COMMUNICATION AND POLITICAL AWARENESS IN THE VILLAGES OF EGYPT

In: Public opinion quarterly: journal of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Band 22, Heft 3, S. 357-363

Abstract

The hypo's were (1) within a largely illiterate pop the most frequently utilized medium of communication remains the person-to-person, direct-contact type, & (2) within a pop largely confined to the 'real world' of its own & neighboring villages, national & international consciousness is relatively nonexistent. The study was conducted in 5 contiguous villages of Menoufia, north of Cairo, with a pop of from 700-5,000 each. The villages cut across 2 pol'al & 2 Ru soc center districts but were a natural area. Background data were secured from a 5% random sample of household heads, their wives, & others 15+ yrs of age. This sample was interviewed in Aug 1956, after the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egyptians in their own dialect. 146 schedules were completed. The literacy rate in the sample of 20.5% did not include the new literates 6-14 yrs old. Those exposed to newspapers approximated the literacy rate. 551 listened to the radio. Koran recitations were favorite radio programs with most listeners; music (59%) & news (38%) were the next most popular. Mass media were used as a basic source of information by less than 20% of the villagers. 45% reported discussing local & national news mostly through conversations. The diff between a plebiscite & an election was the test used to indicate pol'al awareness. No F's & 20% of the M's could distinguish the 2; no illiterates could distinguish them, & 3 times as many newspaper readers as nonreaders could distinguish them. More radio listeners than nonlisteners could distinguish the terms, but they represented only 20% of the listeners (only 50% of educated, Ur Egyptians interviewed at the same time could distinguish these terms.) Village affairs & politics are the main topics of leisure time interest for 45% of M villagers. The majority of villagers knew that the monarchy had ended, that a republic had been established, & that Nasser was President of the Republic. A list of world figures (Eisenhower, Truman, Churchill, Eden, Nehru, Tito, and Hammarskjold) was presented for identification. One F could identify some of these; from 7%- 27% of the men identified each. Foreign news is remote compared to local & national affairs. Concern about national interests & aspirations (the nationalization of the Suez Canal) was quite apparent. J. D. Twight.