A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46

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APPENDIX
WARTIME DIFFICULTIES
SECRET

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.

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