Dr Abby Day, Senior Research Fellow in Religious Studies is holding a symposium entitled ‘Making Sense of the Census’ in response to the results of the 2011 Census.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) administers the Census every ten years in order to provide data to inform decisions about policy and resource allocation. In 2001, for the first time in its 150-year history, the Census contained a voluntary question about religious identity: ‘What is your religion?’
The 2011 Census asked a similar question on the subject of religious affiliation and the results are prompting debate and discussion amongst academics, religious leaders, faith groups, non-religious groups and various other interested parties.
Dr Day was also a member of the ONS Academic Advisory Group which advised on the wording for the 2011 Census and is holding the symposium in order to make use of her expertise in the field and assist scholars from many disciplines in forming a response. Scholars working in a wide range of disciplines, including psychology, religious studies, and sociology may be interested in interpreting the results of the 2011 Census from both empirical and theoretical viewpoints.
The symposium will be held on June 18, at Imperial Wharf, London. Scholars interested in presenting a short paper are invited to contact Abby at a.f.day@kent.ac.uk