MALCOLM P A MACOURT

CCSR
School of Social Sciences
University of Manchester
MANCHESTER
M13 9PL

I am an Honorary Research Fellow at CCSR. After a degree in Econometrics and a thesis addressing the Irish census in the nineteenth century, my (paid) academic career was in teaching research methods, managing degree courses, working in HE Quality Assurance, and in supporting academic development. In the 1980s my research activity focused on social and health policy on disability and on AIDS/HIV. My current focus is on 'religion' in Censuses of Population.

Research Interests

Is 'religion' an appropriate topic for a Census of Population?

• What use can data on 'religion' from the Irish Censuses be to churches? or to those concerned with social and educational policy?
• 'No Religion': Using the Samples of Anonymised Records and the Small Area Statistics, I undertook a study of those who answered NONE to the Religion question in the 1991 Census for Northern Ireland. The extension of that work to the 2001 Census, and to those who answered NONE to the question on 'religion brought up in', nears completion.

The availability of the 1911 Census Forms for Ireland permitted me to undertake a small-scale study of the forms of analysis which could have been undertaken on that data had current forms of statistical analysis been available. After reporting on that study to the 2004 BSPS Conference, that study is being used to develop an understanding of religious minorities in three small areas.

Relevant Publications

• Macourt, M.P.A. (2005) How many are we - and what does it matter?: The Church of Ireland and the Census of Population Search: A Church of Ireland Journal Vol 28 No.2, pp 114-130.
• Macourt, M.P.A. (2001) 'The Escapers: The "Nones" in Northern Ireland Religion' Paper presented at Day Conference on 'What have we leart frorm the SARs?', November 2001, Manchester
• Macourt, M.P.A. (1995) Using Census Data: Religion as a key variable in studies of Northern Ireland Environment and Planning A Vol. 27 593-614.
• Macourt, M.P.A (1978) The Religious Inquiry in the Irish Census of 1861 Irish Historical Studies Vol. 21 No. 82 pp168-187.

Details of the research on the Church of Ireland, including further material on aligning church diocesan and incumbency boundaries with District Electoral Division boundaries, enumeration divisions and Census Output Areas is available from: Malcolm.Macourt@manchester.ac.uk