This lecture presented at LSE is about using census data to study economic history. The speaker, James Feigenbaum from Boston University, discusses methods for linking census records across time to track individuals and families. This allows researchers to ask new questions about economic mobility, health, and demographics. For example, the speaker mentions a project that linked census records to study how automation affected workers, specifically young telephone switchboard operators, in the labour market.
Some specific points of interest to family historians:
- The lecture discusses methods for linking census records across time, which can be used to track families over generations.
- The speaker mentions using genealogical data from FamilySearch to supplement the census data, particularly for women whose name changed on marriage.
- The lecture acknowledges the challenges of using genealogical data, such as selection bias.
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of considering the context of the data when interpreting the results.
It occurs to me this type of study would be a way to address questions like were children who came to Canada from Britain with organiztions like Bernardos advantaged or disadvantaged in later life compared to others in the age cohort.