Scottish Social Attitudes Survey 2014: Public Attitudes to Sectarianism in Scotland

This report sets out key findings from the 2014 Scottish Social Attitudes survey (SSA) on public attitudes to sectarianism in Scotland.

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List of tables and figures

Table 2.1: Religious belonging, 1999-2014, SSA

Table 2.2: Frequency of attendance at a religious service*, selected years, 1999-2014

Table 2.3: Religion respondent brought up in, 1999-2014

Table 2.4: Religion belong to by age group, 2014

Table 2.5: Religious belonging and religious identity, 2014

Table 2.6: Strength of religious identity by religious identity, 2014

Table 2.7: Proportion who do not know anyone who is Protestant/Catholic by Religious Identity, 2014

Figure 3.1: Perceptions of levels of prejudice against Catholics and Protestants

Figure 3.2: Perceptions of frequency of job discrimination against Catholics and Protestants

Table 3.1: Perceptions of likelihood of harassment for being Catholic / Protestant in Scotland more widely and in respondent's local area

Table 3.2: Perceptions of likelihood of harassment for being Catholic / Protestant in respondent's local area, by region

Figure 3.3: Perceptions of likelihood of harassment and threats in respondent's local area by area deprivation

Figure 3.4: In which parts of Scotland sectarianism is seen as a problem, by region

Figure 3.5: Whether sectarianism is a problem throughout the whole of Scotland, in parts, or not at all, by age

Figure 3.6: Whether sectarianism will always exist in Scotland by people's views on the current levels of prejudice against Protestants and Catholics

Table 4.1: Perceptions of what contributes and what contributes most to sectarianism in Scotland

Figure 4.1: Perceptions of what contributes the most to sectarianism, by age

Figure 4.2: Perceptions of whether marches contribute to sectarianism, by religious identity

Figure 4.3: Perceptions of who is best placed to tackle sectarian attitudes

Table 5.1: Support or opposition to right of loyalist organisations to march in public streets in Scotland, by region, 2014

Table 5.2: Support or opposition to right of Irish republican organisations to march in public streets in Scotland, by region, 2014

Figure 5.1: Opposition to right to march, by religious identity

Figure 5.2: Support for and opposition to denominational schools, 2007 and 2014

Figure 5.3: Support for and opposition to denominational schools, by religious identity

Figure 5.4: Acceptability of jokes about different religious groups

Table 5.3: Acceptability of jokes about Protestants or Catholics, by age

Figure 5.5: Acceptability of jokes about Protestants and Catholics, by religious identity

Figure 5.6: Acceptability of the use of the terms 'Fenian' and 'Hun' in casual conversation

Figure 5.7: Proportion who would be unhappy or very unhappy about different groups marrying / forming long-term relationship with a family member

Figure 5.8: % agreeing or disagreeing that they feel more comfortable with people with similar religious beliefs (or no religious beliefs), by religious identity

Table 5.4: % agreeing/disagreeing that they feel more comfortable with people of similar religious beliefs, by how important religion is to the respondent

Table 6.1 Personal experience of religious discrimination by religious identity and religiosity

Figure 6.1: Religious discrimination by football support

Table A.1: Sample sizes for SSA by year (1999 to 2014)

Table A.2: Religious belonging (2013 & 2014)

Table A.3: Family religion (2013 & 2014)

Table A.4: Frequency of attendance at religious services

Table A.5: Religious identity

Table A.6: How religious would you say you are?

Table A.7: Importance of religion to identity

Table A.8: Who one knows who is Catholic

Table A.9: Who one knows who is Protestant

Table A.10: Family connections with Ireland or Northern Ireland

Table A.11: Support for Scottish football club

Table A.12: Perceived level of prejudice against Catholics in Scotland

Table A.13: Perceived level of prejudice against Protestants in Scotland

Table A.14: Perceived level of job discrimination against Catholics in Scotland

Table A.15: Perceived level of job discrimination against Protestants in Scotland

Table A.16: Perceived likelihood of harassment for being Catholic in local area

Table A.17: Perceived likelihood of harassment for being Protestant in local area

Table A.18: Perceived likelihood of harassment for being Catholic in Scotland

Table A.19: Perceived likelihood of harassment for being Protestant in Scotland

Table A.20: Perceptions of how widespread a problem sectarianism is

Table A.21: Where sectarianism is perceived to be a problem?

Table A.22: Perceptions of change in relationships between Protestants and Catholics in Scotland

Table A.23: Level of agreement that sectarianism will always exist in Scotland

Table A.24: What contributes to sectarianism

Table A.25: And which would you say contributes the most to sectarianism in Scotland?

Table A.26: Perceptions of who is best placed to address sectarian attitudes

Table A.27: Perceptions of level of Government attention to sectarianism (2014)

Table A.28: Perceptions of level of Scottish Parliament attention to sectarianism (2003)

Table A.29: Support for and opposition to the right of loyalist organisations to march along public streets

Table A.30: Support for and opposition to the right of Irish republican organisations to march along public streets

Table A.31: Support for and opposition to denominational schools

Table A.32: Acceptability of jokes about Protestants or Catholics

Table A.33: Acceptability of jokes about Muslims

Table A.34: Acceptability of the term "Fenian" in casual conversation

Table A.35: Acceptability of the term "Hun" in casual conversation

Table A.36: Whether happy or not for a Catholic to join the family

Table A.37: Whether happy or not for a Protestant to join the family

Table A.38: Whether more comfortable around people with similar religious beliefs to themselves

Table A.39: Personal experience of religious discrimination

Table A.40: Whether ever thought twice about revealing religion (or lack of it)

Table B.1: 2014 Scottish Social Attitudes survey response

Table B.2: Scottish Social Attitudes survey sample size by year

Table B.3: Factors associated with thinking that there is either a great deal / quite a lot / some' prejudice against Protestants in Scotland

Table B.4: Factors associated with thinking that there is either 'a great deal / quite a lot / some' prejudice against Catholics in Scotland

Table B.5: Factors associated with agreeing that 'I am more comfortable around people with similar religious beliefs to my own' - or for those with no religion - 'I am more comfortable around people with no religious beliefs'

Table B.6: Factors associated with having often or occasionally thought twice about telling someone about your religion / having no religious beliefs because of concern about what they might think.

Contact

Email: Linzie Liddell

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