This is the fifth article in a series presenting five data sets from archives across the CESSDA collaboration. Our Slovenian Service Provider, Slovenian Social Science Data Archives - ADP, has chosen to present the following selection of data sets.

ADP is an organisational unit of the Social Sciences Research Institute at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana and was established in 1997. Its main mission is to manage data and data services in order to support research, education, and general well-being.

ADP regularly takes part in international and national projects, networks and research, as such ADP contributes to continued innovation of the global scientific data infrastructure.

Here are five examples of research data, available via their data repository:

1. The Slovenian Public Opinion Survey (SJM)

The SJM series closely resembles typical general social surveys which are conducted in many countries. The first survey was carried out in 1968 and has since been repeated annually. It provides relevant data about changes in subjective perceptions and attitudes of the general population. It measures the subjective evaluations of the general and economic context of Slovenian society, as well as interethnic relations in Slovenia and former Yugoslavia in connection with politics, religion and the environment.

Since 1989, SJM surveys have adopted and replicated some of the most well-known international comparative surveys, at a regional Central and East European level and at a global level. SJM takes part in the European Social Survey (ESS), the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), the World Value Survey (WVS) and the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES). SJM therefore holds a rich collection of data and metadata, available in English. It can be accessed via the ADP website or via Nesstar.

The data are always conducted on a representative population of more than 1 000 respondents. Data sets are available in the Slovene language.

Figure 1: How satisfied are you with your life? (0-Extremely dissatisfied...10-Extremely satisfied)

Source: European Social Survey - Slovenian public opinion 2002-2016

Figure 2: Are you a pessimist or an optimist? (0-pessimist...10-optimist)

Source: European Social Survey - Slovenian public opinion 2002-2016

Highlights:

• According to the SJM, Slovenians are quite satisfied with their lives!
• Over the years, the percentage of Slovenes that are satisfied with their lives has increased. The change becomes apparent when comparing the results from 2002 and 2016 in figure 1. While in 2002, 10% of respondents answered that they were dissatisfied, they were only 4% in 2016. Meanwhile, the percentage of people who are satisfied increased by 13% in the 14-year period (from 2002 to 2016). Additionally, the number of people who were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied decreased over the same period. Interestingly, the data cover a period of economic crisis in Slovenia.

Fun fact:

According to the SJM, over 50% of people consider themselves to be an optimist in 2016, while fewer than 10% consider themselves a pessimist and about 35% are neither one nor the other.

2. Study on Vocational Education in Seven European Countries (7 EU VET)

The 7 EU VET is an international project funded by the European Commission. A survey was conducted in 2011 in Austria, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. It concerned pupils in vocational education and training and delivered the necessary quantitative data for comparative analyses. It explores a number of topics, including motivations for undertaking the course/s, views on the course and the resources that they have access to, as well as what they would like to do after they finish the course. There are also a small number of questions about participants and their family, which reflect their attitudes and opinions.

Data sets are available in English, metadata and questionnaires are available in both Slovene and English as well as in other languages.

3. Formation of Policy Networks and Lobbying in Slovenia

This research data is about policy networks and decision making. The first survey was carried out in 1996 and was repeated in 2012 (second wave). The first wave covered 70 interest groups while the second covered 97. The interest groups selected were the most active ones in the country during the survey period and in the eleven areas of interest: the economy, social policy, housing, agriculture, people with disabilities, environmental protection, health care, education, culture, sport and public relations.

The concept was used to analyse: a) the development of an interest-group system and its functioning in the context of democratic transition; b) the internal structure and characteristics of relationships among interest groups and decision makers in the policy-making process; c) lobbying methods and strategies; d) relationships between central and local government in the policy-making process; e) to trace dynamics of relationships between policy actors; f) a/the correlation between interest group networking and interest group influence in domestic policy-making processes; g) a/the correlation between the “policy network” practice and the effectiveness of the economic system; and h) the development of policy advice to governmental and non-governmental policy actors.

4. Youth 2010: Social Profile of Youth in Slovenia

The primary purpose of this research was to create a comprehensive picture of the lives of Slovenian youths (between the ages of 15 and 29). The study represents a conceptual and methodological continuation of the tradition of youth research in Slovenia, with some refinements. The methodological approach taken was on the one hand based on studies carried out in Germany (Hurrelmann et al., 2002, 2006), and on the other, on previous research on youth in Slovenia (carried out in 1985, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2000). The main topics were: demographic changes and intergenerational cooperation, education and training, creativity, culture, leisure, digitalisation of everyday life, employment and entrepreneurship, social action, housing and living conditions, health and well-being, participation and social inclusion, voluntarism, youth mobility and globalisation.

Another research project, “Slovenian Youth 2013: Living in times of disillusionment, risk and precarity” followed in 2013. This was part of a series of surveys of young people in Germany, which, from 1953 onwards, were financially supported by Shell, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. The surveys were carried out by independent research institutions with the goal of documenting the perceptions, general mood and expectations of young people. The German study from 2013 formed the basis of comparative studies which were carried out in Slovenia. The Slovenian Youth Survey became part of the European survey panel.

The purpose of all of the youth studies is the same - to collect data about youngsters in Slovenia. All surveys cover similar issues.

Fun fact:

Out of all age groups in Slovenia, young people are the happiest (according to the Youth 2010).

Highlights:

1. In 2010, Slovenian youths were significantly more active in the field of volunteering than in 1995.
2. Longitudinal results of EUROSTAT and youth surveys show that the number of young people between the ages of 20 and 24 following university education is considerably higher in Slovenia compared to the EU27 average (see figure 3).

Figure 3: Inclusion of generation 20-24 year-olds in tertiary education, in the period from 1999 to 2010, comparison of Slovenia and EU27

Source: EUROSTAT and Youth Research 2010 data, YOUTH 2010 Final report on the results of the survey

5. Survey Series Politbarometer

The telephone survey Politbarometer ran continuously from 1993 to 2014. Its purpose was to measure public opinion towards the government and state institutions. The survey is mostly made up of longitudinal questions, though a minority of questions relate to contemporary social and political topics or events.

It begins with questions on trust in democratic institutions and on interpersonal trust. Another series of questions intend to provide an assessment of the efficiency of state and government offices and attitudes towards European integration, asking respondents if they think that Slovenia would benefit from further European integration, as well as a sympathy rating of the main national political parties.

Respondents are also asked to position themselves on a left-right continuum based on party preference and party inclination. Finally, questions focus on assessing the respondent’s opinion on conditions in Slovenia after the Second World War. The demography section includes questions about religious affiliation, self-reported religiousness, self-assessment of social positioning, housing situation and material possessions, ethnic affiliation, marital status, employment, education and occupation, size of household, household and personal income. The survey also includes additional information on respondents such as the region that they live in, whether it is a rural or urban area, the size of the local community or city, etc.

Figure 4 : Assessment of the work of the President of the Republic

Source: Politbarometer, November 2013

Highlights:

• The President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, was quite popular throughout 2013.
• Respondents of all ages assessed him as successful.
• Respondents with a higher education were slightly more critical when assessing the president's work.
• Left wing respondents were highly critical of Borut Pahor, despite the fact that he is of the centre left.
• The president was also particularly badly evaluated by the DL party (Civic List), with 54% of respondents evaluating him as “very unsuccessful” or “unsucessful”.

Read the previous article in the series: "Did you know that staying single lowers political turnout?".