Beyond Indices? The potential of fuzzy set ideal type analysis for

comparative analysis of children’s well being

John Hudson and Stefan Kühner

Department of Social Policy & Social Work, University of York, UK

Overview

• Methodological paper

• Replication of UNICEF Innocenti Report Card 7

• Utilising Fuzzy Set Ideal Type Analysis

• Test potential of non-linear methods

UNICEF Study

Problems with Indices?

• Compensation effects?

• Antithetical components?

• Outliers and extreme cases?

Fuzzy Set Ideal Type Analysis

• Membership, non-membership• Calibration• Boolean algebra:

– NOT (negation principle)– AND (minimum principle)

• Venn diagram Ab aBAB

ab

Outliers and influential cases

Antithetical Components

Fuzzy Set Calibration

Dimension Reduction: (1) Simple OLS Regression/ Cook’s D(2) Bivariate correlation/principle components analysis(3) Objective knowledge

Fuzzy Set Calibration: (1) Box-plot/outliers/extreme cases(2) Adjusted means and standard deviations

Fuzzy Set Ideal Type Analysis

Material Education Family Subjective Well Being

Behaviour and

Lifestyles

Affluence AttainmentAND

Inclusion

StructuresOR

Relationships

Life AttitudeAND

Belonging

RiskAND

Health

19 Indicators

4 of 5 4 of 6 4 of 5 4 of 6 3 of 12

Health / safety: 0 of 6

Aut, Ger

Cze

Gre, Pol Den

Fin

IreSwe,Net

Hun,UK

Net

Subjective

Material

Education

Relationships

Behaviour

Por

m

k

Conclusions

• Complexity/lack of familiarity a disadvantage

• Ideal types allow simple:– Identification of exemplar– Identification of areas of weaknesses in each case

• Also:– Copes better with diversity (e.g. family)– Mitigates impact of outliers on findings

• At very least: worthy of further exploration