Civil Defense Systems: Social Impact and ... - The Black Vault

UNCLASSIFIEDUDC REPORT BIBLIOGRAPHY SEARCH CONTROL No. /ZMML7AD-649 5'43 1,S/3 /PITTSBURGH UNIV PA DEPT OF SOCIOLOGYAMERICAN' VIEWS ON CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE COLD WARCONTEXT: 1966. (U;DESCRIPTIVE NOTEI SUMMARY REPT.,DEC 66 154P NEHNEVAJSAsjIRI ICONTRACT; OCD-OS-63' 1 8 , NSFoG-1I309UNCLASSIFIED REPORTDESCRIPTORS; (*COLD *AR, CIVIL DEFENSE SYSTEMS),(*CIVIL DEFENSE SYSTEMS, PUBLIC OPINION),POPULATION9 ATTITUDESs DISASTERS, FALLOUTSHELTERS, NUCLEAR *EAPONS, PROBABILITY,SAMPLING(U)THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT IS TO EXAMINEAMERICANS' VIEWS ON CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE 1966 COLDWAR CONTEXT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE FUNDAMENTALPATTERNS AND MEANINGS OF ALL AVAILABLE INFORMATIONAND FROM THE POINT OF VIE* OF EVALUATING SPECIFICITEMS OF INFORMATION. THE 1966 DATA WERE OBTAINEDFROM A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF 1,497 AMERICANSINTERVIEWED IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH, 1966. INMANY CASES, DATA ARE PRESENTED *ITm COMPARABLE DATAFHOM PREVICUS STUDIES. THERE IS A FORM OF'NATIONAL CONSENSUS,' AlTm STABILITY OVER TiME, INSUPPORT OF CIVIL DEFENSE, AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TOIDENTIFY ANY PARTICULAR SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION WHOEXPRESS NEGATIVE SENTIMENTS. THE BASIC CONSISTENCYIN POSITIVE ATTITUDES APPARENTLY HAS NOT BEENAFFECTED BY FLUCTUATIONS IN THE INTERNATIONALENVIRONMENT. CHANGES IN THE NATION#S ADMINiSTRATIONqOR SHIFTS IN SOVIET LEADERSHIP. NOR HAVE MAJORSHIFTS IN THE CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAMS THEMSELVESAFFECTED THE NATIONAL SENTIMENT. AMERICANS ARECONVINCED THAT SURVIVAL ODDS WOULD BE GREAyLYENHANCED FOR A SHELTERED POPULATION. THE SHELTERA5SIGNMENT NOTION MEETS WITH VERY LITTLE NEGATIVEFEELING. T"E HOME SHELTER SURVEY IDEA IS VERY WELLRLCEIVED. AMERICANS SEE A SIGNIFICANT ROLE FORCIVIL DEFENSE IN NATURAL DISASTER AND OTHER EMERGENCYSITUATIONS, WHILE AMERICANS DO NOT CONSIDERCIVIL DEFENSE TO BE AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEMSFACINA THE NATION, AMONG PROGRAMS COMPETING BEFORECO, .,-S FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT, CIVIL DEFENSE ISSE. , ONLY TO HIGHER EDUCATION AND NATIONAt HEALTHPROGRAMS,(U)93UNCLASSIFIED/ZMML7