Conference Presentations by Stavros Spyrellis
The paper explores the spatial distribution of unequal performance in secondary education and att... more The paper explores the spatial distribution of unequal performance in secondary education and attempts to model its relation with social and urban inequalities. Educational achievement is measured by the yearly performance (for a specific grade) as well as by the performance in the admission examinations to tertiary education. The data on educational achievement are school averages covering the entirety of several hundreds of school units in the Athens Metropolitan Area for the mid 2000s. Through a GIS application schools and their performances were related to the social and urban characteristics of their surrounding residential areas (census tracts). The independent variables in the explanatory model of educational performance include the social (occupational composition, housing conditions, education level etc) and urban characteristics (centrality, land use etc) of residential areas around each school, as well as control variables pertaining to school quality (e.g. teacher/pupil ratio, percentage of teachers with a post-graduate degree).
[Contributors: Andromachi HADJIYANNI , Antoinetta CAPELLA , Stavros SIRIGOS , Stavros-Nikiforos SPYRELLIS , Despoina VALASSI]
Working papers by Stavros Spyrellis
The paper explores the relation of educational performance with social and urban inequalities in ... more The paper explores the relation of educational performance with social and urban inequalities in the Athens Metropolitan Area of the mid 2000s. It draws on discussions about education as a mechanism of social reproduction and on work about education inequalities in Greece, and in particular in Athens, where a socially more diversified secondary education than in the rest of the country leads to a rather open, but at the same time socially unequal higher education. The democratization of higher education has substantially increased during the 1980s and 1990s, but was accompanied by a clearer social demarcation amongst Faculties and Departments, and by the considerable losses of social mobility prospects suffered by the lower tier of higher education diplomas. The paper focuses on the crucial transition from secondary to higher education, relating the performance of candidates in the national admissions examination to the social position of their families, to the types of secondary schools they attended and to the social profile of the areas where they live.
Papers by Stavros Spyrellis
Geographies, Mar 7, 2024
Recent treatment of accommodation and arrival infrastructures for asylum seekers and refugees has... more Recent treatment of accommodation and arrival infrastructures for asylum seekers and refugees has fuelled international research on refugee reception policies in urban environments and on the consequences of related initiatives of the European Union and international organizations such as the UNHCR. Using Athens as a case study, this article provides empirical evidence to revive the theoretical treatment of the importance of arrival and accommodation infrastructures in urban areas in transition. We collected and compiled data from four sources: the 2011 population census, the 2018 ESTIA accommodation program and the UNHCR Site Management Support (SMS) Reports of Temporary Accommodation Sites and Reception and Identification Centres (RICs), and a primary survey of services for asylum seekers and refugees. After the geocoding of data, we calculate indices for key dimensions of the segregation of accommodated asylum seekers and foreign nationals. We discuss the findings, seeking to highlight how the location and the composition of accommodation infrastructures has been influenced by a wider process of urban change and adaptations to global forces, leading not only to the transformation of inner-city zones but also suburban and peri-urban areas.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), May 16, 2023
The research team is grateful to all the participants in the two focus groups discussions in Ioan... more The research team is grateful to all the participants in the two focus groups discussions in Ioannina and the informants from the city's administration. Special thanks to Eva Kašperová (CREME) for her guidance and to all MILE project partners for helpful suggestions in developing the report.
Urban Studies, Mar 26, 2019
Méditerranée, Nov 1, 2016
This paper is about vertical segregation in Athens and the ways it has evolved up to the early 20... more This paper is about vertical segregation in Athens and the ways it has evolved up to the early 2010s. Vertical segregation refers to social stratification by floor of residence in the typical apartment building that dominates the city’s housing stock. Unlike its Parisian precedent, vertical segregation in Athens was developed much more recently (third quarter of the 20th Century), its social hierarchy is in the opposite direction (wealthier households occupy the higher rather than the lower floors) and its importance is not marginal, since it affects more than a fifth of the metropolitan population.Mapping vertical segregation is a challenge since the different groups –social or ethnic– are located the one on top of the other. Ordinary segregation mapping depicts the areas of vertical segregation as mixed areas, but provides no indication on whether they are simply mixed or their population is also vertically stratified according to class or ethnicity. The paper introduces a mapping technique to overcome this difficulty.
EchoGéo, Feb 22, 2017
EchoGéo est mis à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Attribution -Pas d'... more EchoGéo est mis à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Attribution -Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale -Pas de Modification 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND) Un nouvel atlas en ligne : l'Atlas social d'Athènes EchoGéo, 39 | 2017
Bulletin de correspondance hellénique moderne et contemporain
Cet article explore les dynamiques et les tendances de la géographie sociale d’Athènes, en mettan... more Cet article explore les dynamiques et les tendances de la géographie sociale d’Athènes, en mettant l’accent sur le rôle de l’espace bâti dans les zones centrales et denses de la ville dominées par des immeubles à plusieurs étages (polykatoikia) construits sous le système de « antiparochi » ou contre-prestation. Il s’appuie sur une méthodologie mixte, combinant différentes échelles spatiales, ainsi que sur des questionnements produits par le programme de recherche ISTOPOL. Dans cet article, nous nous focalisons sur deux immeubles, situés dans les quartiers centraux Ampelokipi et Agios Panteleimonas, ce qui nous permet une première analyse du matériel approfondi collecté dans le cadre du programme de recherche. Dans un premier temps, il s’agit de discuter brièvement comment la ségrégation, en tant que phénomène qui décrit les fortes différenciations spatiales, sociales, économiques, professionnelles, ethniques ou autres, qui s’inscrivent dans l’espace urbain, est étudiée dans le cadre du contexte athénien. Dans un deuxième temps, l’article tente de revisiter des questions déjà soulevées dans le débat scientifique à propos des mutations socio-spatiales contemporaines dans l’espace sud-européen, en adoptant une approche à micro-échelle dans l’analyse de l’historique de deux immeubles d’habitation typiques athéniens et de la réalité actuelle de ses habitants.
Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Oct 25, 2022
The study of residential segregation and its implications in urban space follows long and differe... more The study of residential segregation and its implications in urban space follows long and differentiated scientific traditions around the globe. This chapter focuses on segregation and coexistaence by providing an overview of the relevant scientific debates focused on the case of Athens. Special emphasis is placed on the conceptualisation of “vertical micro-segregation”. By tracing the evolution of the local scientific debate, the aim is to discuss the role played by the context in the conceptualisation and study of segregation in Athens. Low segregation levels in Athens directed scientific research to socio-spatial hierarchies and divisions at the micro-scale. In this context, the typical Athenian multi-storey apartment building became a prominent terrain for the study of (vertical) socio-spatial inequalities and terms of coexistence at the micro-level of everyday life. As discussed in this chapter, low levels of (horizontal) segregation do not necessarily impede the increase of socio-spatial inequalities and polarisation. These observations raise serious questions about the assumptions embedded in conceptualisation of segregation globally. For Athens in particular, they call for further research about the impact of past and current developments in the housing sector on the restructurings of the social geography of Athens.
A distinctive feature of Greek agriculture is its important position in the economy and society. ... more A distinctive feature of Greek agriculture is its important position in the economy and society. Depending on the state of the national economy, and especially in times of economic recession, different population groups may consider agriculture as either a “sector of departure” or a “sector of arrival”. In Greece, migrant labour has become a major component of agricultural production and rural development, especially in areas where intensive agricultural systems prevail. The aim of this paper is to critically discuss the contribution of migrant employment to Greek agriculture in recent decades. First, the paper provides an overview of the academic discussion concerning migrants in rural Greece, offering a framework for interpreting migrant employment in Greek agriculture. This is followed by an analytical account of the structural characteristics of the Greek agricultural sector. Next, the focus turns to the changing features of migrant labour in Greek agriculture since the early 19...
Urban Studies, 2019
This paper investigates the relationship among length of educational training, social origin and ... more This paper investigates the relationship among length of educational training, social origin and residential segregation in Athens using a large sample of 130,000 young individuals 15 to 27 years old, as recorded in the 2011 census. Hypotheses based on high binary correlations between the length of training and a number of variables indicating social origin and the social status of residential areas were tested with a generalised linear mixed model to determine the significance of the influence of these variables on the length of educational training. A separate analysis was conducted for each age group, roughly corresponding to education levels – upper secondary (15–18 years old), undergraduate (19–22 years) and postgraduate (23–27 years). It was assumed that at each level the range and the shape of the socially and spatially unequal access to education would be significantly different. A scenario regarding the city’s important vertical segregation was also explored. It was assumed...
Méditerranée, 2016
This paper is about vertical segregation in Athens and the ways it has evolved up to the early 20... more This paper is about vertical segregation in Athens and the ways it has evolved up to the early 2010s. Vertical segregation refers to social stratification by floor of residence in the typical apartment building that dominates the city’s housing stock. Unlike its Parisian precedent, vertical segregation in Athens was developed much more recently (third quarter of the 20th Century), its social hierarchy is in the opposite direction (wealthier households occupy the higher rather than the lower floors) and its importance is not marginal, since it affects more than a fifth of the metropolitan population.Mapping vertical segregation is a challenge since the different groups –social or ethnic– are located the one on top of the other. Ordinary segregation mapping depicts the areas of vertical segregation as mixed areas, but provides no indication on whether they are simply mixed or their population is also vertically stratified according to class or ethnicity. The paper introduces a mapping technique to overcome this difficulty.
Cybergeo, 2015
Cet article se propose d’etudier si les lycees atheniens revelent et/ou reproduisent les structur... more Cet article se propose d’etudier si les lycees atheniens revelent et/ou reproduisent les structures sociales qui les entourent. La methodologie employee consiste a classer des ecoles publiques secondaires selon les resultats scolaires et a les juxtaposer aux inegalites observees dans leur environnement spatial, socio-professionnel et educatif. La reussite scolaire est mesuree par la performance a l'examen national d'admission a l'enseignement superieur. Les donnees individuelles des eleves au niveau de chaque ecole sont ensuite agregees afin de demontrer comment la variation peut etre liee a des caracteristiques sociales. En utilisant une application SIG et des statistiques d'analyse de correspondance, nous avons produit un indicateur de profil socio-economique et educatif autour de chaque ecole. Cette analyse confirme le manque de « democratisation » du systeme educatif athenien. La performance y apparait comme fortement liee a la profession et la reussite scolaire, tandis que la composition ethnique et le niveau de vie semblent jouer un role important.
The paper explores the spatial distribution of educational performance in the Athens Metropolitan... more The paper explores the spatial distribution of educational performance in the Athens Metropolitan Area (AMA) of the mid 2000s and attempts to model its relation with social and urban inequalities. It draws on rich discussions about education as a mechanism of social reproduction and, especially, about educational structures and processes in urban areas, as well as on related policies and family strategies. It also draws on work regarding education inequalities in Greece, and in particular in Athens, where a socially diversified secondary education -with a functionally important private segment at the topleads to a rather democratic access to higher education. This access has substantially increased during the last 20 years, but it was followed by a much higher social selectivity amongst university Faculties and Departments, and by the substantial loss of social mobility prospects that the lower tier of these Faculties and Departments traditionally offered. The paper focuses on the crucial transition between secondary and higher education, relating the performance of candidates in the national admissions examination to the social profile of its outcome, to the types of secondary schools and to the social profile of residential areas candidates originate from.
Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography, 2012
ABSTRACT
Land, 2024
Roma groups in Greece are a long-standing socially deprived population that faces extreme social ... more Roma groups in Greece are a long-standing socially deprived population that faces extreme social exclusion and segregation. Their marginalization includes limited access to education, employment, and housing. This paper explores their spatial position and social exclusion, comparing the social profile and life conditions in two case studies of Roma settlements with those of the municipal and regional units to which they belong. Methodologically, we analyze quantitative data from the 2011 Population Census to measure life conditions at three levels (settlement, municipal unit, regional unit), and we also use qualitative data from interviews with representatives of local agencies and residents of the two settlements to document our hypotheses on the causal relations between the spatial position and the social exclusion of Roma groups. The comparison shows that the two Roma settlements are clearly different from their entourage, assembling the lowest positions in the labor market, the weakest performances in education, the largest households, and the worst housing conditions. This case of extreme social exclusion in ghettoized spatial proximity raises the question about the significance of micro-segregation and the way it works in different contexts, as well as the need for further research for a more comprehensive understanding of the relation between social inequality and spatial distance.
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Conference Presentations by Stavros Spyrellis
[Contributors: Andromachi HADJIYANNI , Antoinetta CAPELLA , Stavros SIRIGOS , Stavros-Nikiforos SPYRELLIS , Despoina VALASSI]
Working papers by Stavros Spyrellis
Papers by Stavros Spyrellis
[Contributors: Andromachi HADJIYANNI , Antoinetta CAPELLA , Stavros SIRIGOS , Stavros-Nikiforos SPYRELLIS , Despoina VALASSI]
The entries are as diverse as the city they refer to, in terms of size and accompanying material. Some articles analyse the entire metropolitan area, for example the geographic distribution of Athenians according to their income. Others, on the contrary, focus on one residential quarter (for example, Kypseli) or even on one street only (Ippokratous Str.). The articles have been classified under thematic groups. In this sense, the atlas is more of a reference book, a broad thematic dictionary of Athens and not a traditional collective volume with closely related individual chapters that follow a central idea. In addition, the interpretations included in each entry do not necessarily reflect one overall viewpoint. They reflect the views of their authors, who were asked to express them freely, provided they could substantiate them.