65° - 01.09.1967, Blaðsíða 22

THE HABITS OF ICELANDERS
A Survey
by PETUR GUDJONSSON
Since the family is the nucleus of society, and
since the primary relationships formed in the
family group are most important in shaping the
individual, it follows that in order to make any
study of a society’s structure, one must begin with
the family.
The researcher, who spent the summer of 1967
in Iceland working on a sociological survey,
found that lack of time, money, and experience
necessitated focusing his research on but a few
aspects of family life in Iceland — namely, at-
titudes toward premarital sexual relations, unwed
motherhood, and illegitimacy. These aspects were
chosen because Iceland’s view of them is unique
compared to the views of other western countries.
To make such a study anywhere is difficult,
since family life and marital relations are usually
considered to be sacred or secret. Anthropologists
would conduct a study of family by taking up
residence in a small community, becoming an
accepted part of it, and relying primarily on ob-
servations. This method becomes extremely dif-
ficult, however, when the sample increases, and
almost impossible when it reaches the size of
Reykjavik. The social researcher has to use socio-
logical techniques, i.e. conduct his study chiefly
by interviewing a small portion of his chosen
population. He can either use a standard ques-
tionnaire, which is easier to analyze but often pro-
duces a rigid interviewing atmosphere, or he can
conduct interviews informally. The latter method
produces a casual atmosphere, but tremendous
work is needed to analyze the results. Even if he
sends his questionnaires by mail, thus avoiding
Petur GuSjonsson graduated from Menntaskol-
inn (equivalent of high school and junior college)
in Reykjavik 1966 and has completed his sec-
ond year at Harvard University, U.S.A. where he
is studying a B.A. program in Social Studies.
direct interviews, he must carefully select his
sample and make certain it is as representative
as possible.
At first glance, Iceland appears to be a Mecca
for the social researcher. It has a small and rela-
tively homogeneous population, good statistical
records and is virgin territory for social research,
since no extensive family-study has been made in
Reykjavik and vicinity where the majority of
Icelanders live.
This lack of family studies in Iceland is due
to two factors: first, the lack of qualified person-
nel, and second, and perhaps more significant,
the difficulty involved in conducting such a study
since social research and especially social surveys
have not yet become an established norm in the
Icelandic society. This researcher also suspects
that Icelanders’ skepticism toward everything new
and especially their reluctance to believe that
anything new can be successful has been a limit-
ing factor, particularly in the case of existing
qualified personnel who are reluctant to risk their
reputations.
The researcher set out to do this survey for
two reasons: the first, prompted by youth’s im-
patience and eagerness, was to learn as much as
possible in as little time as possible about the
heart of Icelandic society — the family. The
second was the idealistic belief that Icelanders
must start to do extensive social research, since
technology and increased communications are
changing this little insular society, —- not only
its constituents, but also values attributed to them.
One may fairly state that the time is now ripe for
family studies, although it would have been pre-
ferable had social research become an accepted
and established element in the society. It would
even have been better if someone better qualified
had undertaken this study, but any beginning is
better than no beginning.
The original intent of this study was to attempt
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