British Social Attitudes Survey Panel Study, 1983-1986

Résumé 0

This survey is part of a continuing series designed to monitor trends in a wide range of social attitudes in Great Britain. The British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA) is similar to the General Social Survey carried out by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) in the United States. The BSA questionnaire has two parts, one administered by an interviewer and the other completed by the respondent. This panel study is very closely linked, both in terms of design and content, to the British Social Attitudes cross-sectional series. Given that a key aim of the series was to look at trends and changes in attitudes over time, there were strong arguments for using a longitudinal (rather than a repeated cross-sectional) design since this would allow analysis of change to be linked to individual characteristics. The panel study was a unique opportunity to explore the methodological and analytical considerations of a longitudinal approach. The panel study compromises four interviews with individual respondents carried out on an annual basis. The field work for the cross-sectional and panel surveys took place at approximately the same time each year during the years 1983-1986. The topics covered in the questionnaires (by section) were as follows: (1) politics/defense, (2) economic expectations, evaluations, labor market participation, (3) social expenditures, welfare state, housing, education, the National Health Service, (4) crime/police, social class, religion, divorce, racial prejudices, household division of labor, public and personal morality, sexual morals, and (6) change of attitude (perceived). Additional demographic data gathered included age, gender, education, occupation, household income, marital status, social class, and religious and political affiliations.