Antecedents of Censuses from Medieval to Nation States

Antecedents of Censuses From Medieval to Nation States, the first of two volumes, examines the influence of social formations on censuses from the medieval period through current times. The authors argue that relative influence of states and societies is probably not linear, but depends on the actual historical configuration of the states and societies, as well as the type of population information being collected. They show how information gathering is an outcome of the interaction between states and social forces, and how social resistance to censuses has frequently circumvented their planning, prevented their implementation, and influenced their accuracy.

"Combining social theory and illuminating historical case studies, Antecedents of Censuses from Medieval to Nation States gives us an insightful and refreshingly new way of looking at how censuses develop, from the Domesday book to the first modern efforts to count and classify populations circa 1800. The authors' argument that censuses are shaped not just by the state but by social forces is persuasive and essential reading for all who use censuses."- Philip T. Hoffman, Rea A. and Lela G. Axline Professor of Business Economics and Professor of History, California Institute of Technology, USA

"Antecedents of Censuses from Medieval to Nation States will transform our understanding of how governments collect and use data about their subjects. Emigh, Riley, and Ahmed show that the first censuses in Britain, the US, and Italy were built on long and conflicted efforts to collect taxes, assert and undermine clerical authority, define political borders, and subjects' struggles to claim citizenship rights. This book is exemplary in its use of rich historical data and in the construction of penetrating comparative analyses." - Richard Lachmann, Professor, Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York, USA

"In contrast to the dominant state-centered approach, this innovative book shows that social factors are key determinants of how states gather information about their populations. By looking not only at how different states operate censuses, but also at how information was gathered about populations prior to national censuses, this book will transform the way we look at this central aspect of state-society relations." - Edgar Kiser, Professor, Sociology, University of Washington, USA

"Far more than just an elementary exercise in counting, the census is a key instrument of state policy. Combining analytical rigor and erudition with fascinating historical detail, Emigh, Riley, and Ahmed show how censuses entail cognition, classification, control, and contention. This book offers many valuable insights on an important topic." - Bruce G. Carruthers, John D. MacArthur Professor of Sociology, Northwestern University, USA