Changing boundaries: Overcoming modifiable areal unit problems related to unemployment data in South Africa
The longitudinal comparison of census data in spatial format is often problematic because of changes in administrative boundaries. Such shifting boundaries are referred to as the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). This article utilises unemployment data between 1991 and 2007 in South Africa to il...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Academy of Science of South Africa
2016-03-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/4062 |
| _version_ | 1811298550145875968 |
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| author | Gina Weir-Smith |
| author_facet | Gina Weir-Smith |
| author_sort | Gina Weir-Smith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The longitudinal comparison of census data in spatial format is often problematic because of changes in administrative boundaries. Such shifting boundaries are referred to as the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). This article utilises unemployment data between 1991 and 2007 in South Africa to illustrate the challenge and proposes ways to overcome it. Various censuses in South Africa use different reporting geographies. Unemployment data for magisterial districts of census 1991 and 1996 were re-modelled to the 2005 municipal boundaries. This article showed that areal interpolation to a common administrative boundary could overcome these reporting obstacles. The results confirmed more accurate interpolations in rural areas with standard errors below 3300. Conversely, the largest errors were recorded in the metropolitan areas. Huge increases in unemployment between 1996 and 2001 statistics were also evident, especially in the metropolitan areas. Although such areas are more complex in nature, making it more difficult to accurately calculate census data, the increase in unemployment could also be the result of census taking methods. The article concludes that socio-economic data should be available at the smallest possible geographic area to ensure more accurate results in interpolation. It also recommends that new output areas be conceptualised to create a seamless database of census data from 1991 to 2011 in South Africa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T06:21:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-676fd88332984487becac460f91126bf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T06:21:48Z |
| publishDate | 2016-03-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-676fd88332984487becac460f91126bf2022-12-22T02:58:37ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892016-03-011123/48810.17159/sajs.2016/201501154062Changing boundaries: Overcoming modifiable areal unit problems related to unemployment data in South AfricaGina Weir-Smith01 Research Data Management Centre, Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa 2 Honorary Research Fellow, School of Geography, Archaeology & Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaThe longitudinal comparison of census data in spatial format is often problematic because of changes in administrative boundaries. Such shifting boundaries are referred to as the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). This article utilises unemployment data between 1991 and 2007 in South Africa to illustrate the challenge and proposes ways to overcome it. Various censuses in South Africa use different reporting geographies. Unemployment data for magisterial districts of census 1991 and 1996 were re-modelled to the 2005 municipal boundaries. This article showed that areal interpolation to a common administrative boundary could overcome these reporting obstacles. The results confirmed more accurate interpolations in rural areas with standard errors below 3300. Conversely, the largest errors were recorded in the metropolitan areas. Huge increases in unemployment between 1996 and 2001 statistics were also evident, especially in the metropolitan areas. Although such areas are more complex in nature, making it more difficult to accurately calculate census data, the increase in unemployment could also be the result of census taking methods. The article concludes that socio-economic data should be available at the smallest possible geographic area to ensure more accurate results in interpolation. It also recommends that new output areas be conceptualised to create a seamless database of census data from 1991 to 2011 in South Africa.https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/4062data aggregationunemploymentareal interpolationsocio-economic trendscensus |
| spellingShingle | Gina Weir-Smith Changing boundaries: Overcoming modifiable areal unit problems related to unemployment data in South Africa South African Journal of Science data aggregation unemployment areal interpolation socio-economic trends census |
| title | Changing boundaries: Overcoming modifiable areal unit problems related to unemployment data in South Africa |
| title_full | Changing boundaries: Overcoming modifiable areal unit problems related to unemployment data in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Changing boundaries: Overcoming modifiable areal unit problems related to unemployment data in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changing boundaries: Overcoming modifiable areal unit problems related to unemployment data in South Africa |
| title_short | Changing boundaries: Overcoming modifiable areal unit problems related to unemployment data in South Africa |
| title_sort | changing boundaries overcoming modifiable areal unit problems related to unemployment data in south africa |
| topic | data aggregation unemployment areal interpolation socio-economic trends census |
| url | https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/4062 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ginaweirsmith changingboundariesovercomingmodifiablearealunitproblemsrelatedtounemploymentdatainsouthafrica |