Study Shows Shift In Moral Values
The traditional polarisation in Britain between those people wanting more control and those wanting more freedom has disappeared according to a new study on moral values published today (March 30). There is a significant minority which is libertarian and morally marginal.
A much more complex set of values now applies according to Professor Helen Haste of Bath University who carried out the study with MORI for the Nestlé Family Monitor.
"The old 'liberal-conservative' split between wanting more control and wanting more freedom is becoming blurred" says Helen Haste.
"The majority want a more tolerant society, with fewer laws and restrictions, but they also want more control of sex and violence on television, more punishment for convicted felons, and for parents to have more accountability for their children's crimes. This shift is extremely important, not least for the political parties who will need to see how their agendas match the moral majority" added Professor Haste.
The study, 'Mapping Britain's Moral Values', shows that people value. honesty as a personal quality most. "There is a striking contradiction amongst younger people and the morally marginal. About a fifth of the sample make a distinction between personal and corporate property. For example, they think that taking office materials or buying a stolen CD player are fair game" says Professor Haste.
When asked to say what had changed for the better in Britain, respondents cited the increased opportunities for women (88%), concern about the environment (79%), tolerance of homosexuality (76%) and opportunities for minority groups (71%).
The biggest negative changes were in respect for authority (87%), sexual faithfulness (73%) and honesty in work and business dealings (55%).
Respect for public figures has decreased according to the study. Only nurses have substantially gained respect and the police, Church and Royal Family show substantial losses.
Respondents expressed very strong objections to drugs but, whilst 82% considered taking cocaine to be 'very wrong', 30% would like to see the legalisation of cannabis with 51% opposed.
The moral 'folk heroes' - people seen as good influences on the young - are Richard Branson, Linford Christie, Michael Owen and Prince William. The 'folk villains' - bad influences - are Noel Gallagher, Madonna and Vinnie Jones. Tony Blair is seen as on balance a good influence, but people were neutral about William Hague.
People felt the main moral influences on themselves were their parents, teachers and friends, but just around half saw religion as important even though less than a quarter were church attenders. Public and media figures were important for a quarter.
Minority values
The main groups which stand out from the majority are the very young (15-24), the Seniors and the G-kids - those aged 25-34, who grew up during Globalisation, Glasnost and the growth of Green awareness.
The tolerant young
The Very Young were most in favour of tolerance towards minorities, enforced by law if necessary. They were more likely to see television as a good moral influence. They were least concerned about honesty and least critical about taking property from 'corporate' institutions such as the workplace or a faulty cash machine. They were less likely to want to see control of sex and violence on television or believe that parents should be legally responsible for their children's crimes.
Seniors - the mirror image
The Seniors, those aged 55 and upwards, were in many ways the mirror image - most concerned about honesty and the need for social control, and least concerned about tolerance of minorities and the environment.
G-kids - confident and sceptical
The G-kids stand out because they were most concerned about the environment, about young people's potential and about relationships. They were least pessimistic about the moral effect of the internet. They were least influenced by religion or by the country's rules and laws, and most strongly in favour of Richard Branson and Linford Christie. They came across as confident with strong social ideals and sceptical of authority.
Morally marginal
Finally, one fifth of the sample were 'morally marginal' - less concerned about honesty with regard to corporate or institutional property and more libertarian regarding sexuality, the media and drugs. They were on balance younger - yet the majority of under-35s do not fit into this category, and nearly half of those over 35 did, so it is a value system found across the age range.
'Mapping Britain's Moral Values' is available from Nestlé free of charge at St George's House, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1NR or from www.nestlefamilymonitor.co.uk
Technical details
Research conducted by Helen Haste, Professor of Psychology at Bath University and MORI. 505 interviews conducted face-to-face using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing), in home. Fieldwork between 7th-31st October 1999. Representative quota sample of Great Britain. Data is weighted by age, sex, social class and region. Interviews conducted in 49 Enumeration District Sampling Points. Base 505 respondents, all unless otherwise specified.
