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Title: Computer models for analysing households: small-scale methods for large-scale data

Citation Type: Book, Whole

Publication Year: 2000

ISBN: 8484270416

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Abstract: The quantity of machine-readable census material has increased dramatically the last decade. In Britain the 1881 census alone contains over 30 million data records; for Norway both the 1801 and the 1900 censuses are fully transcribed, and in the United States and Canada census-material are now available at the IPUMS and of course the most recent censuses in many countries are held as computer records. Two approaches are usual when working with census material for historical and demographic research: The first uses small subsets of a census with all the original data present and based on the census-lists. The second type of study usually has a greater geographical coverage but use data on aggregate levels and are based on existing published reports. An example of the first approach might be an examination of working class families in part of a town; the second approach might be typified by a be comparative economic history for several towns. The large-scale computerisation of the original census listings change the relationship between these two approaches. In theory; as one has the whole census in machine-readable format, one could consider using the small scale approach on larger (or the whole) scale. It is also quite possible to redo the previously conducted aggregations, and additionally change and make many other and new types of aggregation. This also allows for a much greater freedom in sampling; sampling not rigorously defined by the administrative units of the census. However, in order to use small-scale approaches on larger parts of a census one also needs to computerise the preparation of the source material, i.e. the examination of each record in order to code, classify and/or aggregate for historical analysis. Many of the techniques developed are based on close and individual examination of each individual in the census-lists, like; is this person 'male' or 'female'? What is the relationship to the head of the family, 'son', 'mother in law'? What is the occupation of this individual, and so on. This paper deals with the problems encountered in the formalisation of some types of family and household studies, studies where kin relationship, household composition and household structure are some of the key objects of the study. More specifically the approach for studying family and household developed by the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social structure. The group was established in 1964 and the methods and techniques have become quite widespread. This paper seeks to answer two important questions: are these techniques for household studies possible conduct automatically with computer programmes? What processes can be formalised and what are the problems with using computers to do "low-level" interpretations of a historical source.

Url: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=962599

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Authors: Aranda Pérez, Francisco José; Fernández Izquierdo, Francisco; Sanz, Camañes

Publisher: Ediciones de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha

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Pages: 26

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Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Population Data Science

Countries: United States