Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The validity of Australian Ancestry Statistics

  • Published:
Journal of the Australian Population Association Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The collection of statistics on ancestry has been discussed previously in this Journal and Australian Bureau of Statistics publications. This article examines the contrast between objective and subjective perceptions of ancestry hidden in the 1986 Census definitions which vitiates the published results and points to the limitations of validating uncertain collections by relating them to cognate series. It looks at the collection of ancestry statistics as a bold attempt at an impossible task which has yielded results that are often inaccurate, sometimes misleading and liable to abuse in their interpretation. It is suggested that some of the features of cultural structure could be more reliably ascertained by small sample surveys of perceptions and aspirations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1984.The Measurement of Ethnicity in the Australian Census of Population and Housing. Report of the Population Census Ethnicity Committee. Catalogue No. 2172.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1986.Census Dictionary. Catalogue No. 2174.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1988.c in Profile. Catalogue No. 2S02.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1990.Data Quality. Catalogue No. 2603.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1991.Multicultural Australia. Catalogue No. 2505.0. Canberra.

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1993.1996 Census of Population and Housing: ABS Views on Content and Procedures. Catalogue No. 2007.0. Canberra.

  • Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics. 1972.1966 Census of Population and Housing. Vol. I(11). Canberra.

  • Farley, Reynolds. 1991. The new census question about ancestry: what did it tell us?Demography 3:411–429.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horn, R.V. 1987. Ethnic origin in the Australian census.Journal of the Australian Population Association 4:1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khoo, Siew-Ean. 1991. Consistency of ancestry reporting between parents and children in the 1986 Census.Journal of the Australian Population Association 8:129–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mead, M. 1969.Culture and Commitment. A Study of the Generation Gap. London: Panther.

    Google Scholar 

  • Price, C.A. 1989. Ethnic groups in Australia. Canberra: Office of Multi-cultural Affairs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Price, C.A. 1990. In J. Jupp (ed.),The Challenger of Diversity, Policy Options for the National Agenda for a Multi-cultural Australia. Discussion Paper. Canberra: Office of Multicultural Affairs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Price, C.A. 1991. Religion and ancestry in Australia. Working Paper No. 3. Canberra: Australian Immigration Research Centre.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quesera, W. 1991.La Volonti du Peuple. Unpublished Paper. Aries: Bas Mile.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 35 Johnston Crescent, Lane Cove, N.S.W.

    Robert V. Horn

Authors
  1. Robert V. Horn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Horn, R.V. The validity of Australian Ancestry Statistics. Journal of Population Research 10, 119–126 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03029418

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03029418

Keywords

Search

Navigation