Perepis' - 2002. Problemy i suzhdeniia. No. 132

This issue of our edition is devoted to some methodological and practical problems in connection with the forthcoming 2002 Census of the Russian Federation. The authors of the reports criticizes the traditional methods used to determine ethnic composition of the country?s population and its linguistic characteristics, and proposes a number of steps and measures to ensure obtaining more reliable data in the course of the Census. This issue of our edition is devoted to some methodological and practical problems in connection with the forthcoming 2002 Census of the Russian Federation. The authors criticizes the traditional methods used to determine ethnic composition of the country?s population and its linguistic characteristics, and proposes a number of steps and measures to ensure obtaining more reliable data in the course of the Census. These include: 1) to discard the codified list of peoples which would otherwise serve as a reference point in the course of the collection and primary processing of the Census data, and adopt instead an open list principle which would register absolutely all kinds of ethnic self-identification; 2) to introduce a double- or triple identity (i.e. nationality) category; 3) to introduce the category of Rossians (so that to indicate the pluralistic identities other than those of particular ethnic groups); 4) instead of the category ®mother tongue¯ to introduce a category of ®basic language of communication ¯; and 5) to allow registering more than one ®basic¯ as well as other languages the respondents might be ®fluent¯ in. The draft list of nationalities for the Census of 2002 has been submitted by Roskomstat for critical evaluation by ethnologists. The timing of submission of the list, containing a score of serious mistakes, suggests that it is much more a claim for scientific legitimization of a bureaucratic endeavor than a dialogue with the aim of obtaining a better census instrument. Open list approach and concomitant conceptions of ethnicity and ethnic categories are discussed.