Friday, June 09, 2023

Take it Ely

More on the location of the Cardiff riots (see Icons passim about how close to it mum and dad got married). Mum was a teacher at St Francis R C Primary School; walk to the end of Snowden Road where the trouble was and turn right into Wilson Road. You can't miss it. My maternal grandparents lived in Archer Road; again go to the end of Snowden Road but this time turn left onto Wilson Road, then - at the round about - turn into Archer Road.

I ain't buying the notion this area is populated by a feral underclass.

I went to see Michael Sandel last night, and I ain't buying his snake oil either. Typical codswallop "In the UK, it takes a median five generations for children from low-income families to approach the average income in their country." 

What, with the best will in the world can this statement mean? 

What is the provenance of the data supporting it? It is a simplification but a median derived from five 25 year generations implies a 250 year data set at the centre of which it sits. Where did the analysts get that from? 

What is even being said? Will all the descendants of low income families be middle class in five generations. If not the figure is meaningless unless we hear what percentage of the entire generation "made it."

God give me strength. If I manage to turn a debutante in to a crack whore will I be contributing to social mobility in Sandel's fairy tale of good versus evil?

Update:

See also https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-shoddy-data-becomes-sensational-research


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