Census: Quebec loser
Victor Piché
Author is an honorary professor of demography at the University of Montreal.
The Canadian government has decided that the upcoming 2011 census will not count for long form. It should be noted that for 35 years, the census collects information through two questionnaires, a short that features eight basic questions (eg, age, sex, etc..) Long and includes a range of issues on socioeconomic characteristics of individuals and households. This decision has already been criticized by several people and organizations. Without going into all the reasons that make such a decision is unacceptable, let me emphasize two key aspects.
But what will that change?
... the government announces that the long form will be replaced parl'Enquête national household to which participation is voluntary. The questionnaire of this survey will be sent four weeks after the census to one third of the Canadian population and will include among other issues on ethnicity, income and education. So we had a mandatory questionnaire sent to one fifth of the population and now we have a similar questionnaire, voluntary, sent to 1 / 3 of the population.
Certainly some will choose not to respond. And it's great because now the government will respect this choice.
Is the response rate will be less than one fifth of the population? Who knows?
But it is certain to hear you sing how the questionnaire is important, it is almost a hello for Quebec, etc., etc., well, the best solution is not she convince the population of the real importance of it instead of trying again taking responsibility away from people and force them to act like you want?
And again, trust the statistics that are capable of giving such a good picture of the situation with even 1/10th of the population. The comments I heard from yesterday leave all to imply that the data were an accurate reflection of the situation, what is wrong.
While several European countries are turning to Canada to take example from this rich historical experience, that the government decides to put in the trash.
What? In Europe also they do not know what a statistic ?
What? In Europe also they do not know what a statistic ?
. .. especially for Quebec, this decision will have serious negative consequences. Indeed, for over 150 years, the census data allow Quebec to follow the evolution of language groups and to regularly review the status of French. For Quebec, it is a matter of survival.
OK, so why not take advantage of the situation? Tell all Francophone how important it is to answer the questionnaire. Thus they can skew the turnout based on their language?
PS: They will skew the turnout but they do not kiss a good statistician ....
In the absence of ethnic data and detailed language, anyone can say anything! How will we know in the future if the language policies are effective? It opened the way for the worst demagoguery?!
not worry Sir! And speaking of saying anything .....
Some argue that French is endangered in Quebec, other the contrary, that language policies are no longer justifiable. While the language debates have always been vocal and passionate in Quebec, but they remained in statistical limits guaranteeing a certain social peace, thanks precisely to the census data.
:) As if we had not heard both sides of the statistic on the English language. And what with the mandatory census. But you say that it will be worse, much worse than you question the social peace?
the low ... response rates associated with voluntary participation will pose real problems of representativeness of the data. In addition, there will be a systematic under-representation of certain vulnerable groups, including among other indigenous people, single mothers, immigrants, poor people, visible minorities.
Ha! vulnerable groups such famous ... have if he had not needed to create them!
Do you really think the decision of single mothers or visible minority is affected to the extent that they will not understand what a census?
Quebec is the biggest loser in this political decision. Each time a company restricts the information necessary for political and social debates, democracy suffers. Minority groups in particular, including Quebec, are losing an essential tool to their demands.
Seen this way, well I think I will not answer the questionnaire if I am one of the "elected »....
Seek democracy to justify forcing people to give private information against their will is akin much to the gang-rule (the fittest) that free political system that you put forward.
The company is not an end in itself and if people prefer not to participate in this survey, we must accept and deal with it.
With such arguments, it is easy to get to the next conclusion would be to force all citizens to vote in elections for not that they are underrepresented in the name of democracy and their name ...
Francis.
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