European Social Survey

Research question/goal: 

Major goals of the European Social Survey (ESS) is to study changing attitudes, beliefs, and behaviour of citizens in Europe and to offer empirical information for comparative research of the highest quality. The ESS is part of the European social science infrastructure. The study employs the most rigorous survey methodologies in terms of sample design, fieldwork, and development of equivalent instruments. Beside a core module of socio-demographic and substantive indicators, each wave consists of two rotating modules covering an academic or policy concern within Europe. Data are available without any costs.

Current stage: 

After intensive preparations and pretesting, fieldwork for the sixth wave started in September 2012 and is expected to be finished by early January 2013 (net 3,000 cases). Nomos Verlag has published a volume presenting analyses of the first four waves in 2012. For the first time, these analyses combined longitudinal approaches and comparisons with western- and eastern European neighbours of Germany.

Fact sheet

Funding: 
DFG
Duration: 
2002 to 2014
Status: 
ongoing
Data Sources: 
survey of representative population samples
Geographic Space: 
33 European countries (including Israel and Turkey)

Publications

Books

Keil, Silke I., and Jan W. van Deth (Eds.) (2012): Deutschlands Metamorphosen. Ergebnisse des European Social Survey 2002 bis 2008. Baden-Baden: Nomos. [Studien zur Wahl- und Einstellungsforschung; 20] more
van Deth, Jan W., and Jan C. P. M. Vis (2006): Regeren in Nederland. Het politieke en bestuurlijke bestel in vergelijkend perspectief. 3rd ed., Assen: Van Gorcum. more

Journal Articles

van Deth, Jan W., and Katja Neller (2006): Politisches Engagement in Europa. Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, issue 30-31, p. 30-38. more

Book Chapters

van Deth, Jan W. (2011): The Impact of the Economic Crisis in Europe: 'I'm doing fine'. p. 223-238 in: Martin Rosema, Bas Denters, Kees Aarts (Eds.) How Democracy Works. Political Representation and Policy Congruence in Modern Societies. Amsterdam: Pallas Publications. more
van Deth, Jan W. (2011): Political Sociology as a Field of Study. p. 2022-2039 in: Bertrand Badie, Dirk Berg-Schlosser, Leonardo Morlino (Eds.) International Encyclopedia of Political Science. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. more
van Deth, Jan W. (2011): Is Creative Participation Good for Democracy?. p. 148-172 in: Michele Micheletti, Andrew S. McFarland (Eds.) Creative Participation: Responsibilitity-Taking in the Political World. Boulder: Paradigm Publisher. more
van Deth, Jan W. (2006): Soziale Stabilität der Gesellschaft stärken und soziale Kompetenzen ausbauen. p. 201-219 in: Demographiemonitor: Handlungsoptionen im demographischen Wandel. Gütersloh: Verlag Bertelsmann Stiftung. more
Roßteutscher, Sigrid (2004): Die Rückkehr der Tugend?. p. 175-200 in: Jan W. van Deth (Ed.) Deutschland in Europa. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. more
Zmerli, Sonja (2004): Politisches Vertrauen und Unterstützung. p. 229-255 in: Jan W. van Deth (Ed.) Deutschland in Europa. Wiesbaden: VS Sozialwissenschaften. more

Conference Presentations

Zmerli, Sonja (2004): 1. Civil society in Germany ten years after - still divided by the socialist legacy? 2. Political confidence in Europe. [Gastvorträge an der sozialwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Katholischen Universität Löwen, Löwen, May 12th to May 13th, 2004] more