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Warsaw 2009: Presentations and short courses

Event Data analysis: relating events with respondent’s attitudes and opinions in three ESS’ rounds (2002, 2004, 2006)

Session: Media-reported events: the context of surveys

Authors:

Analia Torres; Instituto Superior do Ciências do Trabalho e da Empresa - ISCTE, Portugal
Paula Jerónimo; Instituto Superior do Ciências do Trabalho e da Empresa - ISCTE, Portugal

Abstract:

Event Data collection represents an added value on trying to explain differences among countries and changes in respondent’s opinions and attitudes over time. Political events like elections, the unpopularity of a specific government in a specific country, corruption processes in politics and economy and passionate debates over law changes in certain moral aspects (gay marriage, abortion, divorce) are frequently captured in the media event reports and may help to explain respondent’s answers.

In this paper, analysing results from the three rounds (2002, 2004 and 2006) we compare some major political events like elections reported in the media, and other debates related to moral values with changes in respondents answers comparing Portugal with all other European countries. Comparing data from the three rounds for all other countries we will question also why certain indicators in the majority of the countries remain stable – right, left positioning for instance – while in some others the change is so clear. Was there any particular event to explain it?

Accounting for some “hot” debates occurring in Portugal in 2008 over education, health and justice reforms we will try to advance some possible effects on respondent’s opinions for round 4.