Relations, Attitudes

December CVVM survey was focused on Czech relationship to other nations and nationalities. Respondents were shown a list with 24 nationalities and they were asked to evaluate these nationalities with marks from 1 to 7 according to their sympathies for these nationalities (1 – very sympathetic and 7-very unsympathetic). Respondents find Czechs as the most sympathetic nation (on average 1,7).

More than two thirds of Czechs (66 %) have a pesimistic attitude to the future. Their worries are not shared by 34 % of people. It was proved by results of last survey made by CVVM in year 2006, where questions investigating public attitude to their personal life or evaluation of future life of the society were included. People are mostly worried about their health and about losing their jobs, but they are also worried about their families or about standard of living.

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.