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Title:
Citizenship Survey, 2008-2009
(Communities Study; 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):
Communities and Local Government

Principal Investigator(s):
Communities and Local Government
National Centre for Social Research

Sponsor(s):
Communities and Local Government

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.

The Citizenship Survey, 2008-2009 dataset includes a total sample of 14,917 people aged 16 and over, resident in England and Wales. This comprised a core sample of 9,335 people and a minority ethnic boost of 5,582.

Main Topics:
The 2008-2009 survey covered:

• identity and social networks
• feelings about the community, including community cohesion
• trust and influence
• volunteering
• civic engagement
• race and religious prejudice, and perceptions of discrimination
• religion
• mixing between people of different backgrounds
• values
• demographic and some geo-demographic information

• demographic questions were mostly taken from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) harmonised question booklets
• questions on family relationships were adapted from the General Household Survey (GHS) family relationship grid (the GHS is held at the UK Data Archive under GN 33090)
• the hierarchy of community participation was adapted from the method used in the National Survey of Voluntary Activity, 1997 (held under SN 3931)
• Some questions on trust were adapted from the World Values Survey (see under SN 5488) and some from the British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA) (held under GN 33168)

Coverage:
Dates of Fieldwork: April 2008-March 2009
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:The survey covered adults aged 16 years and over, resident in England and Wales during 2008-2009.

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: All quarters: 14,917 cases.
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: 23 February 2010

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

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