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The Census – a useful tool?

The Census – a useful tool?. Malcolm Macourt Honorary Research Fellow Centre for Census and Survey Research University of Manchester. A question on religion in 1861. ‘religious profession’ factual question requiring no interpretation each had an answer which could be declared openly.

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The Census – a useful tool?

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  1. The Census – a useful tool? Malcolm Macourt Honorary Research Fellow Centre for Census and Survey Research University of Manchester

  2. A question on religion in 1861 • ‘religious profession’ • factual question requiring no interpretation • each had an answer which could be declared openly

  3. For many: a real question with a real answer Church attenders Adherents to the beliefs of established bodies For others: a serious decision between ‘none’ and an established denomination A ‘cultural’ answer Past memories A question on religion now?

  4. A new religious movement • Adherence to a coherent set of beliefs or rituals • Sufficient to be declared a religion?

  5. religions long-established elsewhere • Islam • Hinduism • Buddhist • Divisions within these religions? • Shi’a, Sunni and Kharijite • Hare Krishna

  6. Northern Ireland De jure ‘Confidentiality’ alteration to results 3 religion questions ‘brought up in’ RC, Pres, CofI, Meth Confusion over none and no statement Republic of Ireland De facto No apparent alterations for ‘confidentiality’ One religion question RC – then CofI – then Pres, Muslim, Orth, Meth, ‘Christian’ None, no statement One island: two censuses

  7. Northern Ireland 2001 Totals by gender only Province-wide only Individual titles such as Salvation Army (1,640), Wicca (50) and Satanism (13). Republic of Ireland 2006 Totals by gender for Regional Authority Areas A few individual titles: Baha’i (504), Brethren (365) Otherwise groups: ‘evangelical’ (5,276), ‘pantheist’ (1,691) Recording and publishing data

  8. Counting • The people of God? • Can they be counted? • Are their numbers exaggerated? • Is religion an appropriate focus for a question in the census?

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