Stats and ethnicity - Dr Sean Demack, Sheffield Hallam University
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Transcript of Stats and ethnicity - Dr Sean Demack, Sheffield Hallam University
Statistics & Ethnicity• SES funded - Inequality, resilience & reform in policy & practice
(Gillborn, Rollock, Warmington & Demack).
• Statistics as 'Artifact' - illiteracy or conspiracy?
• Coincidence or Conspiracy? - Gillborn 2008
• Williams & Husk (2013) - can we, should we, measure ethnicity?
• Use of 'BME' - keeping it simple? - or a tool to hide patterns of structural racism?
• Some examples...
2011 2012 20130.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
All students in HE 2011 to 2013: Unpacking 'BME'
ECU Equality Report 2014
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 201320%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
% with 1st of 2i Class Degree by ethnicity
ECU Equality Report 2014
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 201320%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
% with 1st or 2i Class Degree by ethnicity
ECU Equality Report 2014
White BME
KS2 58% 50%
KS3 48% 40%
KS4 47% 48%
Key Stage Attainment
Y9-11 18% 18%
Temporary Suspension or Permanent Exclusion from school
Any Uni 37% 55%
Rus Gp 9% 10%
Other 28% 45%
Access to University
White BME
KS2 58% 50%
KS3 48% 40%
KS4 47% 48%
Key Stage Attainment
Y9-11 18% 18%
Temporary Suspension or Permanent Exclusion from school
ALL Unis 37% 55%
Russ Grp 9% 10%
Other 28% 45%
Access to University
MIN % MAX %
Pakistani 36% Indian 54%
Pakistani & Carib
29% Indian 51%
Carib 31% Indian 60%
Indian 8% Carib 34%
Wh&Car 31% Indian 74%
Carib 2% Indian 12%
Wh&Car 27% Indian 61%
HESA data, ECU equality report
...patterns of marginalisation and segregation caused by an individual’s ethnicity ? ! ! .
page 5 of 2014 'equality in higher education" stats report......notes on the BME classification ...
Final Points• Better to lead than to follow?
– White / BME is a simplification step too far.– White / Black / Asian - similar problems.– Unpacking the 'Black African' group?
• Role of Statistics?– To describe STRUCTURAL patterns... i.e. at the UK / England / Institution
(SHU) / Subject Area Level(s). – To help document if and how these patterns change over time (e.g.
before and after a 'policy' or 'intervention').– To describe how ethnicity intersects with ... religion, language, gender,
social class, sexuality, disability ...– BUT statistics will always fall short of being able to explain the reasons
for the observed patterns .. other methods are needed...
• The interplay between the structural 'clarity' that could be provided by statistics and richer qualitative detail at an individual student, class or module level is KEY.
Final Points
• It is rational and appropriate to assume that institutional racism will be present within the English education system.... within the HE system as a whole & within individual HE institutions (Swann, 1985) & McPherson, 1999)– Change may come and it would be good to try to document it properly.– ...a more critical (and sincere) use of statistics PLUS qualitative detail at a
module and individual staff / student level needs to be gathered in an active and routine way.
– Teachers could be co-opted as agents for positive change rather than just being held responsible for patterns of structural racism identified through the use such a poor measure of ethnicity.
• Student numbers on many modules are often too small for MEANINGFUL statistical analyses. – It is here where I think the 'BME' classification is widely used.– an uncritical, pragmatic use leading to reification (a new positivism).– ODD to be so statistically driven with such an poor measure?– Perhaps .... but this pattern is echoed across many statistics used to
'inform' about the structure of education in England ...Free School Meals / NSS / OFSTED
10/11 to 11/12 11/12 to 12/13 * 10/11 to 12/13
-30.0%
-20.0%
-10.0%
0.0%
10.0%
ECU Equality Report 2014
% Change in FIRST YEAR student numbers - 2011 to 2013
