The Road Not Taken in Opinion Research: Mass-Observation in Great Britain, 1937–1940

Rhetoric & Public Affairs Sep 2015

The Road Not Taken in Opinion Research: Mass-Observation in Great Britain, 1937–1940

J. Michael Hogan

Abstract

Abstract This essay examines an early alternative to polling, Mass-Observation (M-O), that dramatically reported on the nuances, contradictions, and passions of public opinion during some of the most extraordinary times in British history. Between the Abdication Crisis of 1937 and the start of World War II, M-O’s combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, along with its emphasis on the cultural context of public opinion, produced a richer, more textured, and more deliberative rhetoric of public opinion than the Gallup poll’s survey techniques. In the process, M-O foreshadowed many of today’s scholarly trends, including the reflexive turn in social research, increased skepticism about the knowledge claims of science, and the emergence of more public scholarship.

Journal: Rhetoric & Public Affairs
Published: 2015-09-01
DOI: 10.14321/rhetpublaffa.18.3.0409
Open Access: Closed
Topics: rhetorical theory multilingual writers

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