My PhD research is a collaboration between Cardiff University and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The EHRC is a publicly funded body that promotes and upholds equality and human rights ideals and laws across England, Scotland and Wales. Its research and analysis is used to influence policy, inform its strategic priorities and improve people’s lives.

The EHRC is interested in the underlying causes of inequality and seeks to promote change through research that is transparent and persuasive. The EHCR are alert to the difficulties of persuading people of the existence of structural inequalities with the available data (and particularly those who are not already sympathetic to equality issues).

Statistics on race inequality highlight the main areas in which BAME groups are affected and need improvement, these are: some aspects of employment and education, crime, living standards, health and care (Is Britain fairer 2018). Nevertheless, it is difficult to demonstrate whether or not these inequalities are structural (i.e., caused by obstacles or the restriction of opportunities).

My research aims to maximise the impact of EHRC research in that it seeks to understand:

The ways in which people make sense of inequalities data and circumstances under which they interpret this data as evidence of structural inequality.