Brief Description

A short classroom census is used to convey the rationale and basic methodology of the Census of Population, which is then looked at in more detail. The problems of question design and (briefly) confidentiality are considered, and the Census data is used to provide information and to make comparisons between regions and over a period of time.

Design Time: 4-5 hours.

Aims and Objectives

On completion of this unit pupils should be able to discuss the nature, purpose and timing of the Census of Population, to read data from tables, to make simple comparisons and to calculate a simple statistic such as mean household size. They will have practised drawing information from a questionnaire, drawing bar charts, devising suitable questions for a questionnaire and working out percentage increases in popuhtion. They meet examples of making projections from census data and of deciding what information to collect. They should be more aware of the importance and difficulty of good questionnaire design, the problems of reaching everyone in a national census and how this is done in the Census of Population, how confidentiality can be preserved in giving statistical information, the basic information collected in the Census of Population and how it can be used.

Prerequisites

Pupils need to be able to construct frequency tables, to draw bar charts with discrete data, to find the mode and range from a set of discrete data, to read simple tables and to divide by a decimal such as 7.45. Optional work requires pupils to know how to calculate the mean from a frequency table and to calculate percentage increases. The word statistic is used in this unit as a summary measure of a set of observations.

Equipment and Planning

See the bibliography at the end for suitable literature. A copy of the blank census form used in the last census would be useful, especially in Section B. Pupils need paper on which to complete a simple questionnaire in Section A2, which is handed in for collation and used in A3. The collection needs a prepared blank table either on paper or on the blackboard. General discussion is useful in many parts of Sections A and B as some of the important points are subtle and may be missed by individual pupils. Optional section A3h to 1 is on overcrowding and can be done by quicker pupils or omitted if it would prove socially embarrassing. Optional questions C2e, C3d to i, and C4h are more difficult and are for the more able pupil.

Detailed Notes

Section A

In this unit the term census is used to imply that all members of the appropriate population are contacted. A survey may contact all the population or only some of the population (a sample survey). This terminology is not universally accepted.

Some people use the term 'census' when the information collected is concerned with straight-forward statistical counts or classification, as in the Census of Population. A survey would then go beyond this to find opinions, etc. A fuller discussion of this point is in the book by C. A. Moser.

A1
Discussion should show that the questions can be interpreted differently and hence are poor.

A2
The official definitions show the care needed to ensure consistent interpretation of the Census form. The questionnaire in b is on paper to preserve confidentiality. The names are only recorded to ensure a complete set of replies. The household is defined in terms of buildings (and not relationships) for convenience. The term share housekeeping may need explanation. The official definition of a room is a space enclosed by some combination of walls, doors and windows. Pupils can read A5 while the class data is being collected and collated. Alternatively, the pupils can write their results on the blackboard, but this removes the confidentiality between members of the class.

A3
b, e Pupils may need reminding that the numbers on the x-axis should be under the centre of the bars and not on the boundaries. Either distribution may be bimodal. Usually the mode and range of rooms are higher than the mode and range of household size.

The optional end part of this section uses the class data to give a statistic measuring overcrowding. It can be omitted if potentially embarrassing.

A4
Individual answers get absorbed in the overall picture and cannot be deduced. This erlsures confidentiality of information from the casual reader. All Census officials are sworn to secrecy.

a, b The answer is no, except that he does know the range in which your answers lie. In the Census of Population, results can be aggregated for district councils, parliamentary constituencies, counties, standard regions, England and Wales, Scotland, Britain and the United Kingdom.

A5
The method of the Census of Population is described to show how the O.P.C.S. answers the problems posed in a and b. The sort of persons that are difficult to reach include tramps, travellers, caretakers, night-shift workers and people hiding from the police. About 800 tramps were recorded in Lond on in 1971. The arrangements try to ensure that everyone in a building on Census night is counted. People abroad on holiday might also still be missed.

Section B

This section considers the why, when, how and what of the Census of Population.

B1
The specific questions in italics can be used to lead on to a general discussion on the reasons for having a census. The results are used by central government, local authorities and industry (amongst others), Buildings such as nursing homes, hospitals, places for Darby and Joan clubs, sports centres, schools, colleges and facilities such as bowling greens and discotheques all need planning ahead. There is a need to know how many people will be involved and where different age groups hve. The facts in e can largely be obtained from the Census data. Population estimates are kept up-to-date including latest birth and death data and estimates of migration figures from passenger surveys. As well as extensive Census publications the O.P.C.S. conducts the Social Surveys. From the Census specific cross-tabulations can be supplied on order in an agreed format for small area statistics.

B2
There was no Census in 1941 because of war. National Registration (1939) was used in place of this to correct estimates based on the 1931 Census. It would be too expensive to carry out a Census every year and it is not necessary. It also takes several years to compile and produce all the data from a Census.

B3
Questions are tried out oq a sample of people before being used on a census form. The second question in c is the better since it is less ambiguous, though it is more difficult to read. The information on travel to work can be used by the authorities to plan their public transport system and road improvements. Time spent at work can be used in economic forecasts so that appropriate recreational facilities can be developed.

As times change, so do priorities. Luxuries become necessities. No-one had cars or dishwashers in 1801. Almost all people now have a cold-water supply, so there is no need to ask about it. This explains g why some questions get changed. Topics in the 1971 Census which will not appear in the 1981 Census are: parents' countries of birth; address five years ago; occupation one year ago; dates of marriage and details of children born in marriage; certain household amenities (such as cooker, kitchen sink and hot-water supply). If a question proves to be misunderstood, then it is better to change it at the next Census.

Sometimes a change of definition is required. For example, in 1961 kitchens were included as rooms if one ate in them. This was changed because some people felt it was socially inferior to eat in kitchens and hence lied. In 1966 (the mid-Census 10% sample) kitchens and sculleries were rooms if you cooked in them. In 1971 kitchens were counted if at least six feet wide.

B4
For the benefit of the pupils the questions from the Census are given in abbreviated form. The reference numbers refer to the actual numbers on the Census form. The questions in List 2 are graded so that the early questions require information from only one of the items on List l. All items in List 1 are used somewhere in List 2.

Section C

This section shows the sort of analysis that can be done, using data from the 1961 and 1971 Censuses, by average ability pupils within a fairly short time period. Note that when reading a table of data it is important to determine what units are being used. In the trials of this teaching material many pupils failed to notice that the populations are given in millions.

C1
If more practice is needed in reading Table 1, the questions can be answered for regions other than their own.

C2
The answers to e can be based on the number of car-less households. The population density of the area would also be relevant, and so Greater London needs a good public transport system. It would be more informative in d to compare the percentage of pensioners, but this requires quite a lot of computation.

C3
A calculator would be useful here.

C4
Rounding errors will often lead to apparently incorrect totals. The male / female imbalance is due to (i) wars which kill off more men, (ii) boys having a higher mortality rate (which in the past has been more than enough to balance out the fact that more boys than girls are born) and (iii) the fact that women live longer. This leads to there being more unmarried women than men in society. The imbalance is getting smaller as there have been no wars here since 1945, medical facilities are improving and the mortality rate for young boys has decreased.

More tables giving data from the 1971 Census can be found in the bibliography. In 1961 the cost of collecting data for the Census was K3 million. This information yielded 12 000 pages of tables. In 1971 the comparable cost was f.l 1 million. and 26 000 pages of tables had been produced by 1978. The time-lag between collection and publication of some of the results can be brought to the pupils' attention and the implications discussed. The government intends to publish some of the results from the 1981 Census more quickly. Some tables of all local government districts should be available before the end of 1982 and it is aimed to make all the main results available before the end of 1984.

Further work can be developed from information in the bibliography. Many local authorities produce attractive booklets of regional data. These are usually available free or at nominal cost from the local planning department. Other possible developments include the investigation of local parish records and the changes they show and the influence of, for example, industrialization and the railways on population patterns and growth.

Bibliography

1. Social Sciences. A Second Level Course, D291 Unit 3 Population (Open University Press) Each copy contains a specimen 1971 Census Form.
2. O.P.C.S. Population Trends, (H.M.S.O.) This is the quarterly journal of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
3. O.P.C.S. Census "H" form Why the Census is so vital, a leaflet
   Census Matters, a booklet suitable for pupils giving a guide to the facts and figures
   These are available free from: Census Registry, Room 8/23, O.P.C.S., St. Catherine's House, 10 Kingsway, London, WC2B 6JP.
   Census Monitors Available from Information Branch (Dept. M), O.P.C.S.
4. Survey Methods in Social Investigation by C. A. Moser and G. Kalton. (Heinemann Educational, 1971)

Answers

A4

1. No, but see detailed notes.
2. No, but see detailed notes.
3. None
4. Class distributions of household size and number of rooms

Bl

See detailed notes.

B2

1. 1971
2. 1981
3. See detailed notes.

B3

3. The second question. See detailed notes.
4. See detailed notes.
6. See detailed notes.
7. See detailed notes.

B4

1. 1 B3
   2 B2
   3 A1/2
   4 A3
   5 B9/10
   6 A5
   7 B11/12
   8 B13/14
   9 B21
   10 A, B4
   11 B2, B8
   12 B17, B19/20
   13 B18, B19/20
   14 B7, B13/14
   15 B22, B15/16
   16 B3, B7, B13/14
   17 B3, B7, B13/14
   18 B3, B6, B15/16, B22/23
   (B7 can be replaced by B15/16 in any answer.)

C1

Depends on the local region

C2

1. 48.8 million
3. Greater London, Wales
4. Rest of South East, East Anglia
5. North, Yorks and Humberside, North West

C3

1. 2.96 people per household
3. Household sizes
   

   	GL	SE	EA	EM	Y+H	No	NW	WM	Wa	SW
   1961	3.01	3.17	3.13	3.21	3.07	3.25	3.13	3.28	3.30	3.19
   1971	2.81	3.00	2.93	2.97	2.91	3.00	2.97	3.04	3.03	2.95

4. 5.86%
5. 13.01%
6. Mean household size is reduced
7. and h Percentage increase 1961 to 1971
   

   	GL	SE	EA	EM	Y+H	No	NW	WM	Wa	SW
   Population	-6.9	19.3	13.6	5.6	4.3	1.5	2.6	7.4	3.4	10.9
   Households	-0.4	25.9	21.3	14.0	10.0	10.0	8.1	15.9	12.5	19.6

C4

1. to c See detailed notes.
4. 8.8 millions
5. 4.6 millions
6. 4.3 millions
7. See detailed notes.

Test Questions

1. When will the next Census of Population be held?
2. Give one reason for holding a Census.
   
   For each pair of questions in 3 and 4 tick the one that you think is a better question to put on a Census form.
   
3. a How big is your household?
   b How many rooms are there in your household's accommodation?
4. a Where do you work?
   b What is the full address of your place of work?
5. A man refuses to fill in the Census form because he thinks other people in the neighbourhood will find out personal details about him. Why is he wrong in thinking this?
6. Why does the Census ask for everyone's name and address?
7. Name one type of person who may be hard to find in a Census.
   
   

   Year	Households
   	Total number	Owner occupied	With 1-3 rooms	With 7 or more rooms	With no bath or shower
   1961	16211	6588 (41)	3631 (22)	953 (6)	3638 (22)
   1971	18115	8720 (48)	3025 (17)	1541 (19)	1604 (9)

   Table 1 Households in Great Britain (Figures are in thousands, those in brackets are percentages.)
   (Source: O.P.C.S.)
   
   Use the table above to answer questions 8, 9 and 10 about Britain.

8. a How many households had 7 or more rooms in 1961?
   b How many households had 1-3 rooms in 1971?
   c What percentage of households were owner-occupied in 1971?
9. Write a sentence comparing the number of rooms in households in 1961 and 1971.
10. Suppose the government had decided in 1971 to give a grant of £100 to each household to install its first bath or shower. What is the most this decision would have cost?
11. Why is the Census not taken every year?

Answers

1. 1981
2. To provide statistical information etc.
3. b
4. b
5. Results presented collectively not individually
6. To check everyone is counted
7. Tramps, criminals, travellers
8. a 953 000
   b 3 025 000
   c 48%
9. People's households were bigger in 1971 than 1961.
10. £160 400 000
11. Too expensive, or too time consuming to analyse

Connections with Other Published Units from the Project

Other Units at the Same Level (Level 4)

Choice or Chance
Figuring the Future
Testing Testing
Retail Price Index
Smoking and Health
Equal Pay

Units at Other Levels In the Same or Allied Areas of the Curriculum

Level 1

Wheels and Meals
Leisure for Pleasure
Tidy Tables

Level 2

Opinion Matters

Level 3

Car Careers
Cutting it Fine
Phoney Figures
Multiplying People
Pupil Poll

This unit is particularly relevant to: Social Sciences, Humanities, Economics, Commerce.

Interconnections between Concepts and Techniques Used In these Units

These are detailed in the following table. The code numbers in the left-hand column refer to the items spelled out in more detail in Chapter 5 of Teaching Statistics 11-16.

An item mentioned under Statistical Prerequisites needs to be covered before this unit is taught. Units which introduce this idea or technique are listed alongside.

An item mentioned under Idea or Technique Used is not specifically introduced or necessarily pointed out as such in the unit. There may be one or more specific examples of a more general concept. No previous experience is necessary with these items before teaching the unit, but more practice can be obtained before or afterwards by using the other units listed in the two columns alongside.

An item mentioned under Idea or Technique Introduced occurs specifically in the unit and, if a technique, there will be specific detailed instruction for carrying it out. Further practice and reinforcement can be carried out by using the other units listed alongside.

Back