Measuring Ethno-Cultural Characteristics in Population Censuses

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Measuring Ethno-Cultural Characteristics in
Population Censuses
United Nations Economic Commission for
EuropeStatistical Division
Regional Training Workshop on Population and
Housing Censuses for South Eastern European
Countries Ohrid, 24-26 November 2008
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Context

• Data on ethnocultural characteristics are of high
  relevance in the context of migration,
  integration, minority policies
• Different topics are concerned
• Ethnicity
• Language
• Religion

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General principles (1/2)

• Ethno-cultural characteristics are  non-core 
  (optional) topics in the CES Recommendations
• Strong subjective dimension
• The free and open declaration of the respondents
  is essential
• Information on one topic cannot be derived from
  information on other topics

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General principles (2/2)

• Appropriate data security and disclosure control
  measures have to be put in place
• Classifications have to be comprehensive and
  coding procedures transparent

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Ethnicity

• Information can be collected to understand
  cultural diversity, the position and
  participation of groups in society or for
  anti-discrimination policies
• Ethnicity is distinct from language and/or
  religion but overlaps are frequent.
• Should not be confused with citizenship? Better
  to use  ethnicity  and avoid  nationality 

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EthnicityDefinition

• CES Recommendations
•  Ethnicity is based on a shared understanding
  of the history and territorial origins of an
  ethnic group or community as well as on
  particular cultural characteristics language,
  religion, customs and ways of life 

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EthnicityPractical aspects

• Respondents should be free to indicate more than
  one ethnic affiliation or a combination of two
• Questionnaires should always include an open
  question (not precoded)
• Respondents should be allowed to indicate
   none  or  not declared  when asked for their
  ethnicity
• Countries should fix rules how the ethnicity of
  children from mixed couples is determined

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EthnicityClassifications (for output)

• Classifications should be extensive, elaborated
  on the basis of scientific and socio-political
  concepts and be discussed with ethnic groups
  themselves
• Classifications should include at the finest
  levels ethnic groups, self perceived groups,
  regional and local groups
• Classifications at the highest level depend on
  national circumstances but the procedures for
  coding and aggregation should be documented and
  fully transparent

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Language

• Information can be collected to understand
  linguistic diversity or for language and minority
  policies
• Different types of data on language may be
  collected, reflecting different aspects of the
  distribution, knowledge and use of languages
• Definitions are extremely important and have to
  be spelled out for the respondents

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LanguageDifferent questions

1. Mother tongue first language spoken in the early
   childhood at home
2. Main language language which a person commands
   best
3. Language(s) most currently spoken at home and/or
   at work
4. Knowledge of language(s), defined as the ability
   to speak and/or write one or more designated
   languages

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Language Which questions for which purposes?

• Mother tongue and/or main language are asked to
  understand processes of language change and
  determine language groups and regions. ? Answers
  refer generally to one language only.
• Data on spoken languages and knowledge of
  languages are asked to understand language
  practices in everyday life and individual
  knowledge of languages. ? Questions have to
  allow for multiple answers.

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LanguagePractical aspects

• Many language groups are small. An open answer
  box should be available (without precoding)
• Classifications should be comprehensive and
  include on the finest level also regional
  dialects
• Coding and aggregation procedures should be
  clearly defined and fully transparent

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Religion

• Information on religion can be collected to
  understand religious diversity and possibly to
  develop policies with respect to members of
  religious communities
• Different types of data may be collected on
  religion, reflecting different aspects of
  religious beliefs and practices
• Data on religion are particularly sensitive and
  for privacy reasons the questions may be
  voluntary in some countries

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ReligionDefinition

• CES Recommendations
•  Religion is regarded as a set of beliefs and
  practices involving acknowledgement of a divine
  or higher being, power or principle, by which
  people order the conduct of their lifes both
  practically and in a moral sense 

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ReligionDifferent questions

• Formal membership of a church or a community
• Identification with a certain religion, religious
  community or denomination
• Religious belief
• Religion in which a person was brought up
• Religious attendance

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ReligionWhich questions for which purposes?

• Usually a question referring to the relationship
  with a religious community (membership or
  identification) is asked
• The question on the religion in which one was
  brought up informs about religious change and
  should be combined with question above
• Information on religious beliefs or religious
  practices is extremely sensitive and complicated
  in a Census, it should rather be asked in sample
  surveys.

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ReligionPractical aspects

• Questionnaires should always include open boxes
  to allow small groups to identify
• Respondents should be allowed to indicate
   none  or  not declared  when asked for their
  religion
• Countries should fix rules how the religion of
  children from mixed couples is determined

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ReligionClassifications

• Classifications should be comprehensive and
  include on the lowest level also subsets of
  religions and churches
• Classifications at the highest level depend on
  national circumstances
• Coding and classification procedures should be
  clearly defined and transparent