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Standard Euro-Barometer Survey Series, 1974-The Eurobarometer (EB) survey series is a unique programme of cross-national and cross-temporal comparative social science research. Since the early seventies representative national samples in all European Union (EU) (formerly the European Community (EC)) member states have been simultaneously interviewed in the spring and autumn of each year. Starting with EB 34.1 (autumn 1990), separate supplementary surveys on special issues have been conducted under almost every EB number. The EB is designed to provide regular monitoring of public social and political attitudes in the EU through specific trend questions. More information about the series may be found on the Zentralarchiv fuer Empirische Sozialforschung (ZA - Central Archive for Empirical Social Research, University of Cologne) Eurobarometer Survey Series web pages. Background Work on European survey series began in early 1970, when the Commission of the European Community sponsored simultaneous surveys of the EC. These surveys were designed to measure public awareness of, and attitudes toward, the Common Market and other EC institutions, in complementary fashion. They also probed the goals given top priority for each respondent's nation. These concerns have remained a central part of the EC's research efforts - which were carried forward in the summer of 1971 with another six-nation survey that gave special attention to agricultural problems. The nine EC member countries were then surveyed again on the same topic areas in September 1973. After 1973, the surveys took on a somewhat broader scope in content as well as in geographical coverage, with measures of subjective satisfaction and the perceived quality of life becoming standard features of the EC public opinion surveys. Over time, the member states of the EC/EU have increased in number, and the coverage of the EB surveys has widened accordingly. In 1974, nine countries were surveyed: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland and Luxembourg. Greece has been included since the autumn 1980 survey (EB 14) onwards, Portugal and Spain since autumn 1985 (EB 24), the former German Democratic Republic since autumn 1990 (EB 34), Finland since the spring of 1993 (EB 39), and Sweden and Austria since the autumn of 1994 (EB 42). Norway has been included in some surveys since 1991, from EB 36 onwards. In 2004, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the EU, and in 2007, Bulgaria and Romania (some of these countries participated in the Candidate Countries Eurobarometer survey series (see under GN 33343) before full accession). Some surveys are also conducted in Turkey, and in the Turkish Cypriot Community (Northern Cyprus). The Eurobarometer public opinion surveys are conducted on behalf of and co-ordinated by the European Commission, DG Press and Communication - Opinion Polls Sector (European Commission Public Opinion Analysis). Special topic modules are carried out at the request of the responsible EU Directorate General. Main Topics: This round of Eurobarometer surveys queried respondents on standard Eurobarometer measures such as public awareness of and attitudes toward the European Union (EU), and also focused on the `European Year of Education and Training Throughout Life', the common European currency, Third World development, food product quality labels, the 1996 InterGovernmental Conference, and the European Parliament. Questions concerning education and training throughout life were asked only of respondents 15-24 years old and covered topics such as reasons for learning throughout life; the likelihood that continuing training throughout life would improve the respondent's work and personal life; participation in a training course in the last year, the main role of schools; satisfaction with the way schools help develop children's personalities, broaden their abilities, and teach children to live in society and adapt to changes. Also covered were the most important qualities for a person to have and the importance of the parent, school and working environment in developing those qualities. Parents' level of involvement in education was also explored, with questions on choosing children's schools, following their school work, talking to teachers, and helping children if they have difficulties. Respondents were also queried on the role businesses should play in schools and vocational training, the role of the EU in continuing education, and the influence of technology and new communication techniques on education and instruction. Questions on the common European currency included respondents' preference for or against a single currency in all EU member states, how well-informed respondents were about the common European currency, their knowledge of the conditions member countries must meet to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), and their opinions on when European currency would be introduced. Opinions were also elicited on the effects of the European currency on economic growth, jobs, shopping, currency exchange, cross-border travel, the costs of doing business between Monetary Union member states, the degree of turmoil and volatility in international currency markets, inflation, and the disparity between the rich and the poor. In addition, respondents were queried about Third World development, including what the important development problems were and whether decisions about those problems should be made by member countries of the EU acting together or by each country separately; information sources about Third World countries and the main topics covered by those sources; attitudes toward helping Third World countries; what the principal aim should be in relations with Third World countries; whether industrialized countries were currently helping Third World countries to become less poor to lead the Third World to economic independence, or to enable them to solve their own problems; who provided the most help to Third World countries (the EU, international organizations, the United Nations, private companies, or non-governmental agencies); what conditions should be met before help is given, and whether the major part of the EU's assistance to the Third World was devoted to emergency humanitarian action or to longer-term development. Questions concerning quality labels for food products included how often the household bought various categories of food products; the three most important things people take into account when buying food products; awareness of and trust in quality labels on food products, awareness of and purchase frequency for food products with a `Designation of Origin' label and what the label means; willingness to pay more for food products of guaranteed origin; consumption frequency for food products made or produced in the traditional way; and confidence level if a food product were guaranteed by the EU as to origin and traditional method of production. Regarding the 1996 InterGovernmental Conference, respondents were queried on their awareness of the conference and which fundamental objectives the EU should set with in the scope of that conference. Further questions probed for respondents' opinions on the degree of influence that big and powerful member states in the EU had, whether trade unions, political parties, professional organizations, newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations represented respondents' views about Europe and the EU, how soon the countries of Central and Eastern Europe such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia should become m embers of the EU, and why they should become members. Other conference topics included the preferred effect of granting EU membership to Central and Eastern European countries on aid to farmers, how much weight should go to each vote in the EU Council of Ministers, which rights were most important for citizens of the EU, which aims should be given priority in the EU over the next ten years, the role of the EU in avoiding war between member states, what the level of cuts in social security benefits should be, Europe's competitiveness in world markets, how helpful all member states were in working together to fight unemployment and create jobs, the relative influence of the opinions of people like the respondent on the decisions made by their national government versus those made by the institutions of the EU, and the respondent's length of stay in other countries of the EU. Topics relating to the European Parliament (EP) included the extent that its decisions were in the interest of people like the respondent, the EP's importance in the life of the EU, and areas of policy the EP should pay particular attention to. Demographic items included age, gender, marital status, size of household, education, occupation, and household income.
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Euro-Barometer 40.0: Poverty and Social Exclusion, October-November, 1993The Eurobarometer (EB) survey series is a unique programme of cross-national and cross-temporal comparative social science research. Since the early seventies representative national samples in all European Union (EU) (formerly the European Community (EC)) member states have been simultaneously interviewed in the spring and autumn of each year. Starting with EB 34.1 (autumn 1990), separate supplementary surveys on special issues have been conducted under almost every EB number. The EB is designed to provide regular monitoring of public social and political attitudes in the EU through specific trend questions. More information about the series may be found on the Zentralarchiv fuer Empirische Sozialforschung (ZA - Central Archive for Empirical Social Research, University of Cologne) Eurobarometer Survey Series web pages. Background Work on European survey series began in early 1970, when the Commission of the European Community sponsored simultaneous surveys of the EC. These surveys were designed to measure public awareness of, and attitudes toward, the Common Market and other EC institutions, in complementary fashion. They also probed the goals given top priority for each respondent's nation. These concerns have remained a central part of the EC's research efforts - which were carried forward in the summer of 1971 with another six-nation survey that gave special attention to agricultural problems. The nine EC member countries were then surveyed again on the same topic areas in September 1973. After 1973, the surveys took on a somewhat broader scope in content as well as in geographical coverage, with measures of subjective satisfaction and the perceived quality of life becoming standard features of the EC public opinion surveys. Over time, the member states of the EC/EU have increased in number, and the coverage of the EB surveys has widened accordingly. In 1974, nine countries were surveyed: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland and Luxembourg. Greece has been included since the autumn 1980 survey (EB 14) onwards, Portugal and Spain since autumn 1985 (EB 24), the former German Democratic Republic since autumn 1990 (EB 34), Finland since the spring of 1993 (EB 39), and Sweden and Austria since the autumn of 1994 (EB 42). Norway has been included in some surveys since 1991, from EB 36 onwards. In 2004, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joined the EU, and in 2007, Bulgaria and Romania (some of these countries participated in the Candidate Countries Eurobarometer survey series (see under GN 33343) before full accession). Some surveys are also conducted in Turkey, and in the Turkish Cypriot Community (Northern Cyprus). The Eurobarometer public opinion surveys are conducted on behalf of and co-ordinated by the European Commission, DG Press and Communication - Opinion Polls Sector (European Commission Public Opinion Analysis). Special topic modules are carried out at the request of the responsible EU Directorate General. Main Topics: This round of Euro-Barometer surveys queried respondents on standard Euro-Barometer measures such as public awareness of and attitudes toward the Common Market and the European Community (EC), and also focused on poverty and social exclusion, examining the extent and immediacy of these problems for respondents. Items covered whether the respondent's family or friends were experiencing poverty or social exclusion, how often the respondent saw instances of poverty and social exclusion, and whether the respondent believed that people had a chance of rising out of these circumstances. Respondents were also asked about the main reasons for poverty and social exclusion, the best ways to combat these conditions, what the role of volunteer groups, unions, employers, and the European Community (EC) should be, and whether the fight against poverty and social exclusion should be a priority objective for the EC. Also included were questions that asked whether respondents had given or would give any time to help disadvantaged people and what types of activities they had performed or would be prepared to perform. Respondents were asked to compare the current general economic and employment situations in their countries, the financial situation of their households, and their job situations with those of 12 months ago and 12 months ahead. Respondents were also asked to rate various aspects of their everyday life, including housing, income, work, social entitlements, and health. On EC matters, respondents were asked how well-informed they felt about the EC, what sources of information about the EC they used, whether their country had benefited from being an EC member, and the extent of their personal interest in EC matters. Demographic and other background information was gathered on number of people residing in the home, size of locality, home ownership, trade union membership, region of residence, and occupation of the head of household, as well as the respondent's age, sex, marital status, education, occupation, work sector, religion, religiosity, subjective social class, left-right political self-placement, and opinion leadership.
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European Election Study, 1989The European Election Study 1989 is a survey of the electorates of the member states of the European Community. It focuses in particular on the third direct elections to the European Parliament conducted in June 1989. The dataset contains a selection of questions from three Eurobarometers: Eurobarometer 30 (ZA no.1715) ( UKDA no. 2857), Eurobarometer 31 (ZA no.1750) (UKDA no. 2729) and Eurobarometer 31A (ZA no.1751) (UKDA no. 2915). Main Topics:Judgement on parties, attitude to the EC, political attitudes. Topics: at all three survey times the following questions were posed: election participation at the last national election and intent to participate in the next national election; behaviour at the polls in the last election and party preference; general judgement on the European Parliament and EC Commission; attitude to European unification; judgement on membership of one's own country in the EC and assessment of advantages for the country from EC membership; regret of a failure of the EC; expectations of the European domestic market; issue relevance; postmaterialism; self-classification on a left-right continuum; political interest and interest in EC policies; frequency of political discussions; personal opinion leadership; satisfaction with democracy; party identification; party membership; union membership; religiousness. Also encoded was: date of interview; time of interview; length of interview; willingness of respondent to cooperate; number of persons during the interview. The following questions were posed in only one or two surveys: intent to participate in the European Election 1989; behaviour at the polls in the European Election and if appropriate reasons for non-participation in the election; most important reasons for voting decision; national or European reasons for party election; probability for the election of selected parties in the European Election and at national level; interest in the European Election campaign; evaluation of selected sources of information on the European Election; manner of search for information during election campaign; personal attempts to convince other persons of one's preferred party; frequency of use of television at the time of the election campaign and evaluation of the television election campaign; knowledge about the authority of the European Parliament; judgement on the outcome of the Madrid summit meeting of the European Heads of Government; knowledge about the president of the European Commission; preference for national or party political orientation of the representatives of the EC parliament; preference for national or European decision-making on selected political controversies; attitude to further integration of Europe beyond the European domestic market; national pride; feeling as a European; judgement on European agricultural policy; necessity of EC membership for economic development of one's own country; perceived EC position of selected national parties; expected effects of the European domestic market; issue ability of the parties; most important national problems and events; classification of selected parties on a left-right continuum; media usage; importance of selected fundamental rights and freedoms; concepts of violence (semantic differential); willingness to participation in selected forms of political protest and demonstrations; attitude to use of government force against demonstrators and strikers; attitude to the idea of democracy; preference for democracy or dictatorship; attitude to social change; judgement on the extent of democratic way of working of the EC; agreement with the national government; preferred government for one's own country; importance of local, regional, national and European Parliaments and governments; expected development of the personal situation next year; expectation of strikes and security of peace; judgement on economic development in the last year; contentment with life (scale); judgement on personal living conditions.