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Data in Society – Challenging Statistics in an Age of Globalisation - Policy Press Scholarship Online
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Data in Society: Challenging Statistics in an Age of Globalisation

Jeff Evans, Sally Ruane, and Humphrey Southall

Abstract

Statistical data and evidence-based claims are increasingly central to our everyday lives. Critically examining ‘Big Data’, this book charts the recent explosion in sources of data, including those precipitated by global developments and technological change. It sets out changes and controversies related to data harvesting and construction, dissemination and data analytics by a range of private, governmental and social organisations in multiple settings. Analysing the power of data to shape political debate, the presentation of ideas to us by the media, and issues surrounding data ownership an ... More

Keywords: Big data, data linkage, administrative data, data anonymization, data protection, Social media, social network, Facebook, Twitter

Bibliographic Information

Print publication date: 2019 Print ISBN-13: 9781447348214
Published to Policy Press Scholarship Online: May 2020 DOI:10.1332/policypress/9781447348214.001.0001

Authors

Affiliations are at time of print publication.

Jeff Evans, editor
Middlesex University

Sally Ruane, editor
De Montfort University

Humphrey Southall, editor
University of Portsmouth

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Contents

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Front Matter

Title Pages

List of figures, tables and boxes

Notes on contributors

Foreword

Preface

General introduction

Humphrey Southall, Jeff Evans and Sally Ruane

Part I How data are changing: Part I editors: Humphrey Southall and Jeff Evans

1 Statistical work: the changing occupational landscape

Kevin McConway

2 The creation and use of big administrative data

Harvey Goldstein and Ruth Gilbert

3 Data analytics

Ifan Shepherd and Gary Hearne

4 Social media data

Adrian Tear and Humphrey Southall

Part II Counting in a globalised world: Part II editors: Sally Ruane and Jeff Evans

5 Adult skills surveys and transnational organisations: globalising educational policy

Jeff Evans

6 Using survey data: towards valid estimates of poverty in the South

Roy Carr-Hill

7 Counting the population in need of international protection globally

Brad K. Blitz, Alessio D’Angelo and Eleonore Kofman

8 Tax justice and the challenges of measuring illicit financial flows

Richard Murphy

Part III Statistics and the changing role of the state: Part III editors: Sally Ruane and Humphrey Southall

9 The control and ‘fitness for purpose’ of UK official statistics

David Rhind

10 The statistics of devolution

David Byrne

11 Welfare reform: national policies with local impacts

Christina Beatty and Steve Fothergill

12 From ‘welfare’ to ‘workfare’, and back again? Social insecurity and the changing role of the state

Christopher Deeming and Ron Johnston

13 Access to data and NHS privatisation: reducing public accountability

Sally Ruane

Part IV Economic life: Part IV editors: Humphrey Southall, Sally Ruane and Jeff Evans

14 The ‘distribution question’: measuring and evaluating trends in inequality

Stewart Lansley

15 Labour market statistics

Paul Bivand

16 The financial system: money makes the world go around

Rebecca Boden

17 The difficulty of building comprehensive tax avoidance data

Prem Sikka

18 Tax and spend decisions: did austerity improve financial numeracy and literacy?

David Walker

Part V Inequalities in health and wellbeing: Part V editors: Sally Ruane and Humphrey Southall

19 Health divides

Anonymous

20 Measuring social wellbeing

Roy Carr-Hill

21 Re-engineering health policy research to measure equity impacts

Tim Doran and Richard Cookson

22 The Generation Game: ending the phoney information war between young and old

Jay Ginn and Neil Duncan-Jordan

Part VI Advancing social progress through critical statistical literacy: Part VI editors: Jeff Evans, Sally Ruane and Humphrey Southall

23 The Radical Statistics Group: using statistics for progressive social change

Jeff Evans and Ludi Simpson

24 Lyme disease politics and evidence‑based policy making in the UK

Kate Bloor

25 Counting the uncounted: contestations over casualisation data in Australian universities

Nour Dados, James Goodman and Keiko Yasukawa

26 The quantitative crisis in UK sociology

Malcolm Williams, Luke Sloan and Charlotte Brookfield

27 Critical statistical literacy and interactive data visualisations

Jim Ridgway, James Nicholson, Sinclair Sutherland and Spencer Hedger

28 Full Fact

Amy Sippitt

29 What a difference a dataset makes? Data journalism and/as data activism

Jonathan Gray and Liliana Bounegru

Epilogue: progressive ways ahead

Jeff Evans, Humphrey Southall and Sally Ruane

End Matter

Index