The annual British Social Attitudes survey is carried out by Britain's largest independent social research organisation, the National Centre for Social Research. It provides an indispensable guide to political and social issues in contemporary Britain. This 26th Report summarises and interprets data from the most recent nationwide survey, as well as drawing invaluable comparisons with the findings of previous years to provide a richer picture and deeper understanding of changing British social values. The British Social Attitudes survey report is essential reading for anyone seeking a guide to the topical issues and debates of today or engaged in contemporary social and political research.
Alison joined NatCen in 1991, after completing an M.Phil. in Sociology at Nuffield College, Oxford. Her core areas of research are social, political and moral attitudes and values. As Head of Society and Social Change, Alison manages the team responsible for the British Social Attitudes Survey series. These annual surveys focus on people's attitudes towards a wide range of issues, and the results form the basis of an annual book, published by Sage. Alison is closely involved with the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), a cross-national study of social attitudes, and is the ESRC-funded UK Co-ordinator for the 2002 to 2012 rounds of the European Social Survey. She makes regular radio and television contributions concerning social trends, and was a member of the 2003 Fabian Society Commission on the Future of the Monarchy. John Curtice is a Research Consultant at the Scottish Centre for Social Research, Deputy Director of CREST, and Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University. Katarina Thomson is a freelance editor and a former Research Director at NatCen Miranda works on a number of different attitudinal surveys, including British Social Attitudes - NatCen's longest-running survey. Miranda particularly enjoys designing questions and meeting NatCen's interviewers to brief them on that year's survey. She is also an editor of the annual report for the survey, and regularly gives interviews to journalists to explain the survey's findings. Miranda's particular interests include attitudes towards relationships and the family; and attitudes about the welfare system. Elizabeth Clery is Senior Researcher at NatCen and Co-Director of the British Social Attitudes survey series
Duty in Decline? Trends in Attitudes to Voting - Sarah Butt and John Curtice Thermostat or Weathervane? Public Reactions to Spending and Redistribution under New Labour - John Curtice How Do Political Parties Shape Public Opinion? Britain in a European Perspective - Stephen Padgett and Robert Johns Religion in Britain and the United States - David Voas and Rodney Ling Religious Faith and Contemporary Attitudes - Siobhan McAndrew Understanding the Dynamics of Attitude Change - Andy Ross and Amanda Sacker A Chorus of Disapproval? European Attitudes to Non-Traditional Family Patterns - Eric Harrison and Rory Fitzgerald Never too Old? Attitudes towards Longer Working Lives - Stephen McKay Lone Parents and Benefits: An Obligation to Look for Work? - Matt Barnes and Wojtek Tomaszweski Food for Thought: Attitudes to Innovative Food Technologies - Elizabeth Clery Smoking, Drinking and Drugs: Reactions to Reform - Rossy Bailey, Elizabeth Fuller and Rachel Ormston
'The Rolls Royce of opinion surveys' - The Times '... an important barometer of opinion...' - The Telegraph '...invaluable surveys of the national mood...' - The Guardian '...examines who we think we are, what we think, and how self-perceptions have changed over the past 25 years' - Financial Times
