Research project SS/S05 (Research action SS)
This resource centre builds up empirical databases and research methods and techniques, with specific application to the field of income distribution, poverty, distribution of social goods and services and policy with respect to these.
The gathering of empirical data occurs through surveys of a representative sample of the population as a whole (UFSIA), or a sample with an overweighing of the lowest income categories (FUNDP). These surveys are repeated at regular intervals in order to allow longitudinal analyses. Collaboration with the "family demographics panel" resource centre has been initiated to this end. More carefully targeted samples (e.g. of social services clients or of an urban population) is also used to gather data on socio-psychological factors affecting poverty (UMH).
As far as research methods and techniques for measuring poverty and the impact of social security are concerned, the resource centre offers scope for a quantitative, socio-economic approach (poverty lines, equivalence scales, indicators relating to the efficiency of social security, empirical micro-simulation models, etc. - UFSIA-FUNDP) and for a quantitative and qualitative, socio-psychological approach (statistical analysis techniques, content analysis, participatory research, information on socio-educational assistance, development of support projects, etc. - UMH).
