Deep Recession

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Deep Recession Deeper Questions? Benita
Hewitt Director, Christian Research
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Introduction

• What did we do?
• 2005 interviews with a nationally representative
  sample of UK adults
• Conducted by Research Now 24-27th April 09
• Why? To find out
• who is searching for more meaning in their lives
• what has prompted them to search
• where they considered looking
• what action they took
• what they found helpful and would consider doing
  again

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How have we defined a searcher?

• Someone who has had cause to reconsider their
  core values, or think about the big issues like
  the meaning of life, in the last year

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How many are searching?
Base Total Sample (2005)
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Who is searching?

• Over 70 of
• all age groups from 18 to over 65
• males and females
• every region in Great Britain
• all social grades except the lowest (67 of Es)

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What has prompted the search?

Any of these 70
Base Total Sample (2005)
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Where do searchers look?
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No. 1 is spending more time with family and
friends
The most important thing is to love and be loved
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No. 1 is spending more time with family and
friends
Jesus said I give you a new commandment love
one anotherJohn 13.34
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Recent research by
Charities Aid Foundation
John Low, Chief Executive, saidWhile nobody
would have wished for the recession, society may
emerge the healthier for it. Circumstances are
bringing many families closer together
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No. 2 is contacting past friends
Base searchers (1472)
The most important thing is to love and be loved
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Searching for love

• RECORD NUMBERS LOG ON FOR LOVE AS INTERNET DATING
  SITES BUCK CREDIT CRUNCH
• During the credit crunch the number of
  subscribers at Christian Connection, the UKs
  leading Christian dating site, increased by more
  than 40 per cent
• Its a similar picture for sister dating site
  Ivory Towers, specifically serving graduates
• One mainstream US dating site reported a massive
  increase in people joining on September 29 - the
  day the Dow Jones fell by 700

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No. 3 (considered) Doing voluntary/community
work
But, only 54 of those who consider it actually
do it!
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No. 3 (thats worth it) Praying
After spending more time with friends and family,
praying is the most helpful activity
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Given everything that was tried, what was the
least helpful?
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Only around 4 in 10 of those who considered
horoscopes actually used them and found them
helpful
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Are women or men more likely to spend
time away alone to reflect on
life?
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17 considered 11 tried 10 found it helpful
19 considered 10 tried 9 found it helpful
Men are equally likely to find spending
reflective time alone helpful
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23 of the population do not have a religion and
are searching
do they even consider going to church?
They are more likely to be middle class and
younger
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Not really!
They are more likely to be middle class and
younger
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Where do the non religious searchers consider
looking?
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What do they find most helpful?
The most important thing is to love and be loved
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Jesus said I give you a new commandment love
one another
John 13.34