Ordinal Variables and the Measurement of Polarization

This paper aims at proposing measures of polarization for the distribution of a variable when information on the latter is only ordinal. The measures proposed are borrowed from the recent literature on the measurement of segregation. An empirical illustration is given, based on the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) for the year 2008. The ordinal variable refers to the „ability to make ends meet? and polarization is measured between groups defined by the citizenship of the household member who answered the household questionnaire. Results show that Luxembourg and Estonia have the highest degree of polarization whereas Cyprus, Ireland and the United Kingdom display the lowest degree.