Brina Malnar, Mitja Hafner Fink, Janez Štebe, CJMMK and ADP, University of Ljubljana Potentials of International Social Surveys for Preparing Subjective Indicators of Development ZMOŽNOSTI MEDNARODNIH ANKETNIH DRUŽBOSLOVNIH PRIMERJALNIH RAZISKAV ZA OBLIKOVANJE SUBJEKTIVNIH INDIKATORJEV RAZVITOSTI STATISTICAL DAYS 2006 STATISTIČNI DNEVI 2006

1990’ and 2000’: era of continuous academic comparative internationals surveys Two most prestigious academic comparative social surveys of modern time are presented: –International Social Survey Program – ISSP, and –European Social Survey (ESS). How relevant, useful are they for measuring social development?

Assessment of quality: content method access

Rich content broad content of subjective indicators of societal well-being: –attitudes, –believes about societal and individual “health”, –reports about behaviour scientific criteria of indicators selection: –cover long-term interest and academic curiosity comparative character by covering broad range of countries of Europe and the world

Methodological sophistication measurement –Pre-testing and selection of indicators –validity and reliability assessment –standardisation of measurement and cumulative character set of procedural guides to standardise process of data production –sampling, translation, survey process academic survey organisations with long-established tradition and high reputation in countries, high targeted response rate, harmonisation of variables in national data files, thorough documentation of remaining specificities analysis require and informed and careful handling with the data in order not to make omissions in drawing conclusions

Easy access to raw data by broadest public secondary analysis is primary goal no advantage in access conditions for researchers collaborating in a project accessibility is enhanced and data use promoted in a data archives network

ESS - 3 main aims -To produce rigorous trend data about changes in people’s underlying values -To surmount the longstanding obstacles to comparability in the conduct of cross- national surveys -To achieve recognition for reliable social indicators and attitudinal measures

ESS organisation Central Coordinating Team Scientific Advisory Board Q’n Module Design Teams Methods Group 25+ National Coordinators & Survey institutes Country 1Country 2 Country 3 ETC Sampling panel Translation taskforce Funders’ Forum Specialist advisory groups

32 participating countries in Rounds 1-3 Austria* Ireland* Slovenia* Belgium* Italy Spain* Bulgaria Israel Sweden* Czech RepublicItaly Switzerland* CyprusLatvia Turkey Denmark* Luxembourg UK* EstoniaNetherlands* Finland* Norway* France* Poland* Germany* Portugal* Greece Romania Hungary*Russia IcelandSlovakia *all three rounds

Core questionnaire - structure Socio-political attitudes Trust in institutions Political interest & participation Socio-political orientations Multi-level governance Values and quality of life Underlying moral & social values Social inclusion & exclusion National, ethnic, religious allegiances Well-being, health, security Socio-demographic background variables Demographic composition Educational & occupational background Financial circumstances Household circumstances

Rotating modules Round 1 (2002): - Immigration - Citizenship, involvement and democracy (CID) Round 2 (2004): - Family, work & well-being - Economic morality in Europe - Health and care seeking Round 3 (2006): - Personal and Social Well-being: Creating indicators for a flourishing Europe - The Timing of Life: The organisation of the life course in Europe

ISSP: The four founding members agreed to jointly develop modules dealing with important areas of social science field the modules as a fifteen-minute supplement to the regular national surveys (or a special survey if necessary) include an extensive common core of background variables make the data available to the social science community as soon as possible.

Questionnaire drafting The topics for the ISSP yearly surveys are developed over several years by a sub-committee and are pre-tested in various countries. The annual plenary meeting of the ISSP then adopts the final questionnaire. ISSP questions need to be relevant to all countries and expressed in an equivalent manner in all languages. The questionnaire is originally drafted in British English and then translated into other languages.

The ISSP marks several new departures in the area of cross- national research the collaboration between organisations is not ad hoc or intermittent, but routine and continual. makes cross-national research a basic part of the national research agenda of each participating country by combining a cross-time with a cross-national perspective, two powerful research designs are being used to study societal processes.

Study Profiles Religion III Leisure and Sports Role of Government IV Work Orientations III Citizenship National Identity IINational Identity II Family and Gender Roles IIIFamily and Gender Roles III Social Relations and Support Systems ('Social Networks II')Social Relations and Support Systems ('Social Networks II Environment IIEnvironment II Social Inequality IIISocial Inequality III Religion IIReligion II Work Orientations IIWork Orientations II Role of Government IIIRole of Government III National IdentityNational Identity Family and Changing Gender Roles IIFamily and Changing Gender Roles II Environment Environment Social Inequality IISocial Inequality II ReligionReligion Role of Government IIRole of Government II 1985/ Role of Government I and IIRole of Government I and II Work OrientationsWork Orientations Family and Changing Sex RolesFamily and Changing Sex Roles Social InequalitySocial Inequality Social Networks and Support SystemsSocial Networks and Support Systems Role of GovernmentRole of Government

Methodological characteristics The sample is a national representative random sample of the adult population, designed to achieve a minimum of 1,000 cases. Documented data files of each national group, together with technical details of the survey methods, are to be sent to the Data Archive without delay. The Data Archive will offer individual national datasets as well as a combined dataset to the scientific community. Mode of interviewing: personal interview, face to face or by telephone, self-completed drop-off, mail

ISSP Methodological Research The ISSP Methodology Group consists currently of actually five groups working on different areas of cross-cultural methods, all concerned with issues of equivalence: –translation –mode effects –demographic comparability –non-response –questionnaire design

Slovenia is officially contributing to ISSP project since the independence, 1990 Part of a research project Slovene public opinion survey conducted by Public opinion and mass communication research centre, University of Ljubljana 15 thematic modules of ISSP bring Slovenia into a world map with potentials of cross-country and longitudinal comparative analysis Research infrastructure – publication output is broader then members of a research team only Ad hoc financial support inside basic research projects and program scheme does not correspond to a infrastructure character of ISSP – there is a risk of failing to fulfil obligations of membership in international collaboration

Type of survey General social survey Applied public opinion research Minicensus Typical representative ESS, ISSPEurobarometerEuropean Quality of Life Survey Main purposeAdvanced social science research Informing daily political decisions Societal benchmarking Target users (nonexclusive) Science, educationEU Commission, national governments Governmental and nongovernmenta l organisations Support, organisation S cientific institutes, national research projects EU commissionNational governmental and international organisations

ESS Data Access