Society
Market and public opinion research often captures opinions and attitudes that matter for society as a whole. Research is useful and valuable. It tells us things that help public debate, makes us aware of something important, gives innovators the inspiration they need, or draws attention to a dangerous trend.
Examples from research
1. Poverty and debt enforcement
In 2018 the agency Median produced research on democratic values, civic participation, respondents’ circumstances in relation to financial difficulties, lifestyle, financial literacy and related behaviour. Read the full article here.
2. The fateful eights
The “fateful eights” in Czech and Slovak historical memory — events, periods and figures — was the subject of extensive research among Czech and Slovak citizens carried out by the Public Opinion Research Centre in 2018. The events viewed positively in the Czech Republic are the Velvet Revolution, the period of the First Republic, the founding and work of Charter 77, and the creation of the independent Czech Republic in 1993. The full press release is available here.
3. Research on corporate social responsibility
Companies that care about their reputation can test where they stand in regular research by Ipsos. The study serves not only the participating companies, in setting their social responsibility strategy, but also non-profits, public institutions and other bodies working in the field. The 2019 survey showed that the public favours companies that run environmental projects and that treat their employees fairly. More information about the project is here.
4. Eurobarometer
Attitudes and opinions in the European Union — the Eurobarometer — are measured in 28 European countries by Kantar. The research is carried out by face-to-face interviewing. These surveys cover a wide range of questions. They look at how citizens perceive the EU, what they expect from its work, and the main challenges the Union faces. They also examine in detail citizens’ attitudes to the EU and the European Parliament, and follow attitudes to the European elections closely. Because the surveys have run for many years, analysing the results gives a detailed insight into trends and developments in public opinion on European questions, both nationally and by socio-demographic group. Eurobarometer outputs are available here.
