Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

This survey aims to examine the public's attitude to race relations in Britain

Main Topics:

Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Whether ever lived elsewhere in Great Britain, whether lived abroad for more than a year, main problems facing community, problems most in need of improvement (e.g. vandalism, unemployment, traffic, racial prejudice), satisfaction with facilities in area (e.g. standard of education, community - police relations, housing conditions), whether had contact with someone of a different race or nationality from various walks of life (e.g. employer, friend, neighbour, nurse), distance from nearest Irish/Asian/ English/Polish/West Indian family, proportion of coloured to white people in area. Racial mix at place of employment, whether socialises with coloured people during lunch/tea-breaks/outside work. Cultural differences and discrimination: agreement/disagreement with several statements concerning cultural differences and discrimination (e.g., white people are frightened of anything foreign), whether foreigners should adopt English customs. Whether any racial unrest has occurred in the areas and which group of people was mainly to blame. Whether race relations are improving in local area/whole country, whether believes coloured people have better or poorer jobs/education/housing, countries from which would prefer neighbours to come/not to come, opinion of segregation, whether believes people of different nationalities are discriminated against (e.g. by, the Health Service, Publicans, the Police, Social Security), which group tends to be favoured (white or coloured). Employment: agreement/disagreement with several statements, concerning the employment situation for white/coloured people, how difficult it would be to get another job, whether ever been unemployed for more than one month. Education: whether has children at school, whether schools in general are meeting the needs of children, main problems facing schools in the area (e.g., staff shortages, over-crowding of immigrants), whether ever met child's teachers, whether school has PTA and whether attends meetings, whether regularly looks at child's homework, whether child has opportunity to take part in any activities outside school hours, if so - what activities, whether any member of family belongs to Boy Scouts, Girl Guides/Brownies, local youth club. Agreement/disagreement with several statements concerning the education of coloured children (e.g. 'coloured children have not brought down the standards of education'). Number of years schooling in Britain and how long ago, examinations taken. Whether discrimination or other factors are to blame for the fact that coloured people have worse jobs, lower educational standards and poorer housing than white people. Immigration: number of immigrants in previous years (including Europeans), number of coloured immigrants and from which countries. Ideas for improving race relations, knowledge of specialist organisations, whether ever visited local Community Relations Council/Office and why. Whether such organisations exist to help white people/coloured people (both groups, whether race relations will improve or deteriorate over next few years. Background Variables Occupation of respondent and head of household, number of electors and adults in household, sex, social class, family composition, number of children and age cohort, nationality/race, birth place, length of residence in U.K./neighbourhood, accommodation tenure, age cohort, age finished full-time education, employment status, trade union membership (self and family), society affiliation (self and family), newspaper readership, number of hours per week spent watching television.

Quota sample

Face-to-face interview