The travelling social survey: social research and its subjects in Britain, Australia and New Zealand, 1930s–1970s

Abstract

This article explores the connected history of the social survey inBritain, Australia and New Zealand in the twentieth century. Idescribe the movements and international influence of social scientists, ideas and research subjects, which fit with James Vernon’s call for a global history of modern Britain and other nations. Iargue that the participation of local populations in social surveys helped to shape twentieth-century conceptions of citizenship, social knowledge, and the significance of everyday life around the globe. Further comparison of raw social scientific data will enable a discussion of cultural divergence in the British world due to the local politics of social class and race. This article has been peer reviewed.