In the period March 19 to April 25, 1942, 2,798 door-to-door interviews were made in person with women under 50 by a staff of 27 trained investigators.
34 towns and boroughs in Scotland, North England, Midland, Wales, South East and London were selected. Each one of these was divided into four districts, the residents of which corresponded to upper class, middle class, upper-working class, and lower-working class. Interviewers approached a woman in every tenth house in any road or street.
At the end of each interview, the informant was asked in which of the four following family income groups she would place herself, up to £4 per week (D. Class), £4 - £7 (C. Class), £7 - £10 (B. Class), £10 and more (A. Class).
Interviewing periods were arranged between 8.30 a.m. and 9 p.m. This was to ensure proportionate opinion from women who work and those who do not work. Our interviewers found, however, that working women go out in the evening much more than non-working women, and could often not be found at home at a time possible for interviewing. The Sample is therefore biased in the direction of non-working women.
20 women refused to be interviewed, 9 of whom asked to be excused because it was inconvenient. The response was excellent and the majority appeared to enjoy the opportunity of expressing opinions on subjects which touched them so closely.
The structure of the sample is shown in the following tables:-
Regional Distribution
SCOTLAND
NORTH
MIDLANDS
WALES
SOUTH
LONDON
TOTAL
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
609
21.8
664
23.7
531
19.0
230
8.2
134
4.8
630
22.5
2798
Town Distribution
REGION
TOWN
No.
%
SCOTLAND
Aberdeen
56
2.0
Inverurie
29
1.0
Glasgow
343
12.3
Catrine
25
0.9
Duns
25
0.9
Edinburgh
131
4.7
NORTH
Liverpool
232
8.3
Bolton
61
2.2
Manchester
233
8.2
Chester
45
1.6
Frodsham
15
0.5
Tarporley
58.
2.1
Turton
20
0.7
MIDLAND
Leicester
91
3.3
Kettering
44
1.6
Birmingham
253
9.0
Lichfield
30
1.1
Kenilworth
40
1.4
Oakham
25
0.9
Ferndale
48
1.7
Town Distribution (contd.)
REGION
TOWN
No.
%
WALES
Swansea
56
2.0
Tenby
35
1.3
Cardiff
84
3.0
Crickhowell
30
1.1
Llandilo
25
0.9
SOUTH
Westerham
25
0.9
Wadhurst
23
0.8
Arundel
24
0.9
Midhurst
62
2.2
LONDON
Hackney
117
4.3
Edgware
90
3.2
Henley
32
1.1
Streatham
250
8.9
Peckham
141
5.0
TOTAL
2798
Class Distribution
Income over £7 per week
Income up to £7 per week
TOTAL
A and B
C and D
No.
%
No.
%
645
24.0
2148
76.0
2793
Age Distribution
UP TO 30
31-36
37-50
TOTAL
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
1010
36.0
603
22.0
1176
42.0
2789
Those with and without children under 14
WITH CHILDREN UNDER 14
WITHOUT CHILDREN UNDER 14
TOTAL
No.
%
No.
%
1387
49.6
1404
50.4
2791
THOSE WORKING AND NOT WORKING
WORKING
NOT WORKING
TOTAL
No.
%
No.
%
957
34.3
1835
65.7
2792
Those working and not working, whether registered or not registered
WORKING
NOT WORKING
TOTAL
No.
%
No.
%
No.
%
WOMEN REGISTERED
582
40.7
847
59.3
1429
51
WOMEN NOT REGISTERED
374
27.5
985
72.5
1359
49
TOTAL
956
1832
2788
Those not registered, registered, and registered and interviewed.
