The Predictive Postcode: The Geodemographic Classification of British Society

Geodemographic classification systems are one of the exemplar technologies of “commercial sociology”. This book is a detailed, empirical investigation into the question of whether academic social research can compete with the commercial sector, with its new technologies and big data, in order to classify, profile, and understand us.

Richard Webber, the originator and developer of widely used commercial geodemographic classifications such as Acorn and Mosaic, and Roger Burrows, a critical interdisciplinary social scientist, have come together to produce a joint inquiry that aims to compare and contrast both a geodemographic vision of contemporary British society, and one produced by the academic social sciences.

Students and researchers interested in social change in British society will find much to interest them. The book explores questions of population profiling, classifying, and their consequences in the brave new world of “big data”.