An Inquiry made by the Wartime Social Survey for the Ministry of Information.
Interviewing was carried out between April 30 and May 13.
The object of the questions asked was to provide a quantitative background to certain parts of the Weekly Home Intelligence Report.
1.
“Are you having any personal difficulties as a result of the war?”
The purpose of this question was to find out whether informants
felt
that they were having difficulties. Obviously many people are having difficulties to which they are so well accustomed that they do not in fact notice them.
Interviewers were instructed not to prompt in any circumstances; if the informant said “No”, they were told to record this answer, even though remarks made previously during the interview showed that some difficulties were being experienced.
Number
%
Yes
:
753
37.5
No
:
1258
62.5
Sample
2011
a.
Sex
There was little difference in answers received from men as compared with those from women.
Men
Women
Total
%
%
%
Yes
:
39.9(±3.4)
55.6
37.5
No
:
60.1
64.4
62.5
Sample
864
1149
b.
Age
Under 20
20 - 30
30 - 45
45 - 65
Over 65
Total
%
%
%
%
%
%
Yes
:
22.3
42.2
40.4
35.6
36.7
37.5
No
:
77.2
57.3
59.6
64.4
63.3
62.5
Sample
171
391
676
558
210
The two groups “20 to 30” and “30 to 45” are the most affected. It will be seen from the table given below that food and money are the most frequently mentioned difficulties, and in these age groups young families are likely to provide special difficulties.
c.
Geographical
There is no statistically significant difference between urban and rural districts, but Scotland shows a marked difference from England.
Scotland
North of England
Midlands & Wales
South, S.W., & E. Anglia
London
Total
%
%
%
%
%
%
Yes
:
43.4(±6.4)
35.4(± 4)
35.9
33.3(±4)
42.3(±5.8)
37.5
No
:
51.6
64.6
64.1
66.7
57.7
62.5
Sample
219
584
428
466
288
London has a rather higher proportion of people with difficulties than the rest of England, but the sample is small and the margin of error should be noted.
d.
Occupation
Breakdown by occupational groups shows statistically significant differences in the case of workers in heavy industry and the professional and managerial group.
Yes
No
Sample
%
%
%
Housewives
33.8
66.2(±3.8)
622
Heavy industry
50.4
49.6(±10.2)
139
Light industry
37.7
62.3
305
Mining, agriculture & other outdoor work
37.0
63.0
300
Clerical and distributive
36.0
64.0
294
Professional and managerial
50.4
49.6(±10.4)
129
Retired, unoccupied and miscellaneous
34.3
65.7
222
Total
37.5
62.5
(“Other outdoor work” includes people engaged in buildings and road repairs, transport and other public services.)
2.
What were the difficulties
?
All those who said they were having difficulties were asked what these were.
% of sample
Food (shortage, rationing, price)
257
12.8
Money (reduced income, increased cost of living)
158
7.9
Work (too much work, not enough rest, inconvenient hours)
66
3.3
Anxiety about family (members in Forces or away from home)
63
3.1
Clothing (coupons)
63
3.1
Transport (bad Services, etc)
59
Labour shortage (managers and employers)
53
House bombed or damaged
35
Evacuated
33
Tobacco & drinks (shortage, price)
31
Unsettled feeling (disorganisation of ordinary life or “nerves”)
31
Food regulations (distributive workers)
25
Petrol shortage
14
Fuel shortage
11
Billetee[Text Missing]s
10
Blackout
6
Miscellaneous
73
Total having difficulties
749
Total sample
2011
Some informants mentioned more than one difficulty, so that the numbers given above add up to more than 749. Percentages are shown only for answers coming from more than 3% of the sample.
a.
Sex
There are some differences between men and women.
Men
Women
Total
%
%
%
Food
12.6
12.9
12.8
Money
9.5
6.6
7.9
Work
3.4
3.2
3.3
Anxiety about family
2.2
3.7
3.1
Clothing
3.8
2.6
3.1
Sample
864
1149
Food is about equal for both sexes. Money is more frequently mentioned by men.
b.
Occupation
The numbers having difficulties in the different occupational groups are too small for a detailed comparison to be made. However the two largest groups, housewives and factory workers (including both light and heavy industry), may be compared.
Housewives
All factory workers
Total
%
%
%
Food
14.3(±3.8)
19.8(±3.8)
12.8
Money
6.9
5.9
7.9
Work
1.4
4.7
3.3
Anxiety about family
4.6
2.3
3.1
Clothing
1.4
7.8
3.1
Sample
622
444
Food is by far the biggest difficulty with factory workers. Clothing is also mentioned frequently by this group. Housewives show a higher proportion mentioning anxiety about family.
With one exception, other occupational groups show no differences sufficiently marked to have statistical significance when the smallness of the samples and the margin of error are taken into account; in the case of retired and unoccupied people 15.2% (+ or - 6.4) mentioned money difficulties, as against 7.9% of the whole sample.
HOME INTELLIGENCE
July 2, 1942
THE SAMPLE
The following details apply also to the two Survey Reports issued as Appendices to the Home Intelligence Weekly Report of June 25th (on Attitude to News, and Attitude to Government Instructions).
Total Sample: 2037
Sex
%
Age
%
Men
875
43.1
Under 20
171
8.4
Women
1159
56.9
20 - 30
393
19.4
Unspecified
3
30 - 45
685
33.8
2037
45 - 65
561
27.7
Over 65
217
10.7
Unspecified
10
2037
Geographical
a.
Type of District
%
Urban
1768
86.7
Rural
267
13.3
Unspecified
2
2037
b.
Region
Occupation
Scotland
249
Housewives
626
North of England
587
Agriculture
94
Midlands and Wales
433
Mining
63
South, South West and East Anglia
472
Heavy industry
142
London
290
Light industry
308
Unspecified
6
Building and Roads
66
2037
Transport and Public Services
81
Clerical
136
Distributive
158
Miscellaneous Services
95
Managerial
83
Professional
48
Retired and unoccupied
132
Unspecified
5
2037
DEFINITION OF OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS
1.
Housewives
The person in household who is mainly responsible for housekeeping. In “General” surveys, housewives who do other full time work are not included as housewives, but classified according to their other occupation. In “Housewife” surveys, housewives who are doing other work are included.
2.
Agriculture (and Fishing)
Agricultural workers and owners of small farms (owners of larger farms or market gardens are classed as 11. Managerial) market gardeners and private gardeners, and fishermen.
3.
Miners
All engaged in mining, except clerical workers and those in managerial positions.
4.
Light Industry
Operatives in the following industries: chemicals, explosives, oils, paint, soap, aircraft, light engineering, garages, food, drink, tobacco, textiles, clothing, hosiery, leather, furniture and other wood work, paper, printing, bricks and tiles, pottery, glass, scientific instruments, rubber and others. Most women metal workers are included here.
5.
Heavy Industry
(nearly all men)
Operatives in the following industries: heavy engineering, ship-building and ship repairing, most metal manufacture and metal goods manufacture.
6.
Building and Roads
Workers in building and civil engineering, road making and repairing.
7.
Transport and Public Services
All workers in transport (goods and passenger) including docks and canals. Workers in gas, water and electricity supply.
THE ABOVE CATEGORIES 1 to 7 EXCLUDE ALL CLERICAL WOMEN AND MANAGERS.
8.
Clerical
Clerks, shorthand typists, cashiers, lower grade civil servants, all office workers except supervisors, managers and executives.
9.
Distributive
Shop assistants and owners of very small shops, roundsmen and women.
10.
Miscellaneous Services
Workers in laundries, job dyeing and cleaning, hotels, restaurants, cinemas and other entertainments (excluding managers and clerks), Civil Defence workers, police and postmen and women.
11.
Managerial
Works managers, managers of shops, owners of all except very small shops, supervising and managerial staff in offices, business executives, higher paid civil servants and Local Government servants.
12.
Professional
Doctors, dentists, nurses, oculists, teachers, lawyers, clergymen, engineers, research chemists, etc.
13.
Retired and Unoccupied
All people except housewives who are not employed or do not work in their own business, also private domestic servants.
NOTE
:
Foremen and charge hands, in charge of 20 men or more, are classed as Managerial. In cases where it is not possible to find out how many men they are in charge of, they are classified according to wage rate. Over £5. per week
wage rate
(N.B. Not income) are classified as Managerial.
