The National SOM Survey 2004

Since 1986 the SOM-institute has been carrying out an annual nation-wide survey of Swedish opinions. This is accordingly the nineteenth survey in this series. The SOM-institute is a collaboration between three departments at Göteborg University: the Institute for Journalism and Mass Communication, the Department of Political Science, and the School of Public Administration. Since 1998 the survey includes two nation representative samples and uses two different mail questionnaires. One of the questionnaires mainly deals with questions on politics, economy and working life, while the other mainly deals with media, culture and health. One third of the questions asked in the two questionnaires are common for both samples, for example questions about media habits, political attitudes, leisure activities, and social background. The questionnaire on politics include twelve different subject fields: news; politics and society; the surrounding world; media and possession of technical equipment; journalism and society; society, public service and democracy; animals and nature; knowledge and society; environment and energy; activities and interests; work life; and background questions. The media questionnaire is divided into eleven subject fields: news and papers; politics and society; radio and television; possession of technical equipment, internet and other media; periodicals, books and libraries; advertisment and media; journalism and society; activities, interests, and values; work life; background questions; and 'yesterday activities'. Purpose: The main purpose is to establish time series that enable researchers to analyse how various changes in society affect people's attitudes and behaviour.