Measuring concepts such as inclusivity requires us to define it, identify indicators and measures, and develop methodology to model the reality on the ground. Similar to many other projects measuring other social and economic processes, developing a diagnostic tool to measure inclusivity has its own challenges but we hope our model can spark a conversation on new learnings in promoting inclusivity.
Some of the completed and ongoing projects in this area are:
- Inclusiveness Index measures the degree of marginalization experienced by different groups across different societal settings and social cleavages, such as LGBT, race/ethnicity, and religion, and other forms of marginality and stratification. The goal of the Inclusiveness Index initiative was to identify policies, interventions and other levers that have proven effective at ameliorating marginality and promoting inclusivity and equity. The Index is a diagnostic instrument intended to help us pursue that goal by illustrating how U.S. states and nation-states fare relative to each other in terms of inclusivity and marginality.
- Analyzing Belonging in our Communities: In collaboration with RAND Corporation and Charles Kamasaki @UNIDOS, this project was conducted to empirically measure belongingness in our communities, to analyze the racial impacts of COVID-19, and to characterize how youth perceive and how youth-led efforts have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. This project was completed through four distinct phases. Our empirical research covered the first two phases and analyzed how neighborhood characteristics and approaches that promote belonging and inclusion may help to mitigate these differential impacts. Our approach combines empirical analysis, and applies the lens of racial segregation as an analytical framework to address disparities and explore belonging as an essential element of the solution.
