Relations, Attitudes

In December CVVM SOÚ AV ČR survey public attitude to some selected nationalities living in the Czech Republic was investigated. Czechs have best relationships with people of the Czech nationality and then with people of the Slovakian nationality. Czechs also find Poles (73,4 %) and Germans (59 %) sympathetic. Jews and Vietnameses are worse evaluated when most respondents chose for their evaluation centre of the spectrum (answer :neither sympathetic, nor nonsympathetic).

November survey CVVM SOÚ AV ČR investigated public opinions about division of men´s and women´s roles in families. Both partners should share worries about education, budget, hobbies and contacts. Career building is supposed to belong to men´s activities or activities of both partners, but mainly it should belong to a men´s role. On the other hand cooking is considered as women´s domain. Looking after children, shopping and cleaning are activities that should be shared by both partners, which is opinion of about half of respondents.

In November survey CVVM SOÚ AV focused on public attitude to weddings and ideal age to have a first child.

Marriage is not worthless institution for 70 % of respondents. More than 60 % of unmmarried people would like to get married in future (64,4 % of women and 63,6 % of men) and a sixth of divorced people wish to marry somebody in future (16,9 % women, 16,0 % men). Only a few widowed people want to get married, 3,2 % widowed women and any widowed men.

In April survey CVVM also focused on public attitude and public relationships between czech population and Romany minority. Survey showed us, that approximately three sixths of czech citizens (69 %) suppose living together (Romany and non-Romyny population) to be problematic. If we compare these data with previous surveys we can see, that since 1997 public attitude to relationships between Romany and non – Romany population has got better.

As the most important Czech figures respondents indicate mainly the king Charles IV, T. G. Masaryk, V. Havel, J. A. Komensky and J. Hus. As a paramount era of Czech history polled citizens most frequently mention reign of Charles IV (38 %), the first Czechoslovak Republic (16 %), National Revival (10 %) and Hussite Revolution (9 %). According to results of survey, the Velvet Revolution of 1989, events of World War Two with preceding Munich diktat and founding of Czechoslovakia in 1918 are most often considered to be the most important events for the Czech nation since the end of World War One.

In December survey respondents were questioned about what they think of public holidays and its celebration. The survey showed that three quarters of Czechs (76 % of respondents who answered either it is very important or it is rather important) say it is important to commemorate public holidays, on contrary 19 % of respondents suppose it to be unimportant. People over 60 and older said it is definitely important to celebrate public holidays while people at the age 15-29 (more than people from other age groups) chose the answer “it is rather unimportant“.

Approximately three quarters of Czech citizens have close or very close relationship to their city quarter, village, their town, region – where they live, Czech Republic and Europe. In case they could choose a place where to live, more than three quarters of Czech citizens would choose Czech Republic. On contrary 16% of citizens over 15 years of age would not choose Czech Republic as a place where to live.

In November survey we also asked respondents about their feelings of pride and shame connected with Bohemia - czech political system and some areas of social and cultural life or national history.

Survey showed us that Czechs are proud of czech sport - it was supported by 81% respondents (sum of answers: very proud of and rather proud of). It was followed by czech history, when 81 % of respondents are proud of it.

The other questions focused on topic – Social coherence were included in November survey.

These questions should show us what is public opinion about influences upon enhancement of social coherence among people in our society.Respondents were shown a list of possible answers and they most often chose the statement „strict right of recovery for law violence“, which would help to enhance social coherence among people, this opinion was shared by 94 % of people (answers it would definitely help or it would rather help).

In November survey Centre for public opinion research focused on question what are roots of social tension in Czech society. Respondents had to think about what social differences cause tension in the society. The differences among politicians and other citizens are supposed to be the most problematic (when 48 % of respondents say that these differences lead to deep social tension), property difference is considered to be second most problematic difference.