Three Centuries of Northern Population Censuses

Book Details

• Author: Gunnar Thorvaldsen

• Publisher: Routledge

• Edition: 1st Edition

• Binding: Paperback

• Number of Pages: 158

• ISBN: 9780367233952

• Cover: Paperback

• Languages: English

• Package Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches

About the Book

"Census and Identity: The Politics of Race, Ethnicity, and Language in Northern Europe" provides a comprehensive exploration of how census data has been used across Northern Europe over the decades to illuminate critical aspects of family dynamics, race, ethnicity, and language. With the improved access to detailed historical census materials, this book offers fresh insights into both the societal structures and the complex demographic trends of the region.

The book highlights several key case studies, such as the Icelandic residence patterns among the elderly, the unique insights on Siberian polygamy as reflected in the Polar Census, and the innovative register-based census system pioneered by Sweden in 1930. It also explores the living arrangements of men in Northern Norway, data on the Soviet family, and provides a deep dive into Ukrainian and Russian population groups from the most recent Ukrainian censuses.

Through these detailed case studies, Thorvaldsen underscores the book's primary focus on Northern European census data, presenting it as a powerful tool for understanding social changes over time. By revisiting the pioneering work of Adolphe Quetelet, who created the template for modern census-taking in the 1830s, the book showcases how his innovative approach was globally adopted and has since shaped our understanding of societal identity and structure.

This well-researched book, originally published as a special issue of The History of the Family, is an indispensable resource for historians, social scientists, and anyone interested in the intersection of sociology, history, and demographics.