practice

data driven illustration: Birth Rules

This illustration presents and illustrates the article: Why the Rich are getting Richer published by Faiza Shaheen for the NEF:

Economic inequality in the UK grew dramatically during the 1980s and 90s and has remained at historically high levels. A cycle linking wealth, education, the labour market and globalisation has created the conditions for inequality to flourish and feed on itself. By examining the policies of more equal countries, we find that inequality is not inevitable and that it can be effectively tackled by addressing its root causes. The major root cause is inequality in education.

This looped illustration tells the story of the devision in the British education system, between those that can afford privat education and those that get state education. Timed against the British birthrate, translated into ‘one born every 86 seconds’,  it shows  the births of the one who will have priviledges and all those who won’t. Whilst the ordinary baby’s tumble down from the sky, the article can be read below. But when the the ‘golden baby’ arrives, that’s the moment the mothers start walking and bring the babys to their next destination. Whilst the ordinary baby’s get chucked out of the pram and walk of in a need row of drudery workers, the golden baby is offered a ladder to climb. With the babies gone, the mothers walk away and the entire sequence can start again.

This illustration is driven by the data around childbirth and around state school and privat school numbers.

the movie is a screen recording of a ‘demonstration version’ presenting the entire sequence ‘in 2.36 min, where a baby is born every 5 seconds.