One way of using this technique as a group activity is to design and conduct a simple survey. Having done it I know that it works, and know that there is no need think that only professionally conducted polls are of any value.
Here I suggest three examples of areas in which this might be done, no doubt there are others.
(Having done the survey, the results can be used as the basis of a web-site and if anyone wants to pursue this contact this site.)
Libraries - Beliefs - Ceremonies
Libraries - Beliefs - Ceremonies
(Surveys should in my opinion never be used to sell an ideas, only to get information. The very act of asking the questions will have the effect of prompting further questions in the mind of the person you are asking, where that takes them is up to them)
The use of Surveys as a way of raising the profile of secular/humanism
Some years ago another member of our group and I went into our branch and central libraries to find out what material they had available on atheism, humanism, or secularism, what information they had for enquirers looking for information on Humanist/Secularist organisations, and what books or magazines they had from atheist writers.
I recollect being disgusted that the central library of a large London Borough had almost no such material, and the staff I spoke to were totally phased at my enquiries. It became obvious as I was passed from one person to another that none of them had even heard of our organisations, let alone know what they were or any information about them.
Thinking about this recently it reminded me that it would be a useful exercise for individuals or groups and would expose any institutionalised discrimination against our organisations and free expression of our views within a publicly funded service. A survey carried out by individual members or groups, working together in pairs, or singly to spread the work would over a period of time produce a considerable nation-wide picture of the availability of secular/humanist material in our public libraries.
Such information would be a useful basis on which to make reasonable demands for equal treatment, suggest suitable material that libraries should hold where this is found not to be adequate.
In the process, the profile of secular/humanism would be raised, not only among library staff but by publicising the findings, through the population as a whole.
In addition, people new to the secular/humanist movement would be encouraged to read up some of the material, to give them a better idea of the full scope of ideas within the Freethought movement1.
(In carrying out such a survey it would be important NOT to treat it as a promotional exercise. It should be carried out without any attempt to do other than collect the information by question and answer, experience and observation).
Aim:-
To find out how much information your public libraries hold on the subject of atheism, secular/humanism, secularism and rationalism, and in what form - General information on organisations and groups ; books for loan and reference ; and journals or leaflets on display e.g. New Humanist
Method:-
1) Collect information on the level of service in this area, by going into libraries and finding out if there is any discrimination against our organisations, compared to the availability of religious material, both in terms of books and promotional material available to the public, and negative exposure of the works of atheist/ secular/humanist writers, and promotional display.
2) Such a survey could be carried out by any number of people in a locality, from a single member, or two or more working together, say in pairs, or splitting the work between them, and over any period of time.
3) It could be carried out simply by going into all the libraries in a locality, and asking what material they have, and making notes, which could then be put onto a survey questionnaire, or simple tick-list.
4) Care should be spent designing a short list of questions to be asked 3 and used by anyone taking part, so that over time, the information that would have been collected at different times, and in different ways, but country wide would be in a similar form. This way it could be compared to give a nation wide picture; It would need little or no co-ordination, and could be carried out in an unorganised way, providing a similar list of questions to be answered could eventually produce some of useful information.
5) Follow up activity could include requesting interview or submitting questionnaires to chief librarians, of either central or branch libraries, and if there is a poor selection of material, libraries could be asked to stock a reasonable amount of material and to improve the availability of information.
6) It could be used to promote the holding of leaflets, and we could submit a list of the best material for them to make available1.
7) The information elicited could be used for local as well as national publicity and promotion if it was collated by one of the national organisations, and the resulting information made available to the others.
Results that could be expected from more material being available in public libraries:
A raising of awareness of secular/humanism, its organisations, ideas and range of writers, among library staff ; the general public; and new members of Humanist/Secularist organisations.
Provide information on the extent of availability of atheist material, compared to the amount of religious material or that pertaining to other sects, cults and superstitions.
Further action could include approaches to school and college libraries and could usefully employ humanist students or request research from student groups or teaching or library staff.
Another spin off would be the promotion of Web-sites providing of course all the organisations were committed to ensuring that links to a full range of Internet web-sites, and not just their own narrow censored selections3.
A spin off for any local groups who took part would be in any internal enthusiasm and local interest it could generate.
SL
1 See 'Information' page on www.slhg.adm.freeuk.com
2 Promotion of the Internet Sources of Information
Promoting widespread familiarity with sources of information for members and 'fellow travellers'.
a) For new members to see the range of material now available on the freethought movement and the various organisations, range of views, activities etc.
b) Information for freethinkers to use in promoting secularism, secular humanism, atheism, rationalism, for member information, and to use as a material for group seminars.
3 Suggestions for a simple list of Questions:-
Q.1 Can you give me any idea where I can get information about the Humanist or Secular organisations?
Q.2 Have you any information on Humanism or Secularism ?
Answer:-
List:-
Q.3 Can you give me any idea where I can get information about the Humanist or Secular organisations?
Answer:-
List:-
Q.4 Do you have any books on the subject? (Atheism, Secularism, Humanism, Rationalism, the Freethought movement)
Answer:-
List:-
Q.5 If you have any books are they for loan or reference?
Answer:-
List:-
Q.6 Are there any Journals or Magazines in any of our libraries?
Answer:-
List:-
Q.7 What about religions and churches, what material do you have on them?
(If possible get an estimate of how many books, and journals are available)
a)Religion in General:-
b)Christianity:-
c)Other Religions, cults sects etc.:-
___________________________________________________________
In addition to the above questions which would be put to the librarian, the following question
could be answered just by the person doing the survey by observation, but not asked of the staff.
Q. Are there any posters, notices, or any other promotional material for any of the religions on display?
If so What?:-
If there is the surveyor could go on to ask if it is possible for the local humanists to also display a notice/leaflet/poster or contact information.
Many years ago I suggested and took part in a street survey, which I designed to find out about people's belief in God.
We had a simple layout calling for people in one of four age categories, teens/young, young middle, older middle and aged (estimated by the surveyor). This was to ensure a reasonable spread over the population at least by age.
Although it was an amateur survey, our results were almost identical with later professional research done by Polling organisations. I cannot remember now much about the numbers or questions, but recollect it as an enjoyable and useful exercise at the time.
We had clipboards (I still have mine!) and approached the interviewee with a sentence to the effect that :- " We are doing a survey for the Local Humanist group on people's beliefs, do you have a few minutes to answer a very short survey".
The questions were along the lines of:-
Q.1 Do you believe in God yes/no
Q.2 If so which one?............
Q.3 Do you believe in eternal life? ..............
Q.4 Have you ever heard of Humanism or Secularism ?
The others I cannot remember and do not really matter.
What I would put if I were doing it now would be something like
Q. Do you agree that the world would be a better place if there was less religion? yes/no
For a draft Questionnaire CLICK HERE
3. Survey of Funeral Directors
Another way to promote ideas by using survey would be to survey all your local undertakers, and ask them questions about whether they get asked for non-religious funerals and if so to whom do they go for them.
This one could be carried out in person or by postal questionnaire
Using the same approach to the one above one could ask:-
How many funerals/burials/cremations do you carry out in a year?
Who carries them out?
Do you have a list of celebrants? (how many of them conduct non-religious funerals?
Do they offer the option or ask people if they want a religious ceremony or take it for granted that people will just have the standard religious one.
If they do, do they have a contact number, or do they know who carries out either independent non-religious or Humanist Funerals.
The aim of this would be to stimulate interest and give information, on non-religious ceremonies, but it would be important that any promotion of Humanist funerals should be preceded by a check with local celebrants to ensure that you would not be producing demand that could not be met.
See also 'GroupActivities', 'Surveys' and 'Seminars' on www.secularsites.freeuk.com/Local.htm