Census tangled in privacy concerns
Source: Xinhua |
October 6, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
ZHOU Shan felt wronged when she stood outside an apartment in a residential building in suburban Beijing when a residence booklet was handed to her from behind the door. She could not see who handed it to her.
"This is not enough. There are many forms to fill out," Zhou mumbled. Then a simple camp chair was squeezed out from behind the door, for her to sit there, while filling out the forms.
Zhou has been accustomed to such treatment since she became a census taker on August 15. China has recruited 6.5 million census takers for the next national population census beginning on November 1. These census takers will mostly be made up of local residents and workers from neighborhood or village committees.
Zhou, 30, is a college graduate. She was persuaded by the neighborhood committee to assist the census in her community.
Zhou remembered her childhood living in a bungalow area west of Tian'anmen Square, where neighborhood committees were "omnipotent."
"Those grandmas and grandpas with a red band on their arms could tell who anyone was who lived in the area," she said.
But when Zhou started as a census taker, she found even the neighborhood committee did not know residents in the area because the temporary resident population made up "a surprisingly high proportion." Among the 145 households she has visited, only 30 homes were found to be registered in the residence booklets, and most house renters did not have temporary residence permits, Zhou said.
Between August 15 and September 15, census takers were required to go door-to-door for the country's once-a-decade census to obtain accurate information about China's population.
Census takers found it difficult to enter some people's homes. Complaints ranged from takers disturbing residents' sleep to forgetting to wear shoe covers when entering homes.
Professor Duan Chengrong, head of the Demography Department of Renmin University of China, said people's uncooperative attitude was "reasonable" due to the growing awareness of privacy protections.
"This is not enough. There are many forms to fill out," Zhou mumbled. Then a simple camp chair was squeezed out from behind the door, for her to sit there, while filling out the forms.
Zhou has been accustomed to such treatment since she became a census taker on August 15. China has recruited 6.5 million census takers for the next national population census beginning on November 1. These census takers will mostly be made up of local residents and workers from neighborhood or village committees.
Zhou, 30, is a college graduate. She was persuaded by the neighborhood committee to assist the census in her community.
Zhou remembered her childhood living in a bungalow area west of Tian'anmen Square, where neighborhood committees were "omnipotent."
"Those grandmas and grandpas with a red band on their arms could tell who anyone was who lived in the area," she said.
But when Zhou started as a census taker, she found even the neighborhood committee did not know residents in the area because the temporary resident population made up "a surprisingly high proportion." Among the 145 households she has visited, only 30 homes were found to be registered in the residence booklets, and most house renters did not have temporary residence permits, Zhou said.
Between August 15 and September 15, census takers were required to go door-to-door for the country's once-a-decade census to obtain accurate information about China's population.
Census takers found it difficult to enter some people's homes. Complaints ranged from takers disturbing residents' sleep to forgetting to wear shoe covers when entering homes.
Professor Duan Chengrong, head of the Demography Department of Renmin University of China, said people's uncooperative attitude was "reasonable" due to the growing awareness of privacy protections.
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