THE CAUCASUS RESEARCH RESOURCE CENTERS WILL PRESENT THE DATA INITIATIVE 2007 SURVEY

armradio.am
29.01.2008 13:27

On January 30th the Caucasus Research Resource Centers will present
results from the Data Initiative (DI) 2007 survey, which represents
the 4th wave of information gathered via 300 questions addressed
to adults from over 8000 households randomly selected in Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia.

The CRRC DI survey provides a unique opportunity to follow the
socioeconomic, demographic and political developments during the last
4 years. The dataset also allows analysts to make parallels between
the three countries of the South Caucasus and the developments
between rural and urban areas within each country. It also sheds
light on migration patterns in the region by providing comprehensive
information on both returned migrants and migrants residing abroad.

Relevant to the current Armenian political environment, the dataset
provides new insights into Armenian political attitudes. About half
of the respondents in Armenia say they are â~@~not interestedâ~@~]
or â~@~hardly interestedâ~@~] in national politics. Of those who
are interested in politics, 36% stated that â~@~quite oftenâ~@~]
or â~@~alwaysâ~@~] national politics seems too complicated to
understand. Moreover, only 38.6% of those who are interested in
national politics claimed that national politics was going in the
right direction. According to DI 2007 data, 42% of the respondents
in Armenia trust the President, 19% – the National Assembly and 27%
– the Government. In the meantime, only 17% of the respondents in
Yerevan trust the Government (vs. 12.3% in 2006), while more people
in other cities and rural areas trust the Government (26% and 36%
correspondingly). It is also worth noting that about 36% of the
respondents in Armenia answered that they have little control over
their life, while in Georgia (21%) and Azerbaijan (30%) think so.

The data also gives insights into converging and diverging social
values across the Caucasus. In all three countries hard work and a
feeling of responsibility are among the three most valued qualities
that both male and female children should be brought up with. The
third most wanted characteristic for male children in Georgia and
Azerbaijan is independence (61% and 66%, respectively), while in
Armenia it is tolerance and respect to other people (70%). The third
most important characteristic for female children is modesty for the
respondents in Armenia (75%) and religious faith for those in Georgia
(56%), and thrift – in Azerbaijan (49%).

In terms of labor market development, in Yerevan, 35.3% mentioned
personal networking as the most important factor for obtaining a good
job, while the respondents from other cities and rural areas ranked
education as most important. Meanwhile, the survey revealed that 54%
of Armenian respondents did not speak any other foreign language but
Russian; only 21% have some computer skills, and only 14% are able
to use Internet and e-mail. Marked differences also appear between
Yerevan and the regions.

–Boundary_(ID_tAYs9O/Qi3bJQGjJt5iY/Q)–