr Anderson added. studied in WISERD’s Localities Research Programme; including Heads of the For more information about the project Valleys, Ceredigion and Anglesey/North- visit www.spatialmanifesto.com/ West Wales. The material generated from research-projects/literary-geographies the Localities stakeholder interviews will complement the new material generated by this project in order to provide an alternative conceptualisation of these places.

16 Update on Knowledge Exchange

WISERD has been successful Evidence Symposia: Developing a data discovery in gaining funding for two exploring the evidence base and sharing infrastructure for projects through the ESRC’s on key policy themes quantitative and qualitative Knowledge Exchange This project, funded through the ESRC socio-economic data via the Knowledge Exchange Opportunities WISERD GeoPortal Opportunities Scheme. Scheme in collaboration with the Welsh This project, funded through the ESRC’s Government, aims to encourage Knowledge Exchange Follow on Funding knowledge exchange between academic Scheme, aims to continue and broaden the social scientists and policy makers/ work started by WISERD to develop an practitioners in Wales on a number of infrastructure that facilitates the discovery important policy and academic questions. and sharing of socio-economic datasets across national government, local A series of four evidence symposia will be government and national data repositories organised, on themes mutually agreed to be via a variety of mechanisms. of current academic and policy interest. The events will bring together leading experts The project will enable technical and senior policy makers and practitioners development of the WISERD GeoPortal to to challenge the evidence base on important, continue, leading to improved functionality cross cutting policy questions, and discuss and usability. In addition, further work will the potential policy implications. be carried out, in collaboration with end users and partners, on exploring The first of these events was held in June methodological and technical 2012 and focused on issues related to enhancements to the portal. Lastly, work measuring wellbeing. Presentations were will also be undertaken on dissemination, made by colleagues from the Office for marketing, and the organisation of training National Statistics (ONS); the New events for end users and stakeholders. Economics Foundation (NEF); and WISERD. The event was a success, attracting a high number of participants from across the academic, policy and third sectors, and stimulating fruitful debate. 17 Unequal Wales Seminar Series

WISERD is delighted to Professor Richard Wyn Jones, Director of make policy makers and Welsh civil the , explains the society more generally aware of the be supporting the Wales context and importance of the series: findings.

Governance Centre “In recent years social science “This seminar series will map the (WGC) in hosting the researchers working under the auspices contours of social and economic inequality of WISERD have conducted a programme in contemporary Wales. The challenges Unequal Wales Seminar of innovative and hugely important are, without doubt, huge. But without a research focusing on inequality in Wales - sound understanding of the multiple and Series in the Pierhead not inequality in some abstract sense but intersecting problems that assail Unequal Building, . rather as the lived experience of real Wales, solutions will be even more elusive. people in real places. This research could and should have a significant impact on “This seminar series is a genuinely public policy. By working in cooperation important innovation and the Wales with each other, the aim of the Wales Governance Centre is proud to be involved Governance Centre and WISERD is to in its organisation.”

Date Topic Speakers

28th November 2012 Regional/market facing public sector pay David Blackaby and the Welsh economy Phil Murphy 7th February 2013 Homelessness, legislation and social Peter Mackie justice in Wales 13th March 2013 Inequalities in Access to Higher Education Gareth Rees Chris Taylor 16th April 2013 Welsh Speakers and the Labour Market Robin Mann Stephen Drinkwater 1st May 2013 The Elderly and Access to Services in Rural Wales Jesse Heley Laura Jones 4th June 2013 Class, Lifestyles and Health Inequalities Ian Rees Jones 3rd July 2013 Migrant Workers in Wales Stephen Drinkwater Andy Thompson

Time: 5.45-7.30pm beginning with a drinks reception The events are free to attend. To register your place, please RSVP to [email protected]

18 WISERD hosts first NCRM training series in Wales

WISERD is delighted to be A Short Course on Concepts hosting a series of National and Methods in Causal Inference Centre for Research Methods 11th-12th October 2012 at Swansea University (NCRM) node events – the first (jointly hosted by the Health Information Research Unit) series of its kind to take place in Wales. PATHWAYS NCRM Node Based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London; the PATHWAYS node aims to identify pathways that link socio- The NCRM nodes were launched in 2011 demographic circumstances and biological disadvantage to adult health, and as part of a £7.2m investment by the parental family and socio-economic circumstances to infant mortality, with a Economic and Social Research Council particular emphasis on the mediating factors that lie on these pathways. (ESRC) to improve the standard of research methods across the UK social science community. GIS for Criminology & Law 29th - 30th October 2012 at Cardiff University The first three events of this series have been finalised and booking is now open. TALISMAN NCRM Node TALISMAN develops methods for geospatial data analysis and simulation with the aim to act as a catalyst for methodological innovation by forging strong links between research and capacity building. TALISMAN is based at the and the University College London. An Introduction to Impact Evaluation Methods 22nd November 2012 at Cardiff University

PEPA NCRM Node PEPA aims to stimulate a step change in the conduct of programme evaluation and maximise its value by improving the design of evaluations and improving the way that such evaluations add to the knowledge base. This is achieved through research into programme evaluation methods, a range of training and capacity building activities, and a set of substantive applications which serve as exemplars in the field. PEPA is based at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and cemmap.

Information about all of the ESRC funded NCRM nodes is available here: www.ncrm.ac.uk/research

Future events in the series, to be confirmed soon, will include a course on Mobile Methods linked to narrative approaches (presented by the NOVELLA node), an event on Multilevel Modelling (presented by the LEMMA 3 node) and an event hosted by MODE.

Please check the WISERD website for updates. www.wiserd.ac.uk

19 Training Events

October 2012 to March 2013 Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods

Monday 29th – Tuesday 30th Professor Donald Treiman, Monday 25th – Tuesday 26th October 2012 Distinguished Professor of Sociology March 2013 Emeritus, UCLA; GIS for Criminology and Law Teaching Quantitative Methods Professor Richard L. Zijdeman, Course Leaders: Department of Sociology, Workshop 4: Dr Nick Malleson and Utrecht University Embedding Quantitative Dr Alison Heppenstall Methods in Political Sociology, (School of Geography, Venue: Leeds University) Institute for Social Change, Race, Ethnicity & Migration Venue: Speakers: WISERD, Thursday 22nd November 2012 Professor Michael Hout, 46 Park Place, Cardiff An Introduction to Impact Department of Sociology, UC Berkeley Thursday 1st – Friday 2nd Evaluation Methods Professor Marc Swyngedouw, November 2012 Course Leader: Centre for Sociological Research, Teaching Quantitative Methods Mike Brewer, University of Leuven; Workshop 3: Institute for Fiscal Studies and Venue: Teaching Data Collection , and Analysis Venue: Birmingham , Speakers: Cardiff University Professor Marc Swyngedouw, Centre for Sociological Research, University of Leuven;

Upcoming conferences WISERD 2013 Conference 25th-26th June 2013 Venue: University of Glamorgan The fourth annual WISERD Conference will be held on 25th-26th June 2013 in the University of Glamorgan Conference Centre.

We are delighted to confirm Professor David Martin, Professor Lindsay Patterson and Professor Laura McAllister as keynote speakers. Call for papers is open! Please see pages 6 and 7 for more information

Full details of all courses and events are available on the

IC RESEARCH, DAT & ECONOM A & ME CONOMAIDD, DATA SEFY CIAL THOD L AC E WISERDDLIAD website www.wiserd.ac.uk S SO HASO YMC HWILL GYM CIAL DEIT HW D YMC DEIT & E GYM ILL LIA HA CON LL G FYD SOL OMI WI RCH, DATA & METHODS SOCIAL & ECO YM E AC C RE H MIC RESEA NOMIC RE D E SEAR MC & ECONO SEAR EIT CO CH, DA D Y S SOCIAL CH, D H NOM TA & LMIEATHOD ATA & A AID EFYD ME SO D, DATA S To enquire aboutTHO WISERDL events, please email DS AC [email protected] or call 029 2087 5345

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