IBE in Berlin on standardization of demographic characteristics in research

Published on Wednesday, 07 December 2011 03:33

An international conference on the problems of standardizing demographic characteristics in research took place on 30-31 August 2012 at the Wissenschaftszentrum für Sozialforschung in Berlin. It was intended to have the character of a bilateral meeting of researchers from Germany and Poland, devoted to a discussion on the solutions implemented during research carried out in both countries. However, the considerable significance of the subject of the conference meant that researchers came from several other countries, including the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Luxembourg.

The meeting was organized on the initiative of Professor Jürgen Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik from the GESIS Institute in Mannheim. In the research community he is known for his work on the standardization of the social position indicators used in various countries. Among other things, he is co-editor of the book "Advances in Cross-National Comparisons. A European Working Book for Socio-Economic Variables", published in 2003, which has become the 'bible' for researchers engaged in international comparative studies.

The fundamental aim of the conference was to find solutions which would satisfy researchers employed in national institutes of public statistics, as well as researchers from the academic community. The former prefer solutions which guarantee precision in the data collected and the possibility of aligning it with the statistics of many other countries, whilst academic researchers put greater emphasis on the question of interpreting the results in the language of changes occurring in contemporary societies. Both approaches are easily compatible although in everyday practice the groups tend to forget about each other's needs. The meeting in Berlin was an opportunity for reflection and represented an attempt to create a dialogue between researchers working in academic institutions and public statistics offices.

Apart from general questions at the conference, a lot of attention was given to research on specific indicators of the position of the individual in society, such as their professional situation, income, or education. It was research on the last of these traits which caused most controversy. The solution currently employed in Europe, in research carried out for the requirements of public administration, was presented by Silke Schneider (Nuffield College, Oxford). Her presentation showed that in many countries school certificates and diplomas of various levels are assigned in a rather arbitrary way to specific categories of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). This means, in effect, that it is not possible to compare the education received in different school systems. This situation cannot be allowed to continue as education has become one of the priorities of European Union strategy. Action must be taken as quickly as possible which will ensure standardization of the methods of collecting information on education in different countries.

The academic perspective on the question of research on education was presented by Professor Zbigniew Sawiński, representing the Educational Research Institute and the Polish Academy of Sciences. He focused on the social benefits which people accrue thanks to education, such as the ability to find employment or to increase their income. The speaker pointed out that these benefits are sometimes laid out across the divisions included in international statistics. For example, the chances of Polish high school graduates who have not passed the matura exam are, in many cases, similar to those who successfully passed. However, according to the principles adopted in international statistics, the two categories of graduates should be classified as different levels of education.

So many similar problems were indicated at the conference that the amount of time originally allotted proved insufficient, and less formal discussions went on until late into the night. At the close of the conference many participants agreed that more work needed to be done on the problems raised and conclusions drawn in order to prepare them for publication in a book. If this undertaking is successful, then time will tell whether this book becomes as important as the 'bible' of 2003. Only from this perspective will it be possible to assess whether the conference in Berlin represented a real event in terms of global research.