Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The purpose of this study was to describe the outlook, way of life and attitudes of Cardiganshire people.
Main Topics:
Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Political involvement is gauged by self-assessment of interest in politics, voting behaviour and election involvement (with special reference to the 1970 General Election), party identification and membership history. Political knowledge and sophistication is assesed by formation of party images (Conservative, Labour, Liberal and Plaid Cymru), correct identification of: the current prime minister, the Cardiganshire MP, the Secretary of State for Wales and the functions of the Welsh Office, and use made of MP and/or local councillor to help with a problem. Attitudinal data: voluntary mention of important problems facing the country (up to 5 recorded) and, in addition, attitudes towards a number of general policy issues are collected (e.g. rising prices, Common Market, unemployment, strikes, governmental influence etc.). Further, the respondent is asked to state the forms of political protest that he believes can, under certain circumstances, be justified (e.g. pulling down signposts, blowing up pipelines etc. - 9 categories). Welsh politics specifically: attitudes towards the amount of say the Welsh have in British governmental matters affecting Wales (and, particularly, perceptions of governmental understanding of the needs of Cardiganshire in relation to other parts of Britain), respondent-preferred governmental system for Wales (5 categories), opinions on topics including the preservation of the Welsh language, the Investiture, Sunday opening, English people living in Wales etc. - questions relating to Welsh identity are closely considered. Finally, respondents are asked to state their likes and dislikes of life in Cardiganshire. Contextual data include: perception of class consciousness and Welsh national consciousness (respondent is asked to describe a stereotype Welsh character and a type with completely opposite characteristics, he is then asked to place himself on a scale between these two extremes), whether Welsh speaking (if yes, amount spoken in home, social and work environments is given), whether attends (or follows through the media) national and local eisteddfodau and cymafa ganu . Data include newspaper and magazine readership (Welsh periodicals included), TV news and current affairs viewing, radio news and current affairs listening. Background Variables Sex, age, cohort, marital status, number of children, household composition, terms of home tenure (5 categories), age when left school, whether had any further full-time education, whether ever lived outside Cardiganshire (5 categories), place of birth, place of origin of parents, occupation of father, whether respondent has even been outside the British Isles, identification of head of household, employment status (i.e. full or part-time etc.), job description and occupational classification of head of household (and respondent where different), finally, religious and political party affiliations and voting behaviour of parents.
Systematic random sample (every 50th elector) from October 1970 electoral register plus selected non-registered electors
Face-to-face interview
