Measuring Ethno-Cultural Characteristics in Population Censuses

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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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 »

6. 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 »

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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 knowledgeof languages are asked to understand language practices in everyday life and individual knowledge of languages.  Questions have to allow for multiple answers.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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 »

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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