Suchergebnisse

This week we're exploring the state of public opinion in Russia. How popular is Putin? And, indeed, how can we measure people's attitudes in authoritarian settings at all?

Classroom use of a role-playing procedure can illustrate graphically the way SES, personal interests, primary group affiliation, secondary group membership, & other factors enter into the formation of individual opinions on public issues. This technique can also highlight the diff between private opinion & PO, indicate the mechanism through which a relatively few individuals can influence the opinions of a large number, & throw light on the effects of publicity & public discussion on the distribution of opinions in a pop. Adaptations of this 'game' may prove useful as a res tool. AA.

The phenomenon of PO was recognized & described in ancient, medieval, & early modern times although the term itself was not used until the 18th cent. PO is sometimes regarded as undefinable, but F. Allport listed its characteristics: as action or readiness for action with regard to a given issue on the part of members of a public who are reacting in the expectation that others in the public are similarly oriented toward the same issue. The characteristics of PO have not been linked into a theoretical framework, & progress in measuring & describing aspects of PO has outstripped conceptualization. The PO process begins when an issue takes root & is communicated through a human chain & finds one or more groupings hospitable to it. Next, leadership emerges from the original primary groups or by men who are concerned with mass manipulation. Simplification & generalization of the original ideas are usually observed at this point. Communications are important at this stage because they can transmit facts & opinions about the issue to many primary groups. If a substantial number of individuals accept the new ideas, there is a chance that PO may develop. It is noted that those who agree/disagree with an issue are clustered in certain pop groups & not scattered at random. Face-to-face discussions begin again, similar to the original discussions except that people are aware that many other people are talking about the same thing. New formulations & new leadership may modify or reinforce the original idea at this time. Most of us enter the process at this stage & form our act's on the basis of existing att's, our daily contacts, or status considerations. Through personal sampling consciously or unconsciously, people learn of the opinions of others outside their immediate group & the way these people are likely to behave. Once these expectations have been formed, they tend to influence opinions & behavior of the people who entertain the expectations. The behavioral adjustments in turn reinforce the expectations; & when this happens, PO has been formed. Individuals who may be unconcerned with the issue are brought into the process at this stage. A definition of public offered: a large collection of individuals who do not know each other but who react to an issue with the expectation that certain categories of others will display similar alt's on the same issue. PO is transitory & disappears imperceptibly; when the issue disappears, the behavioral adjustment ceases to have purpose. PO on one issue may be displaced by PO on another, it may be broken up by superior physical force where the former behavioral adjustment become incompatible with personal safety or attainment of other values, it may lead to the formation of customs or soc norms before it is dissipated, or it may lead to formal laws or constitutions. J. D. Twight.

A new technique for gauging PO, designed to complement regular PO surveys, is discussed. The method is based on a refinement of the 'abrometer' areas or 'referendum' approach. 4 countries were selected, each with a record of accurately reflecting the sentiment of its area in the last 4 presidential elections. Election data for each county were carefully analyzed, & this information was then used to select 3 or more small units which, taken together, provided an accurate reflection of the whole county. In this way a referendum becomes manageable & yet produces enough ballots to provide a reliable result for the county. Voters were asked to check questions pro & con certain public issues. The results obtained passed certain tests for present-day representativeness. Both nat'l & regional results of a subsequent survey matched those obtained with the referendum method. It is felt that this technique requires less expertise & is less costly than a regular survey. It can be widely employed to shed light on the public's views on local issues & to illuminate, for the benefit of the representatives of the people, the state of PO on major issues confronting the nation. 2 Tables. Modified HA.

Reports data from 1979 through 1993. Examines trends in the public's definition of the energy situation, attitudes toward energy institutions, preferred energy alternatives, and preferences on transportation issues.

The concept of alienation is defined, discussed, & diff'iated.

Analyzes topical areas, sampling frame, administration methods, and response rates of surveys; 1975-90.