SN 5087 -Home Office Citizenship Survey, 2003

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Title:
Home Office Citizenship Survey, 2003
(Citizenship Survey, 2003; HOCS)

Subject Categories:
Citizenship Survey - Major studies
Crime and law enforcement - Law, crime and legal systems
Community and urban studies - Society and culture
Race relations - Society and culture
Charities, voluntary organisations and voluntary work - Social welfare policy and systems

Depositor(s):
Home Office. Communities Group

Principal Investigator(s):
Office for National Statistics
Home Office. Communities Group

Sponsor(s):
Home Office
Department for Education and Skills

Other Acknowledgements:
Dr. Rachel Pennant, Communities Research, Home Office.

Abstract:
The Citizenship Survey (known in the field as the Communities Study) has been conducted on a biennial basis since 2001 (the second survey was conducted in 2003, the third in 2005 and the current wave in 2007-2008). The survey provides an evidence base for the work of Communities and Local Government (formerly the Department for Communities and Local Government), principally on the issues of community cohesion, community engagement, race and faith, volunteering and civil renewal, and is also used extensively for developing policy and for performance measurement. The survey is also used more widely, by other government departments and external stakeholders, to help inform their work around the issues covered in the survey.

The Citizenship Survey was formerly conducted by the Home Office (whose remit formerly included the topics covered in the survey), and known as the Home Office Citizenship Survey (HOCS) before the responsibility moved to the new Communities and Local Government department in May 2006. The HOCS acronym may still be in use for earlier waves of the survey. Further information about the survey, including links to publications, can be found on the Communities and Local Government Citizenship Survey web pages.

The survey moved to a continuous design in 2007 which means that data became available on a quarterly basis for that survey from April 2007. Once collection for the four quarters is complete, a full aggregated dataset will be made available, and the larger sample size will allow more detailed analysis. It is anticipated that the survey will proceed on a continuous basis in future years.

HOCS 2003 delivered information to underpin policies on:

active citizenship
racial prejudice and discrimination

people and their neighbourhoods
active community participation
family networks and parenting

The 2003 survey included a total sample of 14,057 people aged 16 and over in England and Wales. This comprised a core sample of 9,486 people and a minority ethnic boost of 4,571. The minority ethnic boost was achieved through a combination of focused enumeration and over-sampling in high minority ethnic density areas.

Children's (aged 8-10 years) and young people's (11-15 years) boost samples were also included in the 2003 survey, funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), in order to produce data on the following topics covered by the adult survey:active citizenship; racial prejudice and discrimination; people and their neighbourhoods; and active community participation.

Another boost sample was also included in the 2003 survey, for local area, but is not currently included in the UK Data Archive dataset.

For the second edition of the study, the children's and young people's data were added and the documentation updated accordingly. Data from the local area boost may be archived at a later date.

Main Topics:
The 2003 Citizenship Survey questionnaire comprised four modules, each focusing on particular Home Office policy responsibilities:

family policy, including: household composition, interaction with non-resident children, family networks and sources of parenting advice and information;

active communities and social capital, including: neighbourliness, civic participation, informal and formal volunteering, employee volunteering, and receipt of voluntary help;

race equality and prejudice, including: perceptions of race equality and prejudice, identity, religion, and language;

rights and responsibilities, including: self-defined rights and responsibilities, and balancing rights and responsibilities.

The demographics module includes standard demographics, and also media exposure and access to transport.

Separate questionnaires were developed for the 2003 children's and young people's boosts. They encompassed the topics described in the Abstract above, and covered key areas of Home Office and DfES responsibility. The children's questionnaire comprised three modules:

neighbourhood and school, including feelings of safety and enjoyment;

active communities and social capital, including help given within family networks and social participation;

right and wrong, including perceptions of these concepts.

The young people's questionnaire was more detailed, and as well as covering the topics listed for children above, also included a module on perceptions of race, race equality, prejudice and religion.

Standard Measures
The questionnaire used established questions where practical, and adapted standard questions where policy requirements meant it was not possible to use standard questions, for example:

demographics: most are taken from the ONS harmonized booklets;

family relationships: adapted from the GHS family relationship grid;

hierarchy of community participation: adapted from the method used in the National Survey of Voluntary Activity, 1997 (see Davis Smith, 1998) - this study is held at the UK Data Archive under SN 3931.

Coverage:
Dates of Fieldwork: 20 February 2003-30 September 2003
Country: England and Wales
Spatial Units: Government Office Regions (GORs)
Observation Units: Individuals
Kind of Data: Alpha/numeric data; Individual (micro) level

Universe Sampled:
Location of Units of Observation:National
Population:Nationally representative sample of adults aged 16+, and a boost sample of minority ethnic adults aged 16+, in England and Wales, during 2003.

Methodology:
Time Dimensions: Repeated cross-sectional study
Previously every two years since 2001. Since 2007, the survey has moved to a continuous design.
Sampling Procedures: Multi-stage stratified random sample
The survey is conducted with a core, nationally representative, sample, plus a minority ethnic boost sample, achieved through direct screening and focused enumeration.
Number of Units: Main sample: target 10,000, achieved 9,486. Minority ethnic boost sample: target 5,022, achieved 4,571. Young people's boost sample: target 1,500, achieved 1,666. Children's boost sample: target 1,200, achieved 1,032.
Method of Data Collection: Face-to-face interview
Weighting: Weighting used. See documentation for details.

Language(s) of Written Materials:
Study Description: English
Study Documentation: English

Access:
Access Conditions: The depositor has specified that registration is required and standard conditions of use apply. The depositor may be informed about usage. See terms and conditions for further information.
Availability: ESDS Access and Preservation, UK Data Archive
Contact: Help desk: help@esds.ac.uk

Date of Release:
First Edition: 3 March 2005
Latest Edition: 16 June 2005 ( 2nd Edition )

Copyright:
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland

Documentation:

Format	Name	Size in Kilobytes	Description
EXCEL	5087significancereadyreckoner.xls	20	Significance Ready Reckoner 2003
PDF	5087userguide.pdf	842	User guide
HTML	UKDA_Study_5087_Information.htm	24	Study information and citation

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Catalogue record last updated:
1 June 2010

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