The 2012 British Social Attitudes Survey report was published. The annual survey tracked people's changing social, political, and moral attitudes.
Source: Alison Park, Elizabeth Clery John Curtice, Miranda Phillips, and David Utting (eds), British Social Attitudes: The 29th Report, National Centre for Social Research
Links: Report | NatCen press release | BBC report
Date: 2012-Sep
An article examined the internal consistency and validity of six attitudes scales assessing left-right beliefs, political cynicism, anti-racism, libertarian-authoritarian views, and gender equality (two versions) in two large nationally representative samples of the British population born in 1958 and 1970. All six attitudes scales had good internal reliability and factorial stability, as well as external validity; and they were robust and consistent over time.
Source: Helen Cheng, John Bynner, Richard Wiggins, and Ingrid Schoon, 'The measurement and evaluation of social attitudes in two British cohort studies', Social Indicators Research, Volume 107 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jul
The government published three reports setting out progress in the 'Measuring National Well-Being' programme. It also published a further report (following consultation) setting out the domains and measures that would be henceforth used for assessing well-being.
Source: First ONS Annual Experimental Subjective Well-Being Results, Office for National Statistics | Chris Randall, Measuring National Well-Being: Where We Live – 2012, Office for National Statistics | Jen Beaumont and Jennifer Thomas, Measuring National Well-Being: Health, Office for National Statistics | Measuring National Well-Being: Summary of Proposed Domains and Measures, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Report (3) | Report (4) | ONS press release | Young Foundation press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2012-Jul
A report gave an overview of the main demographic trends faced by Europe – such as ageing, a decrease in the working-age population, and declining fertility. It described the European Union's actions to promote active ageing, and explained EU policy efforts to ensure adequate, safe, and sustainable pensions in the future.
Source: Demography, Active Ageing and Pensions: Social Europe Guide Volume 3, European Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2012-Jun
A report said that older people were a benefit, rather than a burden, to the economy and society, and that the benefits of living longer would outweigh the additional health and social care costs of population ageing. In future decades, greater participation by people in their 60s and 70s in formal and informal work, alongside additional decreases in the number of life years spent with major disabilities, could increase national income by up to 10 per cent. A linked paper examined public awareness of, and attitudes to, population ageing.
Source: David Taylor and Jennifer Gill, Active Ageing: Live Longer and Prosper? Towards realising a second demographic dividend in 21st century Europe, UCL School of Pharmacy | Dylan Kneale, Mark Mason, and Sally-Marie Bamford, Population Ageing: Pomp or Circumstance, International Longevity Centre – UK
Links: UCL press release | Paper
Date: 2012-May
A new book examined the demographic challenges facing Europe. There was likely to be a dramatic increase in the number of elderly people in Europe, due to declining mortality combined with continuing low fertility. The working-age population would decrease. This process of ageing was the closing phase of the demographic transition – involving a shift from high to low birth and death rates – that had started in the 19th century.
Source: Bo Malmberg, Kristof Tamas, David Bloom, Rainer Munz, and David Canning, Global Population Ageing and Migration in Europe, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jan