I’m planning to move back to Northern Ireland next year, so have been applying for jobs. Because of “the Troubles” everyone applying for a job has to fill out a form telling them your religious and ethnic background. This is supposed to be for statistical use and to prevent discrimination. You used to be able to tick boxes with " I do not want to answer this question", but now an answer is mandatory.
I’m pissed off, and here’s why.
I don’t fit in the boxes, this information doesn’t accurately represent me as a person, and adds nothing to the statistical validity of this form. I also think it is none of their business and I would never answer these type of questions if given the choice.
For the religion question there are two parts. The first part is thus:
Tick all that apply
I am from a Protestant background
I am from a Catholic background
I am from neither a Protestant nor a Catholic background
Now, my mother is half Catholic and half Jewish and my father is Protestant, but our political ideals are Nationalist. They can’t ask political affiliation, so they substitute religious persuasion- only, as you can see, in my case it’s not exactly going to be accurate, as I’m going to have to tick all the boxes for this question!
The second part of the religion question gives a list of Christian denominations, non-christian religions, and “Atheist/Agnostic” box and an “Other” with a blank space. Again, this is just to break down the demographics and help them to clarify the information from the first question, or so they think.
So, let’s see, I was baptised in the Church of Ireland, married in a Presbyterian Church and currently attend a non-denominational church in Dublin. So that’s three more boxes to tick. Rest assured, there will also be people who have never darkened the doorway of a church who will be ticking “Catholic” or “Baptist” or whatever, because their great-grandparents used to go there. Again, this information is bogus and doesn’t actually clarify anything it is supposed to.
Now we get to the ethnicity part:
Tick all that apply
White
Black African
Black Other
Asian
South East Asian
Irish Traveller
Mixed race___________________
Other________________
Oky dokey, this bit isn’t exactly easy for me either. I’m white-ish, that is my grandmother is possiby mixed race (Cape Malay or Cape Coloured from South Africa) and my Jewish grandfather’s family was half Sephardi (from North Africa) and half Ashkenazi (from Eastern Russia). Anyone who has seen my wedding photos will remember that my mother, sisters and I aren’t exactly Irish looking, and all of us have dealt with racist abuse at some point.
I’m thinking of ticking “Mixed race” and writing “don’t know which”!
I know that for most people this form is easy, quick and their answers are representative of who they are, it’s just that in some cases (like mine) it’s not, and yet I still have to fill the stupid thing in.
I am full of Grr.