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The 1970 Soviet Census of Population: Content, Organization, and Processing

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The 1970 Soviet Census of Population: Content, Organization, and Processing THE 1970 SOVIET CENSUS OF POPULATION: CONTENT, ORGANIZATION, AND PROCESSING Frederick A. Leedy, U.S. Bureau of the Census On January 15, 1970, the Soviet Union will begin of all political subdivisions, correctinE taking its fifth census of population. Soviet updating maps, compiling lists of all law has no requirements for regular censuses, and and dwellings in each populated place, and check- the four previous enumerations of the population ing the accuracy of urban dwelling registers and in the U.S.S.R. were taken at varying intervals- - village household registers. On the basis of 1920, 1926, 1939, and 1959. The one comprehen- this work, which has been given great attention sive census of population in Russia prior to the and apparently is being carried out in exhaustive Soviet period was taken by the Tsarist Government detail, all cities and counties have been divided in 1597. into census districts, instructor (crew -leader) districts, and enumeration districts.2 Plans for the 1970 census call for the same elab- orate and extensive preparations and procedures As part of this preparatory work, a mass publici- which have characterized all censuses in the ty campaign has been building up, and from now U.S.S.R. since 1926, plus several innovations until census time it will attempt to acquaint including the use of sampling procedures for part every Soviet citizen with the census and obtain of the questions to be asked, the use of special his cooperation. Millions of brochures and leaf- schedules to collect data on the able -bodied pop- lets are to be distributed, the press, radio, and ulation that is not employed and on the commuting television are to be utilized, and massive habits of workers and students within the major numbers of "agitators" from the trade unions, urban areas, and the use of electronic computers Komsomol, and other organizations are to give for processing the results. This paper will lectures and lead discussions on the census.3 describe briefly the preparations being made for the census, the enumeration procedures to be used, Staffing and Training the questions to be asked, and the plans for Plans call for the recruitment of some 670,000 processing and publishing the results. special personnel to conduct the census, includ- ing 540,000 enumerators, 100,000 instructors, Preparatory Work 26,000 census district chiefs, and 4,000 assist- Preparations for the census have been underway ants to the heads (inspectors) of the statistical for a number of years. The Administration for offices at the county level.4 This is an the All -Union Census of Population, which was increase of nearly 100,000 over the 574,000 established within the Central Statistical Admin- persons actually used in 1959 (of whom 465,000 istration of the U.S.S.R. in 1957 to take the were enumerators). Each enumerator in urban 1959 census, has remained as an integral part of areas will list an average of 675 persons; each the statistical system and presumably has been enumerator in rural areas will list an average of developing plans for the 1970 census from the 575 persons. time it completed work on the 1959 census. Since official announcement of this next census was The temporary personnel will consist of school made on May 1, 1966, there have been numerous teachers, instructors and students from colleges meetings and conferences held to discuss the and vocational -technical schools, and employees census program and procedures, and many articles of factories, offices, collective farms, and devoted to the subject in journals and the press. state farms. All will be selected by the local statistical office, with the approval of the In March 1967, a test census was taken in nine county or city soviets. Employed persons will rayons, or counties, of varied geographic, eco- continue to receive their regular salaries while monic, and social characteristics throughout the absent from their jobs, which will be from 17 country. This census, which covered some 536,000 working days for enumerators to 56 working days persons, was designed as a pretest of both ques- for assistants to the heads of the county statis- tions to be asked and enumeration procedures. As tical offices. In 1959 the temporary census a result of that experience, the questions con- workers received an enumeration bonus in addition tained in the present schedules were approved and to their regular pay, although this has not been numerous questions, particularly those on details mentioned for the 1970 census. of fertility, migration, and housing, were deleted. In addition, the Census Administration Brief training courses are to be held for each of decided that a self -enumeration procedure did not the various categories of personnel. They began work well and should not be used in the full in June for the chiefs of the republician statis- census.l tical administrations and will end in December when enumerators will be trained. During the latter part of 1965 and the first part of 1969, regional, county, and local offices of Enumeration Procedures the Statistical Administration have been engaged During a period of 4 days before the census in the detailed work necessary to delineate begins, each enumerator is to make a complete enumeration districts. Under direction from the tour of his district, checking the map and list Council of Ministers U.S.S.R., all republic, of dwelling units prepared by the statistical regional, and local soviets have provided assis- office. He is to call on each household, verify tance to the statistical offices in preparing the address and name of the head of the household, lists of populated places, verifying boundaries 470 note the number of persons living there, and additional people (0.14 percent of the total determine what time will be most convenient for enumerated earlier) were picked up. him to call to take the census. When in the opinion of the enumerator the members of the Population to be Covered household are capable of completing the census The census is to be taken as of a certain moment- - schedule, he will explain it to them and leave it the hour of midnight between January 14 and 15. for them to fill in by the time he returns during All questions, no matter when asked, are to re- the census.5 late to that moment. Every person present in a dwelling unit on the census moment is to be list- In households where he finds able- bodied members ed, including those persons residing there tem- who do not work in a factory or office or study porarily. In addition, persons who usually full -time, but who work only in the household or reside in the unit but are temporarily absent are on their small plot of land, he is to leave a also to be enumerated. This will permit the tab - special questionnaire for completion prior to his ulation of both an actual, or on -hand, and a return at the time of the census. This question- usual population. Special procedures and forms naire is designed to obtain information on the are used to verify that a person temporarily age, sex, education, specialty or profession, and absent from his usual residence is actually list- desire for work of each such person and, for ed at the address given.6 Also, special proced- women in this category, the number of children ures will be used to enumerate the transient and and the need for their outside care. Similarly, institutional populations. in cities of 500,000 or more population and their adjoining counties, the enumerator is to leave at The population in the regions of the Far North all housholds a questionnaire designed to obtain and other areas where travel is difficult in information on the so- called "shuttle" or "pendu- January is to be enumerated in the fall of 1969. lum" migration within the urban area--that is, the age, sex, place of residence, and place of Information to be Collected work or study of all employed persons and full - time students living in the area. There are 11 questions to be asked of 100 percent of the population: On the last day of this precensus tour, and after the enumerator has checked all dwelling units in 1. Relationship to head of the family his district, the instructor is to designate, by 2. For persons who are temporarily absent, a "mechanical" method, every fourth unit on the but usually reside there: enumerator's list as those units which are to be a. reason for absence asked the sample questions. In those autonomous b. length of time absent republics and regions established for specific 3. For persons who are temporarily present: nationality groups which have a population of a. place of usual residence less than 500,000, the full set of questions will b. length of time absent from usual be asked at every household, not every fourth, so residence that information in the sample schedule can be 4. Sex obtained and tabulated for minor territorial 5. Age (as of last birthday; in months for subdivisions. infants under 1 year of age) 6. Is person married at present time? (Yes, At 8:00 a.m. an census day, Thursday, January 15, no, or widow-widower) the enumerator will begin the actual enumeration. 7. Nationality He is to visit each dwelling unit and by personal 8. Native language (also, no more than one interview complete the census schedule. All per- other language in which fluent) sons living in the apartment or house are to be 9. Education (level completed) listed, by family; thus two or more families can 10.
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