Place Studies: Methodology and Fieldwork

This lesson prepares you for the fieldwork and place study components of the Diverse Places topic. It addresses the Edexcel A-Level Geography Paper 2 (9GE0) requirement to understand how diverse places are studied, including both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, fieldwork approaches, and ethical considerations.

Edexcel requires students to study at least two contrasting places — one of which should be local. This lesson provides the methodological toolkit for investigating the population character, diversity, perceptions and management of places.

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The Place Study Requirement

For the Diverse Places topic, you should be able to:

1. Describe and explain the population character of at least two places
2. Compare and contrast these places using both quantitative data and qualitative evidence
3. Explain the processes that have shaped their character (historical, economic, social, policy, environmental)
4. Evaluate how effectively diversity is managed in each place
5. Use fieldwork to gather primary data about a place's character and perceptions

Choosing Contrasting Places

The most effective place studies contrast places that differ significantly:

Contrast Type	Place 1	Place 2	What the Contrast Reveals
Urban vs rural	Tower Hamlets (super-diverse London borough)	North Norfolk (very low diversity, ageing population)	How migration, economy and location shape diversity
Diverse urban vs less diverse urban	Newham (most diverse borough)	Havering (least diverse London borough)	How places within the same city can differ dramatically
Rapid-change vs slow-change	Boston, Lincolnshire (rapid EU migration)	Berwick-upon-Tweed (very little demographic change)	Impact of pace and scale of change
Successful integration vs tension	Leicester (relatively successful)	Bradford (more contested)	What makes diversity management work

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Quantitative Methods

Quantitative methods provide measurable, comparable data about population character.

Census Data

The Census (most recently conducted in 2021) is the single most important data source for studying diverse places:

Census Variable	Use in Place Study	Limitations
Ethnic group	Map diversity; calculate Index of Diversity	Fixed categories may not capture fluid identities; self-reported; 10-year gaps
Country of birth	Identify migration origins; distinguish first-generation from later	Does not capture second/third generation diversity
Religion	Map religious diversity; identify faith communities	May not reflect strength of belief; "cultural" vs practising
Main language	Map linguistic diversity; identify EAL needs	Does not capture multilingualism well
Age structure	Build population pyramids; calculate dependency ratios	Snapshot in time; does not show change
Qualifications	Map educational attainment; identify skills gaps	Does not capture informal skills or overseas qualifications
Occupation	Map socio-economic structure (NS-SEC)	Does not capture quality of work (zero-hours, part-time)
Tenure	Map housing patterns (owned, rented, social)	Does not capture housing quality or overcrowding well

Census data is available at multiple scales: national, regional, local authority, ward, LSOA and (for some variables) Output Area (approximately 300 people). The ability to work at LSOA level is particularly useful for Diverse Places, as it reveals within-area variation that borough-level statistics conceal.

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)

The IMD ranks every LSOA in England by deprivation across seven domains. It is invaluable for understanding the socio-economic context of diverse places:

graph TD
    A["Index of Multiple Deprivation<br/>(IMD)"] --> B["Income Deprivation<br/>(22.5%)"]
    A --> C["Employment Deprivation<br/>(22.5%)"]
    A --> D["Education, Skills & Training<br/>(13.5%)"]
    A --> E["Health Deprivation & Disability<br/>(13.5%)"]
    A --> F["Crime<br/>(9.3%)"]
    A --> G["Barriers to Housing & Services<br/>(9.3%)"]
    A --> H["Living Environment<br/>(9.3%)"]

Other Quantitative Data Sources

Source	Data Provided	Use
ONS mid-year population estimates	Annual population estimates between censuses	Track population change year by year
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE)	Median wages by area and sector	Compare economic well-being between places
Claimant Count	Unemployment benefit claimants by area	Measure economic distress
NOMIS labour market statistics	Employment, unemployment, economic inactivity by area	Detailed labour market analysis
Crime statistics (police.uk)	Recorded crime by neighbourhood	Map crime and perceptions of safety
School performance data	GCSE results, Ofsted ratings, EAL statistics by school	Assess educational outcomes in diverse places
NHS data	Health outcomes by area; GP registration data	Health inequalities in diverse places
House price data (Land Registry)	Property prices and transactions by postcode	Track gentrification and affordability

Using Quantitative Data: An Example

Comparing Tower Hamlets and North Norfolk using quantitative data:

Indicator	Tower Hamlets	North Norfolk
Population (2021)	310,300	104,600
Median age	30	54
% White British	22.1%	94.6%
% Born outside UK	39%	5%
Index of Diversity	0.76	0.10
IMD rank (1 = most deprived)	49th / 317	151st / 317
Median household income	£33,000	£26,000
Male life expectancy	79.8 years	81.3 years
Claimant count (% working age)	5.2%	3.1%
% with degree+ qualifications	50%	28%

This quantitative comparison immediately reveals the scale of difference between the two places. But it does not explain why they differ, how residents experience these differences, or what the lived reality of diversity (or homogeneity) feels like.

Exam Tip: Always present quantitative data in tables for clarity and comparison. Show that you can use data at different scales (national, local authority, ward, LSOA). And always acknowledge the limitations of quantitative data — particularly the ecological fallacy and the gap between statistics and lived experience.

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Qualitative Methods

Qualitative methods capture the subjective, experiential dimension of diverse places.

Semi-Structured Interviews

Purpose: To understand how residents perceive, experience and feel about their place.

Methodology:

• Prepare a topic guide (not a rigid script) covering key themes: length of residence, sense of belonging, perception of change, experience of diversity, community networks
• Interview a stratified sample representing different age groups, ethnicities, lengths of residence and socio-economic backgrounds
• Record interviews (with consent) and transcribe for analysis
• Code transcripts for recurring themes using thematic analysis

Example interview questions for a Diverse Places study:

1. How long have you lived here? What made you come to this area?
2. How would you describe this neighbourhood to someone who has never visited?
3. What do you like most about living here? What do you like least?
4. Has the area changed since you arrived? How? How does that make you feel?
5. Do you feel you belong here? Why or why not?
6. Do you interact regularly with people from different backgrounds? Where and how?

Questionnaire Surveys

Purpose: To gather standardised data on perceptions and experiences from a larger sample.