Public opinion research in Slovakia – Research No. 20 (May 1950) Výskum verejnej mienky na Slovensku – Výskum č. 20 (Máj 1950) SASD 1950004 Michal Malatinec

Slovak National Archives

Michal Malatinec SASD 2026 2026-09-23 Nesstar Publisher Slovak Archive of Social Data Public opinion research in Slovakia – Research No. 20 (May 1950) Výskum verejnej mienky na Slovensku – Výskum č. 20 (Máj 1950) SASD 1950004 Public Opinion Research Institute in Bratislava Public Opinion Research Institute in Bratislava Nesstar Publisher APVV APVV-22-0063 (https://sociologia.sav.sk/vyskumne_projekty.php?id=3304 ) Slovak Archive of Social Data 1 Ústav pre výskum verejnej mienky v Bratislave. (2026). Výskum verejnej mienky na Slovensku – Výskum č. 20 (Máj 1950) (Version 1) [Dataset]. Slovenský archív sociálnych dát (SASD), Sociologický ústav SAV. https://doi.org/10.34877/SASD_1950004 theatre attendance and individual genres popularity of genres and specific performances theatre vs. cinema obstacles to theatre attendance source of information about the theatre acting in theatre oneself choice of future occupation for a boy and for a girl risk of war assessment of the peace movement SOCIETY AND CULTURE POLITICS The research is the 20th conducted by the Institute for Public Opinion Research in Bratislava, which was the workplace of the Office of Information (Povereníctvo informácií) from 1947 to 1950. The research was carried out on 23 May 1950 and covers the following topics: theatre attendance and individual genres, popularity of genres and specific performances, theatre vs. cinema, obstacles to theatre attendance, source of information about the theatre, acting in theatre oneself, choice of future occupation for a boy and for a girl, risk of war, assessment of the peace movement. SASD provides a reconstruction of the research results, based on the final report prepared for government authorities. Neither the data nor the original questionnaire are available; SASD offers a reconstruction of the questions used in the questionnaire directly from the headers of the individual result pages, where the question wording is given in quotation marks; the basic results from the research are accessible online in an Excel file. The research was carried out using a purposive (non-random) sample designed to reflect, as closely as possible, the estimated structure of the population of Slovak society at the time. Since this was the post-war period and the last full population census had been carried out in 1930, with the next one not until 1951, quota sampling in the strict sense could not be used. The characteristics of the sample nonetheless suggest that, on several attributes, it corresponds to the structure of Slovak society at the time of the nearest census in 1951. This sample also records respondents' political affiliation (KSS members, SSO members, SS members, unaffiliated). 1950-04-23 1950-05-23 Slovakia Individual Population of Slovakia aged 18 and over Purposive (non-random) sampling, attempting to capture the diversity of the Slovak population in terms of sex, occupation, age, nationality, religious denomination, and political affiliation. Face-to-face interview Purposive (non-random) sampling, attempting to capture the diversity of the Slovak population in terms of sex, occupation, age, nationality, religious denomination, and political affiliation. The research was carried out through personal interviews conducted by approximately 200 external interviewers of the Institute, who mostly worked as educational and cultural workers in Slovakia. Interviewers were trained in the research method in writing and through informational brochures. Interviewers received questionnaires by post, together with instructions on which respondents to seek out in their area. Completed questionnaires were sent back by the interviewers by post. Face-to-face interview Structured questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions. Slovak Archive of Social Data (SASD) The data are freely available for scientific and research purposes with attribution to the source. When using this data, please cite the source using the bibliographic citation provided. The data and questionnaire have not survived in their original form. SASD provides a reconstruction based on the final report. Under the access classification, this is a category B file – available online subject to specific conditions set by the author or rights holder of the research. SASD is not responsible for any inaccuracies arising from the reconstruction of missing parts of the original document. SASD - data catalogue Public Opinion Research No. 19 (SASD 1950003) Public Opinion Research No. 18 (SASD 1950002) Tížik, M., 2022 – Zrod výskumu verejnej mienky na Slovensku: inštitucionálne a politické súvislosti. TÍŽIK, Miroslav. Výskum verejnej mienky na Slovensku - počiatky, križovatky a inštitucionálne etablovanie. Recenzovali: Jakub Rákosník, Jiří Šubrt. In Vývoj empirického sociologického výzkumu na území Československa. 1. vyd. - Praha : Karolinum, 2023, 222-285. ISBN 978-80-246-5422-5. ŠRÁMEK, Ľ., 2000: Výskum verejnej mienky – politika – média. Bratislava: Mediálne informačné centrum. BARNOVSKÝ, M., 2004: Slovenská spoločnosť v zrkadle výskumov verejnej mienky 1948 – 1949. Historický časopis 52(3): 469-502. sasd_1950004_data_en 1187 23 NSDstat Dataset 1 (English variable and value labels). QUESTION 1: THEATRE ATTENDANCE LAST YEAR (NUMBER OF VISITS) Question 1. "About how many times were you at the theatre last year?" (0 – Not once; 1 – Once; 2 – Twice; 3 – Three times; 4 – Four times; 5 – Five times; 6 – Six times; 7 – Seven times; 8 – Eight times; 9 – Nine times; 10 – Ten times or more) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 QUESTION 1/A-a: NUMBER OF VISITS TO A PLAY (ČINOHRA) Question 1/A-a. (Those who went to the theatre at least once.) "If you went: How many of those times were you: a/ At a play (činohra):" (0 – Not once; 1 – Once; 2 – Twice; 3 – Three times; 4 – Four times; 5 – Five times or more) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents; the "Total" column in the results table represents the attendance rate (sum of non-zero categories), not a sum to 100%. 0 0 The "Evanjelici" (Lutherans) row had a partially unclear value in one category in the original scan (the row sum matched exactly only one of two possible readings); the value was verified and corrected by the user in the approved Excel file. QUESTION 1/A-b: NUMBER OF VISITS TO AN OPERA Question 1/A-b. (Those who went to the theatre at least once.) "If you went: How many of those times were you: b/ At an opera:" (0 – Not once; 1 – Once; 2 – Twice; 3 – Three times; 4 – Four times; 5 – Five times or more) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents; the "Total" column represents the attendance rate, not a sum to 100%. 0 0 The "30–49" and "Ukrajinci" (Ukrainians) rows had partially unclear/mismatched values in the original scan (for "Ukrajinci" the row sum differed from the printed "Total" column); verified and corrected by the user in the approved Excel file. QUESTION 1/A-c: NUMBER OF VISITS TO AN OPERETTA Question 1/A-c. (Those who went to the theatre at least once.) "If you went: How many of those times were you: c/ At an operetta:" (0 – Not once; 1 – Once; 2 – Twice; 3 – Three times; 4 – Four times; 5 – Five times or more) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents; the "Total" column represents the attendance rate, not a sum to 100%. 0 0 The "Zriadenci" (service staff) row was hard to read in the original scan (values in some columns overlapped with the "Úradníci" row above); completed and verified by the user in the approved Excel file. QUESTION 1/A-d: NUMBER OF VISITS TO A BALLET Question 1/A-d. (Those who went to the theatre at least once.) "If you went: How many of those times were you: d/ At a ballet:" (0 – Not once; 1 – Once; 2 – Twice; 3 – Three times; 4 – Four times; 5 – Five times or more) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents; the "Total" column represents the attendance rate, not a sum to 100%. 0 0 The "Evanjelici" (Lutherans) row had a component sum slightly exceeding the printed "Total"; verified by the user in the approved Excel file. QUESTION 1/B: MOST LIKED PERFORMANCE LAST YEAR (OPEN-ENDED QUESTION) Question 1/B – supplementary list. "Which performance you saw last year did you like the most?" Open-ended question – free-form responses processed as a frequency list of specific works (author, title) with the number of mentions. 0 0 See the full transcription in the Excel file, sheet "Otázka 1-B" (approx. 200 items). QUESTION 1/C: LEAST LIKED PERFORMANCE LAST YEAR (OPEN-ENDED QUESTION) Question 1/C – supplementary list. "Which performance you saw last year did you like the least?" Open-ended question – free-form responses processed as a frequency list of specific works (author, title) with the number of mentions. Additionally: Don't know – 177 responses; No answer – 127 responses. 0 0 See the full transcription in the Excel file, sheet "Otázka 1-C" (approx. 60 items). QUESTION 2: PREFERRED THEATRICAL GENRE Question 2. "What do you prefer: plays, opera, operetta, or ballet?" (1 – Plays; 2 – Opera; 3 – Operetta; 4 – Ballet; 5 – Don't know) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 QUESTION 3: THEATRE VERSUS CINEMA Question 3. "If you had to decide between going to the theatre or the cinema, which would you rather go to?" (1 – To the theatre; 2 – To the cinema; 3 – Don't know) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 QUESTION 4: OBSTACLES TO MORE FREQUENT THEATRE ATTENDANCE Question 4. "What prevents you from visiting the theatre more often?" (1 – Nothing; 2 – Distance; 3 – High ticket prices; 4 – Choice of plays; 5 – Other) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 "Zriadenci" (service staff) row: the value in the "Other" column was unclear in the scan (possible readings "34.4" or "14.4"); verified and corrected by the user in the approved Excel file. QUESTION 4: OBSTACLES TO THEATRE ATTENDANCE – OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES ("OTHER" CATEGORY) Question 4/5 – supplementary list. Free-form responses from respondents coded under 5 ("Other"). Open-ended question – responses recorded as free-form verbatim statements. 0 0 See the full transcription in the Excel file, sheet "Otázka 4-iné". QUESTION 5: SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE THEATRE PROGRAMME Question 5. "How do you find out about theatre programmes?" (1 – From newspapers; 2 – From posters; 3 – From the radio; 4 – From acquaintances; 5 – Other way; 6 – I don't follow theatre programmes) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 QUESTION 5: SOURCE OF INFORMATION – OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES ("OTHER WAY" CATEGORY) Question 5/5 – supplementary list. Free-form responses from respondents coded under 5 ("Other way"). Open-ended question – responses recorded as free-form verbatim statements. 0 0 See the full transcription in the Excel file, sheet "Otázka 5-iné". QUESTION 6: MANNER OF PAYING FOR THE TICKET Question 6. "The last time you were at the theatre, did you pay full price, did you have a discount, or did you have a free ticket?" (1 – Full price; 2 – Had a discount; 3 – Had a free ticket; 4 – Doesn't go to the theatre) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 QUESTION 7: OWN EXPERIENCE ACTING IN THE THEATRE Question 7. "Have you ever acted in a play yourself?" (1 – Yes, I have; 2 – No) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 QUESTION 8/A: DESIRED OCCUPATION FOR A SON Question 8/A. "If you had a boy or a girl who had finished school, what occupation would you choose for them today?" A/ Boy: (1 – Engineer; 2 – Technician – mechanic; 3 – Have him continue studying; 4 – Worker; 5 – Doctor; 6 – A trade; 7 – Clerk; 8 – Machine fitter; 9 – Farmer; 10 – Teacher – professor; 11 – Electrical technician; 12 – Machinist; 13 – Bricklayer; 14 – Priest; 15 – Military service; 16 – Retail; 17 – Other; 18 – Don't know) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 The "Zriadenci" (service staff) and "Roľníci" (farmers) rows (codes 10–18) were hard to read in the original scan (overlapping text, small n); the "50 and over", "Maďari" (Hungarians), "Evanjelici" (Lutherans) and "Pravoslávni" (Orthodox) rows summed to slightly more or less than 100%, which for small subgroups may reflect rounding in the original or partially illegible values. All of these rows were verified and, where necessary, corrected by the user in the approved Excel file. QUESTION 8/A: OCCUPATION FOR A SON – OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES ("OTHER" CATEGORY) Question 8/A – supplementary list. Free-form responses from respondents coded under 17 ("Other"). Open-ended question – responses recorded as free-form verbatim statements. 0 0 See the full transcription in the Excel file, sheet "Otázka 8-A-iné". QUESTION 8/A: RAW LIST OF ALL RESPONSES (ABSOLUTE COUNTS) Question 8/A – supplementary list. "...what occupation would you choose for them today?" A/ Boy: list of all specific responses across codes (including "Don't know"), with absolute (unweighted) counts as printed in the original. Open-ended question – responses recorded as a list with counts. 0 0 Some counts ("Stroj. zámočník" [machine fitter], "Technik", "Kňaz" [priest], "Šofér" [driver]) were partially illegible in the scan (page edge/fold); verified and completed by the user in the approved Excel file. See the full transcription in the Excel file, sheet "Otázka 8-A-zoznam". QUESTION 8/B: DESIRED OCCUPATION FOR A DAUGHTER Question 8/B. (Continuation of Question 8/A.) "B/ Girl:" (1 – Homemaker; 2 – Teacher – professor; 3 – Seamstress; 4 – Clerk; 5 – Have her continue studying; 6 – Retail; 7 – Worker; 8 – Doctor; 9 – Social worker; 10 – Artistic career; 11 – Other; 12 – Don't know) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 The "Ukrajinci" (Ukrainians) and "Maďari" (Hungarians) rows summed to less than 100% by more than ordinary rounding (these are small subgroups); verified and, where necessary, corrected by the user in the approved Excel file. QUESTION 8/B: OCCUPATION FOR A DAUGHTER – OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES ("OTHER" CATEGORY) Question 8/B – supplementary list. Free-form responses from respondents coded under 11 ("Other"). Open-ended question – responses recorded as free-form verbatim statements. 0 0 See the full transcription in the Excel file, sheet "Otázka 8-B-iné". QUESTION 8/B: RAW LIST OF ALL RESPONSES (ABSOLUTE COUNTS) Question 8/B – supplementary list. "...what occupation would you choose for them today?" B/ Girl: list of all specific responses across codes (including "Don't know"), with absolute (unweighted) counts as printed in the original. Open-ended question – responses recorded as a list with counts. 0 0 See the full transcription in the Excel file, sheet "Otázka 8-B-zoznam". QUESTION 9: PERCEIVED DANGER OF WAR Question 9. "Do you think the danger of war is smaller or greater today than last year?" (1 – Smaller; 2 – The same; 3 – Greater; 4 – Don't know) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 QUESTION 10: ASSESSMENT OF THE STRENGTH OF THE PEACE MOVEMENT Question 10. "Do you think the peace movement growing around the world is strong enough to prevent a new war, or not?" (1 – Yes, it is; 2 – No, it is not; 3 – Don't know) Base for percentage calculation: total number of respondents. 0 0 The "Roľníci" (farmers) row summed to 3.0 less than 100% (the last two values matched the "Zriadenci" row in the original); verified and, where necessary, corrected by the user in the approved Excel file. revised questionnaire