Test and treat — community perspectives

Présentation oraleInternational audiencen.

De l'île de Ré à l’île d’Arros:Récits, symboles et statistiques dans l'expérience du bouclier fiscal (2005-2011)

Comment expliquer que des responsables politiques puissent conduire des politiques fiscales à l’avantage des plus riches, tout en obtenant l’assentiment de la majorité de la population ? À travers l’étude de la genèse puis de la suppression du bouclier fiscal, entre 2005 et 2011, cet article montre comment ses promoteurs ont su utiliser les symboles, les récits et les statistiques pour maintenir un voile d’ignorance quant à la position sociale des bénéficiaires. D’instrument destiné à protéger les contribuables de l’impôt, ce dispositif est pourtant devenu en quelques années l’incarnation du clientélisme politique. Les symboles offrent des ressources pour la construction des problèmes publics, mais peuvent aussi devenir des stigmates lorsque la réalité se révèle trop éloignée de la fiction imaginée. Cette étude met ainsi en lumière la dimension dynamique et évolutive de la construction des problèmes publics.Political science has been struggling for a number of years with a democratic puzzle: how is it that upwardly-redistributive policies, which grant significant tax cuts to rich people, seem to be supported by a majority of voters? Is this due to misinformation, political obfuscation, or a shift in the moral attitudes towards taxation and redistribution? Through an analysis of the French ‘bouclier fiscal’ (tax shield), which was created in 2005 and abolished in 2011, we stress the major role played by symbols, narratives and numbers in the evolving representations of tax inequality. Initially conceived as a tool that would protect all taxpayers from excessive taxation, this measure became increasingly perceived as embodying client politics, especially after 2009-2010. We argue that symbols, when used in politics, may help frame public issues, but also lead to political weakness when reality appears to be too distanced from constructed narratives

Bayesian learning in the absence of training data, by embedding model parameters into support of the likelihood: applications to astrophysics

In this thesis I introduce a method on addressing the problem of learning in the absence of training data, when information on the distribution of the system parameters and of the observable that influences such parameters are also lacking. Additionally, it can be anticipated that the relation between the system parameter and observable vector, is nonlinear. I introduce the method for a stationary dynamical system for which the temporal evolution of the state space probability density function (pdf) is known, by embedding the sought system parameters into the support of the likelihood of the state space pdf. This allows to learn (the discretised versions of) the relevant system function as well as the state space pdf, using the only available test data on the observable. Inference is carried out using a Metropolis-within-Gibbs Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) scheme. I illustrate this new method empirically, by learning the system property of the real galaxy NGC4494 – namely its gravitational mass density function – and the pdf of the galactic state space vector, where test data comprises measured values of only half of the state space coordinates of resolved particles of the galaxy. Two distinct test datasets available for two distinct types of galactic particles are used. On the basis of my work, I reject the hypothesis that the state space pdf could be modelled using a parametric density that is symmetric about any point in its support. Additionally, the results show a large gravitational mass condensation near the centre of this galaxy, but I cannot reject the hypothesis that this central mass condensation is the supermassive black hole reported by some astronomers in NGC4494. Learning in this galaxy is conditional on the assumption of a simple (isotropic) model for the galactic state space. Then in the very distant galaxy 0047-281, I investigate if invoking ancillary information (comprising analysis of gravitational lensing measurements) can identify the solution for the galactic gravitational mass density, in spite of this potentially mis-specified model. I conclude that including the ancillary information definitely introduces identifiability to the mass density parameters, even within the given mis-specified model.</div

‘For God and my country’ – fighting the (spirits of) violence and chaos in Uganda’s elections

Through prayer, civic education, summons, pastoral letters and the public blessing of politicians, religious leaders have been doing their best over the past few months to influence the Ugandan elections held February 18th this year. In the limelight, many of the nation’s most prominent religious leaders have campaigned for peaceful, free and fair elections, while others use their pulpits and radio stations to openly campaign for particular parties and candidates. In this post we explore the impact of their efforts

The Role of Informal Conversations in Generating Data, and the Ethical and Methodological Issues They Raise

Arguing that the role of informal conversations in qualitative social and educational research methodologies is contested but also relatively neglected, in this article we set out how the method has influenced our research approaches and practice. We use an example of a conversation between one of us and a participant to highlight their nuanced and specific nature, and to raise and interrogate a number of ethical and methodological issues that emerge. We view informal conversations as opportunities to add "context" and "authenticity" to data and argue that they can unlock otherwise missed opportunities to expand and enrich data. We also consider the role of ethical boards and ethical guidelines, and the practical effects and consequences these have for researchers when they use informal conversations during their fieldwork

Religious (de)politicisation in Uganda's 2016 elections

Religion has influenced Ugandan politics ever since colonial times. While the interrelations of religion and politics have altered since the coming to power of president Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM), religion continues to influence Ugandan public culture and formal politics in important ways. Building on ethnographic fieldwork in Kampala and Acholi, as well as analysis of media reporting and discussions in social media, this article focuses on the role of religious leaders during Uganda’s 2016 parliamentary and presidential elections. We argue that the striking differences between Ugandan clerics’ teaching on politics relate in part to genuine differences in religious beliefs, but also to patronage, intimidation, and ethnicity, and to the strategic calculations religious leaders make about how best to affect change in a constricted political environment. In discussion with previous research on religion and politics in Africa, and utilising analytical concepts from the study of publics, the article proposes a model of religious (de)politicisation, whereby both the politicising and depoliticising effects of religion are acknowledged. To do so, the analysis distinguishes between NGO-ised and enchanted planes of religion, and shows that on both planes, religion contributed simultaneously to enhancing and diminishing the space for public debate in election-time Uganda. While many religious leaders actively or silently supported the incumbent regime, religious leaders also took vocal public stands, fostered political action, and catered for vernacular imaginaries of political critique, by so doing expanding the space of public debate. However, by performing public debate that remained vague on crucial issues, and by promoting a religious narrative of peace, religious leaders participated in the enactment of a façade of political debate, in so doing legitimising the autocratic facets of Museveni’s hybrid regime. Acknowledging religion as an important constituent of public culture contributes to more nuanced understandings of election dynamics in Eastern Africa.Peer reviewe

Editorial

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The Role of Informal Conversations in Generating Data, and the Ethical and Methodological Issues

Ausgehend von dem Argument, dass die Rolle informeller Gespräche in qualitativen Methoden der Sozial- und Bildungsforschung umstritten, aber auch relativ vernachlässigt ist, stellen wir in diesem Artikel dar, wie diese Gespräche unsere Forschungsansätze und -praxis beeinflusst haben. Wir verwenden ein Beispiel aus einer eigenen Studie, um ihre nuancierte und spezifische Natur hervorzuheben und eine Reihe von sich ergebenden ethischen und methodischen Fragen aufzuwerfen und zu hinterfragen. Wir betrachten informelle Gespräche als Möglichkeit, Daten mit "Kontext" und "Authentizität" zu versehen und andernfalls verpasste Möglichkeiten zur Erweiterung und Anreicherung von Daten zu erschließen. Wir berücksichtigen auch die Rolle von Ethikkommissionen und Ethikrichtlinien sowie die praktischen Auswirkungen und Konsequenzen, die diese für Forscher_innen haben, wenn sie während ihrer Feldarbeit informelle Gespräche führen.Arguing that the role of informal conversations in qualitative social and educational research methodologies is contested but also relatively neglected, in this article we set out how the method has influenced our research approaches and practice. We use an example of a conversation between one of us and a participant to highlight their nuanced and specific nature, and to raise and interrogate a number of ethical and methodological issues that emerge. We view informal conversations as opportunities to add "context" and "authenticity" to data and argue that they can unlock otherwise missed opportunities to expand and enrich data. We also consider the role of ethical boards and ethical guidelines, and the practical effects and consequences these have for researchers when they use informal conversations during their fieldwork