VI - The Sample

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37.

VI THE SAMPLE

38.

(1) Working Women

The population sampled was unmarried working women between the ages of 16 and 34, excluding those doing professional work and some other small groups.

The sample was controlled in respect of region and occupation. In so far as age groups and education groups are concerned, informants were selected at random.

A total of 1,967 working women was interviewed. This was made up as follows:

Region	No.		%
Scotland	213		11
North-west	296	15	30
North	100	5
North-east	194	10
North Midlands	153	8	23
Midlands	101	5
S. Wales	194	10
East	98	5	23
South	130	7
South-west	150	8
South-east	53	3
London	285		14
Total	1,967		100

As the regional distribution of single women in the age group concerned was not known, the proportions selected from different regions were based on the proportions of the whole civilian population living in these regions.

Type of Area

Where living	No.	%
Urban	1,710	87
Rural	239	12
Unclassified	18	1
Total	1,967	100

Women were interviewed in towns at their places of work, and were asked whether they lived in the town or in the country. (Note: Women doing agricultural work were not included).

Occupation Group .

	No.	%
Factory: War-work	510	26
Factory: non war-work	465	24
Clerical	399	20
Distributive	339	17
Miscellaneous	254	13
Total	1,967	100

As the distribution by occupation of unmarried women in the age group concerned was not known, the proportions to be selected from different groups were made similar to the proportions of all working women in these groups.

The above groups are defined as follows:

Factory: war-work	Operatives in engineering and aircraft manufacturing industries and others engaged in making war materials.
Factory: non war-work	Operatives in all other manufacturing industries, e.g. food, textiles, clothing, etc.
Clerical	Office workers.
Distributive	Shop assistants and roundswomen.
Miscellaneous	Others occupations with the exception of those in professional and managerial positions, agricultural workers and women in the A.T.S., W.R.N.S., or W.A.A.F.S.

The miscellaneous group in the sample was made up as follows:

Laundry workers	54
Workers in cafes, canteens and hotels	59
Transport workers	44
Cinema attendants and usherettes	26
Civil Defence workers	22
Private domestic servants	12
Other occupations	37
Total	254

Age

	No.	%
16 to 20 years	985	50
21 to 24 years	460	23
25 to 29 years	299	15
30 to 34 years	222	11
Unclassified	1
Total	1,967	100

(The age distribution is, of course, affected by the fact that only single women were included, and cannot be compared with the proportions of working women as a whole in the different age groups).

Education (excluding Scotland)

	No.	%
Elementary only	1,375	70
Central School	148	8
Secondary School	312	16
High or Grammar School	87	4
Private School	38	2
Unclassified	7	-
Total	1,754	100

Analysis of occupation groups by those having elementary only and other sorts of education is as follows:

	Factory war-work	Factory non war-work	Clerical	Distributive	Miscellaneous
	%	%	%	%	%
Elementary only	85	92	35	80	79
Others	14	8	65	20	19
Unclassified	1	-	-	-	1
Sample:	460	414	355	302	223

39.

(2). Schoolgirls

Only secondary schoolgirls aged 16 or over were interviewed.

As the school in Scotland broke up earlier than the English schools, it was not possible to include Scottish schoolgirls in the sample.

Altogether 354 schoolgirls were interviewed.

Region	No.		%
North-west	47	13	30
North	20	6
North-east	39	11
North Midlands	30	8	26
Midlands	41	12
S. Wales	20	6
East	30	8	25
South	30	8
South-west	20	6
South-east	12	3
London	65		18
Total	354		100

Type of Area

Where living	No.	%
Urban	294	83
Rural	60	17
Total	354	100

Age (last birthday)

	No.	%
16 years	201	57
17 years	112	32
18 years and over	41	11
Total	354	100

School Certificate

	No.	%
Had taken School Certificate examination	325	92
Had not taken School Certificate examination	29	8
Total	354	100

40.

(3) Mothers . (see Appendix (i))

The sample of mothers was taken during the course of another survey, for which a sample of housewives was interviewed. All housewives in this sample who had unmarried daughters between the ages of 13 to 34 were asked the Nursing questionnaire, in addition to the other questionnaire. Altogether 487 housewives had unmarried daughters in this age group.

Region	No.		%
Scotland	55		11
North-west	48	10	25
North	21	4
North-east	54	11
North Midlands	49	10	28
Midlands	56	11
S. Wales	33	7
East	19	4	20
South	22	5
South-west	37	8
South-east	17	3
London	76		16
Total	1,967		100

Type of Area

	No.	%
Urban	418	86
Rural	69	14
Total	487	100

Income Group

Wage rate of principal wage-earner in family	No.	%
Up to £2.10s.	39	8
Over £2. 10s. to £3. 12s.	119	24
Over £3. 12s. to £5	210	43
Over £5 to £10	87	18
Over £10	28	6
Unclassified	4	1
Total	487	100

Number of unmarried daughters aged 13 to 34

	No.	%
One daughter	369	76
Two daughters	97	20
Three or more daughters	21	4
Total	487	100

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