(i) Introduction

A sample of 2530 housewives was interviewed.

Summary

With the exception of National Wheatmeal only small proportions disapproved of the food schemes.

In order to find out what housewives thought of the various wartime measures adopted by the Ministry of Food, two different types of question were put to them. First they were asked “Which of the wartime food arrangements do you think are good ones?” and “Which of the wartime food arrangements do you think are bad ones?"

It was found that only a small proportion of housewives were able to reply to these questions, and the interviewers, who carried out the pilot survey had the impression that only the more obvious and familiar food schemes, namely rationing and points rationing, were called to mind. It was decided however, to include these questions in the final questionnaire and to add to them a further question, asking housewives whether they “approved or disapproved” of each of seven food schemes specifically named. Where a food scheme had already been mentioned spontaneously by the housewife in answer to one of the first two questions, this was not of course asked again.

The first questions: “Which of the wartime food arrangements do you think are good ones?” and “Which of the wartime food arrangements do you think are bad ones?” yielded the following results:-

It should be noted that some of those housewives who did reply gave more than one answer, and thus addition of the percentages given above does not give the proportion of housewives giving positive replies, but a rather higher figure.

The results on the second question show a rather higher proportion in favour of rationing and points rationing than of other food schemes, but beyond this there is little correlation between the results; and it is clear that the impression gained on the pilot survey that the first two questions were unsuccessful in eliciting housewives opinions, particularly about the less familiar food schemes, was correct.

Analysis of all housewives' attitudes based on the results of both sets of questions gives the following results:-

Rationing, points rationing, national and priority milk, and price control are all approved by a substantial majority. In the case of all these schemes only a small proportion disapproved.

Rather more than half are doubtful in the case of British Restaurant.

National Wheatmeal Bread, and the reservation of oranges are approved by about half the sample, and of the remainder a higher proportion disapprove than are doubtful.

It will be seen from comparison of the present result with those of previous survey, that there is a tendency for the proportion disapproving of Food Schemes to decrease over a period of time, and for a greater proportion to be doubtful, the percentage approving showing little change.

This indicates that the initial resistance to new measure is weakened after they have been in operation for some time, and whilst there is no great increase in the proportion giving positive approval to them, there is less opposition.

(ii) Comparison with other Inquiries

An inquiry made by the Wartime Social Survey earlier in June, 1942 (G.2) in which the question “What do you think about food rationing?” was asked showed 55.4% of housewives expressing definite approval of idea, and a further 29.5% saying that they were satisfied or “could manage", these answers together amounting to 84.9% * . 3.9% disapproved of rationing, complaining that it did not work out fairly. A further 6.7% said that they did not get enough. However, these people did not say that they disapproved of the idea of rationing, and it may be assumed that some would fall in the “approve” category and other in the “disapprove” category. Thus these two inquiries allowing for the difference in the form of the question, give results which approximate very closely to one another. It might also be added that 4.5% in the earlier survey gave “miscellaneous” and doubuful replies which could not be classed either as approval or disapproval, which compares very closely with the 5% doubtful in the present survey.

The number of housewives interviewed in the earlier inquiry was 623.

With regard to British Restaurant, an inquiry made by the regional organization of the Wartime Social Survey in June, 1942 showed that only 21.7% of the adult population and 15.1% of housewives had ever used British Restaurant. Of course it was possible for informants to give opinions without having used the restaurants themselves, as whilst having no personal experience of them they could still think that the idea was a good or bad one. However, the fact that relatively few had actual experience of this “food scheme” would account for the high proportion doubtful.

Results on National Wheatmeal Bread may be compared with those of the survey made in May, 1942 (G.1). The question asked then was: “How do you think the bread the shops are selling now compares with white bread?” (This was a general sample of the whole population, but analysis of replies coming from the housewives included in this sample showed no statistically significant differences from the total).

35.2% “disapproving”, as against 48.5% thinking the bread “not as good as white” may indicate an improvement in opinion on National Wheatmeal, or it may show that some of those preferring white bread would not go as far as to say they “disapproved” of the other.

Comparison of the results on the question on reservation of oranges for children under five, with those of the inquiry made by the Wartime Social Survey in December, 1941, show the same proportion approving, but a rather lower proportion disapproving. The percentage of “doubtful” is higher in the present survey.

(iii) Reasons for Approval and Disapproval

Those who approved or disapproved of the various “food scheme” were asked their reason for this. In many cases the answers given told us little more than the first answer, i.e. that informants either approved or disapproved, that they thought it was “a good idea” or “the best arrangement", or in the case of Wheatmeal Bread, for instance, that they disliked it.

As the proportions disapproving are in general small, detailed figures are not given.

(iv) Detailed Breakdowns

Breakdowns by different groups such as region, class, etc., of those approving and disapproving of the various “food schemes” show no statistically significant differences except in the instances given below.