Fertility and nuptiality changes in Spain from the late 18th to the early 20th century

Abstract 3.1. A regional approach often reveals features of population trends not evident in national data. We have already pointed out that the 1768 census followed the ecclesiastical sub-divisions of the country; therefore its territorial data are not comparable with those derived from later enumerations. The 1787 and 1797 censuses, on the other hand, were based on civil sub-divisions, which can be compared, when aggregated, with later censuses of the modern statistical era.     

Fertility and nuptiality changes in Spain from the late 18th to the early 20th century

Abstract 1.1. The course of Spanish population growth from the end of the 16th to the beginning of the 18th century was set by the effects of what demographers call 'catastrophic' mortality. As in most European populations, the occasional but recurrent ravages of epidemics, especially plague, wiped out the excess of births over deaths accumulated in 'normal' years. How accurate and close to reality this statement is cannot be discussed here; but we shall assume that, until the rSth century, short-term growth was offset by mortality above the normal levels caused by epidemics.     

A century of U.S. censuses and the language characteristics of immigrants

Since 1890, every U.S. census but one has asked about the language characteristics of the U.S. population. This almost uninterrupted data series, however, has been shaped by contemporaneous presumptions about the ties between language and ethnicity, the likelihood of proficiency in English among various subgroups, and practical constraints. I describe shifts across censuses in the phrasing of questions about language, the coding of responses, and the subpopulations for which the questions were asked and the results were published. I then describe the data generated by these items and discuss their interpretation. I conclude with a summary of the major insights and limitations of a century's worth of data.     

Using nineteenth century census results: the Colombian censuses of 1835, 1843, and 1851

The author discusses three of the six national censuses taken during the ninteenth century in Colombia--those for 1835, 1843, and 1851. The focus is on the importance of macro patterns generated by the data, the methods recommended to overcome the problems of the censuses, and ways to make the information useful for historical demography.     

Wrong lovers in the 19th century Netherlands

Various styles of "male love" occurring in the 19th century are introduced. Locations and public ordinances relating to these styles of love are discussed. The development of the homosexual role is broached along with the question of whether attitudes and laws of the 19th century were responsible in part for the development of normative expectations for homosexuality which might in turn have repressed its growth.     

Population growth in Java in the 19th century

Abstract In demographic literature Java occupies a special position. It is the island where in the nineteenth century a 'population explosion' occurred. In other developing countries this took place in the twentieth century. Following the official figures Java had a population size of about 4.5 million in 1815 (Raffles's Census) and 28.5 million in 1900. The result is an extraordinary rate of growth of 2.2% per year. In this paper it is argued that it is impossible to correct the data by adjusting them. A more promising method is to study the factors which are responsible for the demographic situation, i.e. economic conditions, the so-called pax neerlandica and the health situation in the period 1800-1850. This period has been specially studied, because it is crucial for the calculation of population size which is normally based on the 1815 period. It is suggested that Java cannot really claim to be an exceptional case in the period 1800-1850. This means that the growth rate - in line with the estimates of Carr Saunders and Sauvy -has to be estimated (greater accuracy is not possible) as between 0.5% and 1.0); per annum. On the basis of estimates and calculations, the population size of Java may have been somewhere between 8 and 10 millions around 1800, the latter estimate being the more realistic figure. The view that there was exceptionally rapid population growth in Java in the nineteenth century is to an important degree the product of a Europe-centred approach to the history of Java.     

Major league baseball career length in the 20th century

The sport of baseball has used statistics to enhance understanding for fans for over a century, yet there is limited data on player careers. This study fills that void by examining the careers of baseball players over the last century. Between 1902 and 1993, 5,989 position players started their careers and played 33,272 person years of major league baseball. A rookie position player can expect to play 5.6 years; one in five position players will have only a single-year career, and at every point of a player’s career, the chance of exiting is at least 11%. Position players who start younger and begin their careers in more recent decades all have longer and more stable careers; nevertheless, baseball careers are not compressed versions of normal careers, but are substantially skewed toward early exit.

Questions of identity in the millennium round of Commonwealth censuses

All Commonwealth census authorities have posed questions about identity in the millennium round of enumerations. The most controversial issue has been ethnicity. No universal definition or classification system has been devised and each of the 71 states and dependencies has tended to pursue the enquiry in virtual isolation from its neighbours. The attempt to describe the population in terms of race and ethnicity has been inherited from the colonial era. More recently the requirements of monitoring affirmative-action programmes in multicultural populations have resulted in the introduction or refinement of questions on these categories. A few states-a small minority of Commonwealth countries-remain hostile to such enquiries. Where the issues of race and identity are not pursued, questions of nationality, language, and religion often fill the gaps left, adding further refinements to the definition of identity. An examination of current questioning about identity in Commonwealth censuses reveals a highly complex picture.     

A note on occupation statistics in British censuses

The census occupation statistics are the most complete source of information on the employment of the population during the past century. The Official Guide to the Census Reports¹ traces the development of the occupation inquiries and gives details of the major classification changes (pp. 27-43). These changes are considered in relation to each census year, but little attempt has been made to examine their effect on the comparability of the data. In addition, certain points which are of interest to research workers in this field have been omitted from the Guide.     

The use of sampling in conjunction with population censuses

In Asia and the Pacific, the practice of governments is increasingly to collect information on their populations' size, age and sex composition, geographic distribution, and certain other basic demographic and socioeconomic characteristics on the basis of a complete (100%) enumeration, and to supplement this basic information by collecting information on a larger range of variables on a sample basis. The additional information, which is gathered as part of the census operation, may be related to such population characteristics as migration, employment, fertility, and health. A complete census is generally indispensable for obtaining information about small domains, and also for obtaining politically important data, which must be seen to be free from sampling variability. A complete census is typically confined to obtaining a detailed picture of the number and basic structural characteristics of the entire population, with as much detail as possible about local areas. Sample surveys can quickly obtain a wider variety of more complex data. Sampling applications for the census include 1) using sampling in the design and control of census operations, such as in planning, testing, controlling, and evaluating the census; 2) using sample enumeration to supplement items covered in the complete census; 3) sampling the census results for processing to make the results available more quickly and at lower cost; and 4) extracting samples of microlevel files of detailed census data so as to facilitate dissemination of primary data.     

Our experience with population censuses in 1953 and 1964]

We have accumulated some valuable experience through 2 successful population censuses in 1953 and 1964. A series of special census committees were established at each administrative level--from central government to local areas. Periodic 2-way telephone communication between higher and lower offices was planned. The census was conducted on the basis of permanent population in 1953 and 1964. A standard time of June 30, midnight was used in both cases. Census items must be clear, easy to use, and standardized. Name, relationship to head of household, sex, age, race, and present address were listed in 1954. Birth date, class, educational level, and occupation were added in 1964. For accurate data census districts and their boundaries must be clearly marked. Registering the whole family by head of household at the nearby temporary census station was found to be convenient, efficient, and accurate. Door-to-door visits by census clerks were also used. To complete such a cumbersome task in a short period of time high-quality census personnel were trained to fully understand the significance, the regulations, and the technical details of the task. Nationwide education and propaganda about the census were important for success. 3 levels of reporting (county, province, and central) in 1953 and 4 levels in 1964 were used to check results and correct mistakes. The announcement of the results to the public after the entire census was completed provided an opportunity for the public to confirm the data and correct mistakes. This process of confirmation is an essential quality control step.     

Growing up with single mothers: Occupational attainment of daughters in the early 20th century

Growing up in female-headed households has long been considered disadvantageous for children. We examine the relationship between family structure and occupational attainment in 1920, accounting for selection into the labor force. The results indicate that the attainment of daughters in mother-headed households was not significantly lower than that of their counterparts in male-headed households. Mothers’ resources alleviate some of the disadvantage experienced by working daughters. Family size and ethnicity are strongly associated with daughters’ occupational attainment, regardless of the household head's sex. The results suggest that prevailing gender norms restricted the jobs available to women in the early 20th century, regardless of their family type.     

Rationale and procedures for nesting semi-structured interviews in surveys or censuses

Demographers who use survey data and census data from health and demographic surveillance areas can gain substantially from expanding their repertoire of methods to make use of qualitative methods. Similarly, those who conduct and analyse data primarily from semi-structured interviews or focus groups can benefit from information provided by survey research. This paper presents a systematic mixed-methods model-data-linked nested studies-for sampling respondents for semi-structured interviews from survey or census lists. The paper outlines how to conduct these types of study, and their technical and analytical advantages. It highlights the benefits of building on a strong foundation, the ability to compare samples, and the expansion of the range of evidence for, or against, the validity of the substantive findings. Case studies from two data-linked nested projects-in Malawi and South Africa-are used to describe in detail the nested-study approach.     

Calculation of age-specific fertility schedules from tabulations of parity in two censuses

The mathematics of stable populations recently has been generalized to cover populations with time-varying fertility and mortality by a modification incorporating the sum of age-varying growth rates in place of the fixed growth rate of a stable population. Equations that characterize nonstable populations apply to any cohort-like phenomenon with a measurable property that cumulates gains or losses through time. In particular, the equations fit the relation between a population's average parity at a given age and age-specific fertility rates previously experienced at lower ages. Techniques devised to derive an intercensal life table from single-year age distributions in two censuses are adapted to estimate accurate intercensal fertility schedules from distributions of parity by age of woman in two censuses. Birth-order specific fertility schedules are also estimated.     

Infant mortality and fertility in three Bavarian villages: An analysis of family histories from the 19th century

Abstract Family history data derived from the records of three parishes in Bavaria provide evidence for several important demographic questions when analysed in conjunction with information concerning the prevalent breast-feeding practices. The results suggest strongly that breast feeding can prolong birth intervals substantially. The evidence concerning the independent influence of infant deaths on subsequent birth intervals is inconclusive. It is clear, however, that even if such an influence did exist it was relatively small, compared to the effect of lactation. In addition the results do not lend support to the hypothesis that couples experiencing low child mortality practised family limitation more than couples experiencing high child mortality. In all three parishes, however, fertility appeared to influence infant mortality. Infants born after short intervals were subject to considerably higher mortality risks than infants following longer intervals.     

Hypersegregation in the twenty-first century

We used metropolitan-level data from the 2000 U.S. census to analyze the hypersegregation of four groups from whites: blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans. While blacks were hypersegregated in 29 metropolitan areas and Hispanics were hypersegregated in 2, Asians and Native Americans were not hypersegregated in any. There were declines in the number of metropolitan areas with black hypersegregation, although levels of segregation experienced by blacks remained significantly higher than those of the other groups, even after a number of factors were controlled. Indeed, although socioeconomic differences among the groups explain some of the difference in residential patterns more generally, they have little association with hypersegregation in particular, indicating the overarching salience of race in shaping residential patterns in these highly divided metropolitan areas.