“The analysis undertaken was based on the statistical treatment of a series of data collected according to two criteria. One criterion aimed to characterise the country in terms of its rural and urban characteristics; the other aimed to typify the dynamics of exclusion.. (…) The transformation of the data into the two typologies identified was undertaken according to a method of factorial analysis of the main components. The procedure used made for the distinction of six main types of areas (…).” (p. 16)

The various elements/entities implementing the Social Network Programme in various districts across the country expressed a need for more knowledge about the problems of poverty and social exclusion.

This is a study which supports the districts’ Social Development Diagnoses and Plans which, within the scope of the programme, needs to be undertaken.

The statistical treatment allowed the key relationships between variables to be identified. The main statistical measures of centrality and dispersion were calculated as well as the correlation coefficient between variables.

A factorial analysis method was applied to the main components revealing a group of factors which, in a statistically significant way, describe the relationships between the variables (loadings) and the units of analysis (scores).

A numerical taxonomy technique was applied to the scores criterion which resulted in groups of districts which were more similar according to their rural or urban characteristics and their dynamics of exclusion.

The results obtained consisted in the establishment of 6 territorial typologies (crossing the geographic area with the respective social exclusion indicators)in mainland Portugal:

Instituto da Segurança Social, IP
Cristina Fangueiro, tel. +351 21 3184911/ 42

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Instituto da Segurança Social, IP

research

Urban Policy

Social inclusion & integration