Nature and Scope
Introduction
Mass Observation Project 1981-2019 consists of all the directives (questionnaires) sent out by Mass Observation and the responses to them from the hundreds of Mass Observers.
Addressing topics such as the Falklands War, clothing, attitudes to the USA, reading and television habits, morality and religion, and Britain's relations with Europe, the directives and responses are an essential resource for anyone interested in late-twentieth and early twenty-first-century British social history.
Broad themes covered include current events, friends and family, the home, leisure, politics, society, culture and the media, work, finance and the economy and new technology.
There is also the addition of observer material from the celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. This event was seen as a perfect time to attempt a modest revival of the Mass Observation project, before the full reinstitution of the Mass Observation Project in 1981. Volunteers were asked to collect information and observations based on the preparations for Jubilee celebrations, and what these celebrations entailed such as street parties and media responses to the Jubilee.
Learn how to get the most out of using Mass Observation Project 1981-2019 in our Searching Guide. For in-depth analyses of selections of the archival material and case studies of their use, see our Essays and Video Interviews.
Introduction
Mass Observation Project 1981-2019 consists of all the directives (questionnaires) sent out by Mass Observation and the responses to them from the hundreds of Mass Observers.
Addressing topics such as the Falklands War, clothing, attitudes to the USA, reading and television habits, morality and religion, and Britain's relations with Europe, the directives and responses are an essential resource for anyone interested in late-twentieth and early twenty-first-century British social history.
Broad themes covered include current events, friends and family, the home, leisure, politics, society, culture and the media, work, finance and the economy and new technology.
There is also the addition of observer material from the celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. This event was seen as a perfect time to attempt a modest revival of the Mass Observation project, before the full reinstitution of the Mass Observation Project in 1981. Volunteers were asked to collect information and observations based on the preparations for Jubilee celebrations, and what these celebrations entailed such as street parties and media responses to the Jubilee.
Learn how to get the most out of using Mass Observation Project 1981-2019 in our Searching Guide. For in-depth analyses of selections of the archival material and case studies of their use, see our Essays and Video Interviews.
Mass Observation is a project to record British opinion by collecting the writings of hundreds of members of the public, termed 'observers', on specific subjects on which they are invited to share their thoughts.
Under the terms of their participation in Mass Observation, observers' identities are anonymised. Each observer is identified only by an alphanumeric code (e.g. A123) displayed on their submissions, with other details disclosing their identity (principally their name and/or address) redacted, either physically at the archive or digitally on the scanned image.
In fact it is the numeric part of the code only which is unique to a given observer. The letter is the initial letter of the observer's surname; if an observer changes their surname to one with a different initial letter during their participation in Mass Observation, the letter of their code changes, but not the number. So, for example, the codes A123 and B123 would indicate the same person.
Most observers participate in Mass Observation for a span of years. A document list consisting of all the pieces of writing submitted by a particular observer can be seen by clicking on their numeric observer code in any metadata, or by using our Filter by Observer tool.
Salient but non-identifying details about each observer, such as their sex, age cohort, occupation, etc., are recorded and have been included in our metadata: see the Searching Guide for more details.
The Silver Jubilee material predates the main Mass Observation Project and a system for recording observers' biographical data was not established in 1977. The observer codes on the Silver Jubilee material do not correspond with the main observer codes (but are sometimes coincidentally identical to them) and so have been styled with 'SilverJubilee' in the site to ensure the two sets are not confused.
What is an Observer?
Mass Observation is a project to record British opinion by collecting the writings of hundreds of members of the public, termed 'observers', on specific subjects on which they are invited to share their thoughts.
Under the terms of their participation in Mass Observation, observers' identities are anonymised. Each observer is identified only by an alphanumeric code (e.g. A123) displayed on their submissions, with other details disclosing their identity (principally their name and/or address) redacted, either physically at the archive or digitally on the scanned image.
In fact it is the numeric part of the code only which is unique to a given observer. The letter is the initial letter of the observer's surname; if an observer changes their surname to one with a different initial letter during their participation in Mass Observation, the letter of their code changes, but not the number. So, for example, the codes A123 and B123 would indicate the same person.
Most observers participate in Mass Observation for a span of years. A document list consisting of all the pieces of writing submitted by a particular observer can be seen by clicking on their numeric observer code in any metadata, or by using our Filter by Observer tool.
Salient but non-identifying details about each observer, such as their sex, age cohort, occupation, etc., are recorded and have been included in our metadata: see the Searching Guide for more details.
The Silver Jubilee material predates the main Mass Observation Project and a system for recording observers' biographical data was not established in 1977. The observer codes on the Silver Jubilee material do not correspond with the main observer codes (but are sometimes coincidentally identical to them) and so have been styled with 'SilverJubilee' in the site to ensure the two sets are not confused.
There are two types of document in Mass Observation Project: directives and responses.
Directives are letters sent out several times a year, generally quarterly, to participating observers. Each directive invites observers to share their thoughts and feelings on a particular subject or subjects by sending a response to the Mass Observation Archive.
Spring 2005 directive
Directives from the first few years of Mass Observation after its refoundation in 1981 tend to be quite diffuse in their subject matter – for example, the summer 1981 directive on new coins, the forthcoming Royal wedding, business premises, unemployment, holidays and food. Later directives are either on one distinct subject or, more often, two. Because the observers who responded to these two-part directives always submitted a separate response to each part, we have presented each part-directive as a separate document for ease of navigation. What we have termed directives 28A and 28B, for example, were sent out together in spring 1989 as directive no. 28. Within the document details is a link to view any other part of the same directive, under View other part(s) of this directive.
A response is the packet of material an observer submits in answer to a directive. Most responses consist solely of prose, lists or other writing, but in a substantial minority observers have included ancillary material, e.g. newspaper cuttings, ephemera (flyers, leaflets), drawings, photographs, and occasionally flattened objects, such as food packets.
Ancillary material is particularly prevalent in responses to directives which have solicited it, for example the spring 1982 directive on (among other things) house prices, which asked observers to send in brochures from their local estate agents.
Each response has been indexed in Mass Observation Project as an individual document, tagged with the code of the observer with whom it originates.
Types of Document: Directives and Responses
There are two types of document in Mass Observation Project: directives and responses.
Directives are letters sent out several times a year, generally quarterly, to participating observers. Each directive invites observers to share their thoughts and feelings on a particular subject or subjects by sending a response to the Mass Observation Archive.
Spring 2005 directive
Directives from the first few years of Mass Observation after its refoundation in 1981 tend to be quite diffuse in their subject matter – for example, the summer 1981 directive on new coins, the forthcoming Royal wedding, business premises, unemployment, holidays and food. Later directives are either on one distinct subject or, more often, two. Because the observers who responded to these two-part directives always submitted a separate response to each part, we have presented each part-directive as a separate document for ease of navigation. What we have termed directives 28A and 28B, for example, were sent out together in spring 1989 as directive no. 28. Within the document details is a link to view any other part of the same directive, under View other part(s) of this directive.
A response is the packet of material an observer submits in answer to a directive. Most responses consist solely of prose, lists or other writing, but in a substantial minority observers have included ancillary material, e.g. newspaper cuttings, ephemera (flyers, leaflets), drawings, photographs, and occasionally flattened objects, such as food packets.
Ancillary material is particularly prevalent in responses to directives which have solicited it, for example the spring 1982 directive on (among other things) house prices, which asked observers to send in brochures from their local estate agents.
Each response has been indexed in Mass Observation Project as an individual document, tagged with the code of the observer with whom it originates.
The metadata accompanying the documents in Mass Observation Project 1981-2019 has been drawn from library and archive catalogues, with additional data supplemented by the AM team to facilitate browsing and searching. Observer data was accurate at the time the observer joined the Mass Observation Project; any changes to their data since this point may not be reflected in metadata.
The metadata fields added by AM include:
- Title
- Key Topics
- Additional Information
The Key Topics field contains a wide variety of broad topics, which have been tagged to each directive and response by the AM team. Key Topics may be used as a general indication of what to find within that directive or response. However, the word itself may not appear within the document; for example, a response tagged with the topic “Irish” may not contain the word “Irish” within the document text.
The following metadata was only collected from observers from 2010 onwards:
- Disability
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Sexuality
Not all observers choose to provide this information. Where it is available it can be found in Document Details.
For more information on language and terminology within this resource, please see our Language Statement.
Note on Metadata
The metadata accompanying the documents in Mass Observation Project 1981-2019 has been drawn from library and archive catalogues, with additional data supplemented by the AM team to facilitate browsing and searching. Observer data was accurate at the time the observer joined the Mass Observation Project; any changes to their data since this point may not be reflected in metadata.
The metadata fields added by AM include:
- Title
- Key Topics
- Additional Information
The Key Topics field contains a wide variety of broad topics, which have been tagged to each directive and response by the AM team. Key Topics may be used as a general indication of what to find within that directive or response. However, the word itself may not appear within the document; for example, a response tagged with the topic “Irish” may not contain the word “Irish” within the document text.
The following metadata was only collected from observers from 2010 onwards:
- Disability
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Sexuality
Not all observers choose to provide this information. Where it is available it can be found in Document Details.
For more information on language and terminology within this resource, please see our Language Statement.
The administrators of the Mass Observation Project undertake to ensure observers' contributions are anonymous. A thorough and consistent redaction process, agreed in consultation with the Mass Observation Archive and with reference to legal guidelines, has therefore been followed in the creation of this digital resource.
In order to protect observers' privacy, identifying information (such as names and addresses, dates of birth, detailed descriptions of localities, and identifying aspects of photographs) which could compromise a writer's anonymity has been removed.
At no point has redaction been undertaken as a means of censoring these academically important and historically valuable documents.
We would be pleased to receive any questions about these matters at copyright@amdigital.co.uk.
Redactions and Data Protection
The administrators of the Mass Observation Project undertake to ensure observers' contributions are anonymous. A thorough and consistent redaction process, agreed in consultation with the Mass Observation Archive and with reference to legal guidelines, has therefore been followed in the creation of this digital resource.
In order to protect observers' privacy, identifying information (such as names and addresses, dates of birth, detailed descriptions of localities, and identifying aspects of photographs) which could compromise a writer's anonymity has been removed.
At no point has redaction been undertaken as a means of censoring these academically important and historically valuable documents.
We would be pleased to receive any questions about these matters at copyright@amdigital.co.uk.
The length of time that the Mass Observation Project has been running means that it provides researchers with the potential for longitudinal analysis (analysing an observer’s responses over a number of years). We recognise the exciting opportunity this offers and want to continue to ensure that such work maintains the anonymity of observers. If you are thinking of undertaking a study that concentrates on specific writers and uses substantial amounts of an individual’s contributions please contact the archive for guidance.
Longitudinal Analysis
The length of time that the Mass Observation Project has been running means that it provides researchers with the potential for longitudinal analysis (analysing an observer’s responses over a number of years). We recognise the exciting opportunity this offers and want to continue to ensure that such work maintains the anonymity of observers. If you are thinking of undertaking a study that concentrates on specific writers and uses substantial amounts of an individual’s contributions please contact the archive for guidance.
No information about writers’ ethnicity has been recorded prior to 2010. Researchers looking for this information prior to 2010 would need to read responses to Mass Observation Directives. From 2010 onwards, this information is available (where responders have chosen to provide it) in Document Details and will appear in search results. We acknowledge that the voluntary and self-selecting nature of the observers has possibly resulted in underrepresentation of minority communities.
The relationship status of the Mass Observers has been recorded in the database by using the biographical forms completed by the Mass Observers in the early 1990s, or when they join the MOP, if this was after the 1990s. This form has the following tick boxes: single, married, separated, divorced, co-habiting, widowed and in a civil partnership.
Since 2004 gay writers have been able to identify themselves as in a civil partnership, or co-habiting, and since 2014 as married or co-habiting. However, prior to this, some writers living with same-sex partners may have identified in different ways, some as ‘co-habiting’, and some as single (particularly older writers who had lived through times when male same-sex relationships were criminalised, and homophobia in the UK was rife). Therefore the term/measurement ‘marital status’ has had an inconsistent meaning over time, and we believe that some writers in same-sex relationships are missing from this particular record.
Since 2010, observers have been able to provide sexuality data about themselves at their own discretion. Writers could identify from the following list of terms:
- Asexual
- Bisexual
- Gay
- Heterosexual
- Lesbian
- Pansexual
- Other
- Prefer not to say
This data is recorded in the ‘Sexuality’ field. Some writers have supplemented this with additional information, which has been recorded in the ‘Sexuality (specified)’ field. Both fields are available, where present, in Document Details and will also appear in search results. As with ethnicity data, we acknowledge that the voluntary and self-selecting nature of the observers has possibly resulted in underrepresentation of minority communities.
In 2021 Mass Observation updated their biographical forms to capture the ethnicity and sexual orientation of new writers. In due course the records of current writers will be updated.
Please see the Note on Metadata for information on Disability and Religion data.
See a copy of the Biographical Form completed by observers.
Ethnicity and Relationships Data
No information about writers’ ethnicity has been recorded prior to 2010. Researchers looking for this information prior to 2010 would need to read responses to Mass Observation Directives. From 2010 onwards, this information is available (where responders have chosen to provide it) in Document Details and will appear in search results. We acknowledge that the voluntary and self-selecting nature of the observers has possibly resulted in underrepresentation of minority communities.
The relationship status of the Mass Observers has been recorded in the database by using the biographical forms completed by the Mass Observers in the early 1990s, or when they join the MOP, if this was after the 1990s. This form has the following tick boxes: single, married, separated, divorced, co-habiting, widowed and in a civil partnership.
Since 2004 gay writers have been able to identify themselves as in a civil partnership, or co-habiting, and since 2014 as married or co-habiting. However, prior to this, some writers living with same-sex partners may have identified in different ways, some as ‘co-habiting’, and some as single (particularly older writers who had lived through times when male same-sex relationships were criminalised, and homophobia in the UK was rife). Therefore the term/measurement ‘marital status’ has had an inconsistent meaning over time, and we believe that some writers in same-sex relationships are missing from this particular record.
Since 2010, observers have been able to provide sexuality data about themselves at their own discretion. Writers could identify from the following list of terms:
- Asexual
- Bisexual
- Gay
- Heterosexual
- Lesbian
- Pansexual
- Other
- Prefer not to say
This data is recorded in the ‘Sexuality’ field. Some writers have supplemented this with additional information, which has been recorded in the ‘Sexuality (specified)’ field. Both fields are available, where present, in Document Details and will also appear in search results. As with ethnicity data, we acknowledge that the voluntary and self-selecting nature of the observers has possibly resulted in underrepresentation of minority communities.
In 2021 Mass Observation updated their biographical forms to capture the ethnicity and sexual orientation of new writers. In due course the records of current writers will be updated.
Please see the Note on Metadata for information on Disability and Religion data.
See a copy of the Biographical Form completed by observers.
The material and terminology found in this resource reflect the thoughts and experiences of the observers and may contain upsetting themes, including but not limited to: domestic violence, sexual violence, homophobia, racism and abuse.
Content Warning
The material and terminology found in this resource reflect the thoughts and experiences of the observers and may contain upsetting themes, including but not limited to: domestic violence, sexual violence, homophobia, racism and abuse.