Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.This inquiry into the views of the year 2000 held by the younger generation took place under the auspices of the European Coordination Centre for Research and Documentation in the Social Sciences, established at Vienna, which was founded by UNESCO and which is a division of the International Social Science Council at Paris. The technical coordination was in the hands of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, under the direction of Johan Galtung. The objective of the inquiry was to examine attitudes of people in the age group 15 - 40 years towards various aspects of the future, with particular reference to war, peace and disarmament. The great attractiveness of such an inquiry lies in comparing the results of countries with very different political and philosophical backgrounds. Eleven countries are covered by this study.

Main Topics: Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Respondent's future-consciousness is assessed in terms of his thinking about the future of the world and of his country, his perception of the year 2000 as the near or distant future, his talking, seeing, hearing and reading about the future. Respondent predictions: what he considers will be the main differences between life today and life in the year 2000 (particularly what he feels would be the best and worst things that could happen). Employing a 9-point scale (i.e. 'best' - 'worst' possible life) the respondent is requested to indicate where he would place himself: a) at the present time, b) five years ago, c) five years from now, d) in the year 2000. Using the same procedure he is asked to assess future trends of his country and of the world. More specifically, the respondent is asked to predict social trends in his country covering topics such as: happiness and work satisfaction, leisure, unemployment, religion, kinship and marriage, material wealth, spiritual contentment, sexual freedom, mental illness, use of narcotics and drugs, crime, social differentiation, the role of women, the role of young people, city dwelling and manual work. It is recorded whether, in most cases, the respondent's hopes coincide with his predictions. Respondent predictions of the possibilities of science in the year 2000 are ascertained. Namely, whether it will be possible: to predetermine the sex and major personality feature of one's child, to cure dangerous diseases (e.g. cancer), to predetermine the weather, to travel to other planets. The respondent is again asked to state whether his hopes coincide with his predictions. War, armament and disarmament: respondent assessments of world trends in this area are recorded. In addition, he is asked to assess the probable effects of a third world war on his native country, and to state his opinion on how such a war is most likely to break out (i.e. by accident, by extension of a limited conflict or by one big power attacking another big power). Any value, goal or ideal the respondent believes could justify a war with nuclear weapons/without nuclear weapons is noted. A list of 25 ideas on how world peace might be obtained is included and respondents are asked to state whether they agree or disagree with each statement (e.g. 'to obtain peace, hunger and poverty must be abolished all over the world', 'to obtain peace, we must have general and complete disarmament as soon as possible', etc.). Information also includes whether the respondent thinks that peace can be realised by the year 2000 and whether he believes he can contribute anything himself to the realisation of this proposal; what he believes is most likely to happen in the relations between capitalist and socialist countries, between rich and poor countries and between different races. Finally, respondent's knowledge of the membership of NATO and the Warsaw Pact is tested. Opinion is ascertained on a number of items tapping the personality of the respondent (e.g. dogmatism). Social satisfaction of the respondent is measured in regard to income, job, influence on public affairs, living in his country, whether the respondent believes he has control over his future and, if so, how he feels he should direct this future. He is also asked to comparatively evaluate certain activities and views of the younger and older generations. Background Variables Age, sex, marital status, education, occupational details, work satisfaction (ideal occupation is noted), personal monthly income quartile, satisfaction with income received, occupation of head of household (where different), total monthly income quartile of household, household composition, area of residence (i.e. density of population, geographical region - where available), whether respondent practises religion or considers himself to be a `believer', parental household composition, father's occupational details, whether mother worked outside the home, area of childhood residence (i.e. density of population, geographical region - where available), age at which respondent moved away from parental home, and finally, details of the respondent's organisational membership is given.

Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions The section in the standard questionnaire (para 2 ) on predictions of social change in respondent's native country is excluded in the British version, the emphasis being more particularly on international relations and politics. The following is added: Aspects of British foreign policy are considered, for example, whether she should join the Common Market and if she does, whether she should retain the right to decide her own internal affairs. Respondent opinion is also ascertained on the general type of foreign policy he would like to see Britain pursue (e.g. whether there are any countries the respondent feels Britain should have no contact with). Factors influencing the formation of foreign policy are considered together with the role of the United Nations (particularly whether the UN should have the power to intervene between Britain and some other country, whether the UN should have the power to intervene in British internal affairs). Disarmament: views on disarmament and how this should be achieved are recorded, (i.e. whether all weapons should be abolished at the same time, whether disarmament is easy/hard to achieve etc.). Military alliances and political tension: the country, or group of countries, the respondent feels is mainly responsible for the political tension in the world today is noted, together with whether he sees the military forces of the Soviet Union and the socialist powers as a threat, and whether he thinks that NATO is seen by other countries as a threat. He is also asked to state which of the Eastern and Western military powers he considers to be the strongest in Europe, to list the factors that he considers to have been of importance in bringing about a relaxation of tension in Europe, and to generally assess the trends in the relations between Eastern and Western European nations. The following data are recorded for the respondent's childhood home: place of residence, household composition (at the age of 14 years), father's occupational details, whether mother worked outside the home, age at which respondent moved away from parental home, number of times parents moved district (up until the age of 14 years), political interest in the home (and whether respondent now tends to agree or disagree with his parents' political views). Background Variables Age, sex, marital status, social grade, number of children respondent expects to have, educational achievements, number of years full-time education received, occupational details (including the number of years in present occupation, job satisfaction, respondent's ideal job in the year 2000), occupational details of the head of household (if different), personal monthly income, household monthly income, place of residence, length of residence, religious belief, political and religious organisational membership, whether respondent was required to do military service, whether he, or any member of his family, was actively involved in or directly affected by, the second world war, finally, the respondent's voting intention, were there a general election tomorrow, is recorded, and whether he has ever voted differently.

Two stage sample - first, probability sample of local authority administrative areas, the second stage a quota sample (gender, age, social grade)

Face-to-face interview