Citizen survey 1987 - Main survey

This survey forms part of the report on power ´Maktutredningen´, and deals with the citizen´s possibilities to influence. To study the citizen´s possibilities to affect hers/his own situation six different areas of life were chosen. Questions concerning the citizen´s role as a resident dealt with type of housing, participation in meetings or other activities arranged by tenants´ association or similar, activities together with neighbours, possibilities to affect housing conditions, reason for discontent in regard to housing during the last year, activities to accomplish improvements/counteract impairment, and if the demands were met. The role as a consumer were illustrated by questions concerning purchases of capital goods during the last year, possibilities to estimate the quality, choose between different manufactures, and to determine whether the purchase was the best value for money, discontent in regard to purchases during the last year, attempt to get adjustments, and if the demands were met. Questions about health and medical care dealt with own experience of medical care, concerning light illness, serious illness, hospital treatment, and the need for treatment of close relative, possibilities to affect the treatment, to get enough treatment, to choose doctor or change to another surgery or clinic, reason for discontent concerning medical treatment, activities to accomplish improvements/counteract impairment, and if the demands were met. Another area concerned family, with questions dealing with marital status, number of children and their age, household composition. Respondents married or cohabiting had to answer questions concerning their own possibility to affect major purchases for the family or the house, distribution of the housework, time spent together with family, how to raise the children, and how often she/he and the partner are of different opinion. Respondents with children aged 0-6 years were asked about child daycare, kind of child daycare used by the respondent, any longer talk with persons taking care of the child at the daycare center etc. during the last year, and with other parents having their children at the same place, or any activities together with other parents, possibilities to influence the disposition of the activities, the environment, the way the children are acting together, possibilities to change to another form of daycare and to get the right amount of daycare, reason for discontent in regard to child daycare, activities to accomplish improvements/counteract impairment, and if the demands were met. Respondents with children aged 7-15 years were asked about school, if one during the last year had attended meetings at school, other contacts with teachers, parent-teacher association, or other parents, about schooling, possibilities to influence the disposition of the education, the environment, the way the children act together, possibilities to change to another school, reason for discontent in regard to the conditions at the school, activities to accomplish improvements/counteract impairment, and if the demands were met. Questions regarding occupation and education dealt with possibilities to influence working hours, disposition of work, work environment, the general direction of work, to change to other tasks or to another employer, to influence the local union, the possibilities of the local union to influence the working conditions, reason for discontent in regard to the conditions at work, activities to accomplish improvements/counteract impairment, and if the demands were met. Questions concerning organizational activities, leisure time, and society dealt with groups most entitled to keep the job, differences in income, solidarity with various organizations and movements, political party, commissions of trust, interest in politics, party most liked, own political activities, church attendance, leisure-time activities, activities to accomplish improvements/counteract impairment in the community. Purpose: Aims to study the ability of citizens to influence their own situation and to participate in social decision-making.