Background
Understanding Society, formally known as the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), is an ambitious research initiative that aims to collect detailed and diverse data concerning the lives of UK residents. It provides a robust dataset for understanding trends and making informed policy decisions. The survey began in 2009 and progresses annually, tracking changes in individual, household, and community dynamics over time.
Historical Context
Understanding Society builds on the legacy of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), initiated in the early 1990s. While the BHPS laid the groundwork for capturing household-level data, Understanding Society expanded its scope, sample size, and breadth of topics covered to offer a more comprehensive overview of UK society.
Definitions and Concepts
Understanding Society serves as a longitudinal survey, meaning it collects data repeatedly from the same subjects over time. It covers a wide range of topics including economic factors (employment, incomes, spending), social circumstances (household composition, education), attitudes (politics, social values), behavior, and health outcomes. This data is integral to researchers, policymakers, and analysts aiming to understand the underlying trends and issues faced by UK populations.
Major Analytical Frameworks
Classical Economics
Classical economics may utilize Understanding Society data to examine labor market dynamics, wealth accumulation, and demographic shifts over time.
Neoclassical Economics
Neoclassical economists might employ the dataset to analyze individual decision-making processes, market efficiency, and consumer behavior.
Keynesian Economic
Keynesian economists could focus on understanding how government policies and economic cycles impact households, using data on employment and spending patterns.
Marxian Economics
Marxian economists would use the data to study class structures, income inequalities, and labor relations within UK society.
Institutional Economics
Institutional economists may analyze how different institutions (educational, financial, health) affect, and are affected by, household behaviors and economic conditions.
Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economists could derive insights into how psychological, social, and emotional factors influence economic decision-making, leveraging the rich attitudinal data from the survey.
Post-Keynesian Economics
Post-Keynesians might examine how macroeconomic policies impact household stability, scrutinizing data on employment and financial stability.
Austrian Economics
Austrian economists could use Understanding Society to explore overriding trends in voluntary social actions and market-driven decisions at the individual and household levels.
Development Economics
By understanding socio-economic circumstances and health data, development economists might highlight areas for policy intervention in less affluent communities within the UK.
Monetarism
Monetarist analysis could include studying the impact of monetary policy changes on household incomes, spending behaviors, and wealth accumulation over time.
Comparative Analysis
The Understanding Society dataset allows for comparative studies across different regions, age groups, socioeconomic classes, and genders within the UK. By linking this survey with other administrative data, such as data from UK government departments, researchers can perform more nuanced analyses, cross-country comparisons, and trend monitoring.
Case Studies
Several case studies demonstrate the value of Understanding Society data in areas such as public health (e.g., responses to COVID-19), employment shifts due to technological advances, and social mobility over generations.
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- “Data Analysis Using Stata” by Kohler and Kreuter
- “Understanding Society: A British Household Panel Survey” by Berthoud and Gershuny
- “Panel Data Econometrics” by Arellano
Related Terms with Definitions
- Longitudinal Survey: A research method that involves repeated observations of the same variables over short or long periods
- British Household Panel Survey (BHPS): A precursor to Understanding Society aimed at understanding socio-economic dynamics in the UK
- Administrative Data: Data collected by government departments or other organizations for administrative (not research) purposes, which can be repurposed for research
