Latest news with #ThePolicyInstitute
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fewer women would switch gender now than 80 years ago
Far fewer women today would prefer to switch gender than they once did, according to a study. Researchers compared public attitudes and behaviours in the 1930s and 1940s with those in 2024 to find out how society had changed over the course of almost a century. They found that 37 per cent of women in 1947 said they would rather be a man, with just 9 per cent feeling the same way today. The team behind the study said the results were a sign of the progress made on women's rights and equality in the UK. Men's preferences remain the same, however. Around one in 20 (5 per cent) said they would rather be a woman today, almost the same figure as in the 1940s (4 per cent), the study said. The research by the Policy Institute at King's College London also highlights shifts in how much men contribute to housework, the importance of children doing homework and the desire for higher wages over job security. Prof Bobby Duffy, director of The Policy Institute, said: 'These long-term trends tell us so much about elements of life we take for granted today but are actually pretty new in our history.' A quarter of men in 1947 said they did no housework, with only 4 per cent of men admitting to this today. However, women still do the bulk of the chores – according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), women spend around three-and-a-half hours a day doing unpaid work activities such as housework and volunteering, almost an hour more than the average man. The study also found that while people used to value job security over high wages, opinion today is much more closely divided. Some 73 per cent of people in 1946 said job security was more important, but that figure is only 41 per cent today, with 46 per cent of people prioritising the highest possible wages. Regarding education, only 21 per cent of people in 1937 thought children should have homework – that figure is now 68 per cent. While Britain used to be split on whether boys and girls should be taught separately (43 per cent) or together (45 per cent), the study found people are now hugely in favour of them being taught together, with this figure at 76 per cent. Prof Duffy added: 'Many other small but important behaviours have also increased hugely – from keeping fit and the ability to swim, to men's contribution to work in the home. 'But some have remained remarkably constant, not least that four in 10 of us just struggle to get out of bed in the morning – a very human feeling that seems may always be with us.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Independent
17-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
Fewer women would prefer to switch gender than they once did, study shows
Far fewer women today would prefer to switch gender than they once did, according to a study. Researchers compared public attitudes and behaviours in the 1930s and 1940s with those in 2024 to find out how society had changed over the course of almost a century. They found that 37% of women in 1947 said they would rather be a man, with just 9% feeling the same way today. The team behind the study said the results were a sign of the progress made on women's rights and equality in the UK. Men's preferences remain the same, however – around one in 20 (5%) said they would rather be a woman today, almost the same figure as in the 1940s (4%), the study said. The research by the Policy Institute at King's College London also highlights shifts in how much men contribute to housework, the importance of children doing homework, and the desire for higher wages over job security. Professor Bobby Duffy, director of The Policy Institute, said: 'These long-term trends tell us so much about elements of life we take for granted today but are actually pretty new in our history.' A quarter of men in 1947 said they did no housework, with only 4% of men admitting to this today. However, women still do the bulk of the chores – according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), women spend around three and half hours a day doing unpaid work activities such as housework and volunteering, almost an hour more than the average man. The study also found that while people used to value job security over high wages, opinion today is much more closely divided. Some 73% of people in 1946 said job security was more important, but that figure is only 41% today, with 46% of Brits prioritising the highest possible wages. Regarding education, only 21% of people in 1937 thought children should have homework – that figure is now 68%. While Britain used to be split on whether boys and girls should be taught separately (43%) or together (45%), people are now hugely in favour of them being taught together, with this figure at 76%, the study found. Professor Duffy added: 'Many other small but important behaviours have also increased hugely – from keeping fit and the ability to swim, to men's contribution to work in the home. 'But some have remained remarkably constant, not least that four in 10 of us just struggle to get out of bed in the morning – a very human feeling that seems may always be with us.'
The Independent
17-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
One in three women in 1947 said they would rather be a man. Here's how they feel today
In 1947, more than one in three women (37 per cent) said they would rather be a man. Today, it's down to nine per cent. A new study has compared public attitudes and behaviours in the 1930s and 1940s with those in 2024 to find out how society has changed over the course of almost a century. Researchers said the result was a sign of the substantial progress made in women's rights and gender equality within the UK. Meanwhile, men's perspectives on the matter have remained relatively static. Around one in 20 (5 per cent) said they would rather be a woman today, almost the same figure as in the 1940s (4 per cent), the study said. The research by the Policy Institute at King's College London also highlights shifts in how much men contribute to housework, the importance of children doing homework, and the desire for higher wages over job security. Professor Bobby Duffy, director of The Policy Institute, said the 'long-term trends tell us so much about elements of life we take for granted today but are actually pretty new in our history.' A quarter of men in 1947 said they did no housework, with only four per cent of men admitting to this today. However, women still do the bulk of the chores – according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), women spend around three and a half hours a day doing unpaid work activities such as housework and volunteering, almost an hour more than the average man. The study also found that while people used to value job security over high wages, the opinion today is much more closely divided. Some 73 per cent of people in 1946 said job security was more important, but that figure is only 41 per cent today, with 46 per cent of Brits prioritising the highest possible wages. Regarding education, only 21 per cent of people in 1937 thought children should have homework – that figure is now 68 per cent. While Britain used to be split on whether boys and girls should be taught separately (43 per cent) or together (45 per cent), people are now hugely in favour of them being taught together, with this figure at 76 per cent, the study found. Professor Duffy added: 'Many other small but important behaviours have also increased hugely – from keeping fit and the ability to swim, to men's contribution to work in the home. 'But some have remained remarkably constant, not least that four in 10 of us just struggle to get out of bed in the morning – a very human feeling that may always be with us.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fewer women would prefer to switch gender than they once did, study shows
Far fewer women today would prefer to switch gender than they once did, according to a study. Researchers compared public attitudes and behaviours in the 1930s and 1940s with those in 2024 to find out how society had changed over the course of almost a century. They found that 37% of women in 1947 said they would rather be a man, with just 9% feeling the same way today. The team behind the study said the results were a sign of the progress made on women's rights and equality in the UK. Men's preferences remain the same, however – around one in 20 (5%) said they would rather be a woman today, almost the same figure as in the 1940s (4%), the study said. The research by the Policy Institute at King's College London also highlights shifts in how much men contribute to housework, the importance of children doing homework, and the desire for higher wages over job security. Professor Bobby Duffy, director of The Policy Institute, said: 'These long-term trends tell us so much about elements of life we take for granted today but are actually pretty new in our history.' A quarter of men in 1947 said they did no housework, with only 4% of men admitting to this today. However, women still do the bulk of the chores – according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), women spend around three and half hours a day doing unpaid work activities such as housework and volunteering, almost an hour more than the average man. The study also found that while people used to value job security over high wages, opinion today is much more closely divided. Some 73% of people in 1946 said job security was more important, but that figure is only 41% today, with 46% of Brits prioritising the highest possible wages. Regarding education, only 21% of people in 1937 thought children should have homework – that figure is now 68%. While Britain used to be split on whether boys and girls should be taught separately (43%) or together (45%), people are now hugely in favour of them being taught together, with this figure at 76%, the study found. Professor Duffy added: 'Many other small but important behaviours have also increased hugely – from keeping fit and the ability to swim, to men's contribution to work in the home. 'But some have remained remarkably constant, not least that four in 10 of us just struggle to get out of bed in the morning – a very human feeling that seems may always be with us.'
The Independent
14-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Poor sleepers are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, study suggests
Poor sleep quality can make people more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, according to a new study. Psychologists from the University of Nottingham found that people with worse sleep quality over the past month were more likely to endorse conspiracy theories, especially after they had been exposed to content of that theme. Conspiracy theories were defined as claims that 'powerful, secretive groups act in their own self-interest to the detriment of society'. Psychologists warned they have 'serious consequences', such as increased vaccine hesitancy and climate change scepticism. In two studies involving over 1,000 participants, published in the Journal of Health Psychology, the psychologists examined the link between sleep quality and conspiracy beliefs. Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris. Some people were exposed to a conspiracy narrative suggesting a deliberate cover-up, while others read a factual account where the fire was described as an accident. Researchers found that those with poorer sleep quality were more likely to believe the conspiratorial version of events. A second study, with 575 participants, expanded on this to explain the link between poor sleep quality and conspiracy beliefs. Depression was named as another potential factor in conspiracy belief, as well as poor sleep and insomnia. Anger and paranoia also played a role with less consistent effects, they found. Dr Daniel Jolley, an assistant professor in social psychology who led the research team, described sleep as being 'crucial for mental health and cognitive functioning'. He continued: 'Poor sleep has been shown to increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and paranoia - factors that also contribute to conspiracy beliefs. 'Our research suggests that improving sleep quality could serve as a protective factor against the spread of conspiratorial thinking.' The findings concluded that by improving sleep quality, people might be better equipped to recognise misinformation and resist misleading narratives. They recommended 'sleep-focused interventions' to tackle the issue. In 2023, The Policy Institute and Kings College London surveyed 2,274 UK adults on conspiracy theories about Covid-19, 15-minute cities, and the World Economic Forum. They found tht around a third of the public believed these various conspiracy theories were 'probably or definitely true'.
