European social survey
Encyclopedia
The European Social Survey (ESS) is a social scientific endeavour to map the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of the various populations in Europe.
. One of the reasons to start this new time series of social scientific data was that existing cross-national attitude surveys were regarded as not of sufficient methodological rigour to draw on as reliable sources for knowledge about changes over time in Europe. Starting in 2002 the survey has been held every two years in many European countries, with round 4 (2008) covering more than 30 nations.
The core module covers the following topics:
The various rounds of the ESS contained the following rotating modules:
Round 1 (2002)
Round 2 (2004)
Round 3 (2006)
Round 4 (2008)
Round 5 (2010)
, an annual European science award.
History
The ESS was initiated by the European Science FoundationEuropean Science Foundation
The European Science Foundation is an association of 78 member organisations devoted to scientific research in 30 European countries. It is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organisation that facilitates cooperation and collaboration in European research and development, European...
. One of the reasons to start this new time series of social scientific data was that existing cross-national attitude surveys were regarded as not of sufficient methodological rigour to draw on as reliable sources for knowledge about changes over time in Europe. Starting in 2002 the survey has been held every two years in many European countries, with round 4 (2008) covering more than 30 nations.
Modules
The questionnaires consist of a core module, which is repeated each round. In addition to the core module each round contains rotating modules on specific themes.The core module covers the following topics:
- Trust in institutions
- Political engagement
- Socio-political values
- Moral and social values
- Social capitalSocial capitalSocial capital is a sociological concept, which refers to connections within and between social networks. The concept of social capital highlights the value of social relations and the role of cooperation and confidence to get collective or economic results. The term social capital is frequently...
- Social exclusion
- National, ethnic, religious identityIdentity (social science)Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
- Well-being, health and security
- DemographicDemographyDemography is the statistical study of human population. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic human population, that is, one that changes over time or space...
composition - Education and occupation
- Financial circumstances
- Household circumstances
The various rounds of the ESS contained the following rotating modules:
Round 1 (2002)
- CitizenshipCitizenshipCitizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
, involvement and democracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law... - ImmigrationImmigrationImmigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
Round 2 (2004)
- Family, Work & Well-Being
- Opinions on Health & Care Seeking
- Economic Morality in Europe: Market Society & Citizenship
Round 3 (2006)
- Personal & Social Well-being: Creating indicators for a flourishing Europe
- The Timing of Life: The organisation of the life course in Europe
Round 4 (2008)
- Experiences and Expressions of AgeismAgeismAgeism, also called age discrimination is stereotyping of and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their age. It is a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to justify age based prejudice, discrimination, and subordination...
- WelfareWelfareWelfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
attitudes in a changing Europe
Round 5 (2010)
- Work, Family and Well-being: The Implications of Economic Recession
- Trust in Criminal Justice: A Comparative European Analysis
Prize
In 2005 the ESS was the winner of the Descartes PrizeDescartes Prize
The Descartes Prize is an annual award in science given by the European Union, named in honour of the French mathematician and philosopher, René Descartes....
, an annual European science award.