世論 What Japan Thinks

This recent survey from iShare looking at school and work uniforms produced a lot of interesting results regarding attitudes to uniforms. I will presume that the survey is interested in people’s own uniforms, not in seeing members of the opposite sex in them!

Demographics

Between the 13th and 18th of May 2009 605 members of the CLUB BBQ free email forwarding service completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54.5% of the sample were male, 37.5% in their twenties, 29.6% in their thirties, and 32.9% in their forties.

We have a non-compulsory uniform at work that consists of itchy plastic trousers, nasty shirts, and a jacket-type thing. Most people wear just the jacket, however. The female reception staff, on the other hand, have a compulsory uniform.

Research results

Q1: Did you like the uniforms when you were in school? (Sample size=605)

	All	Male N=330	Female N=275
Liked them (to SQ)	16.2%	13.6%	19.3%
Liked them a bit (to SQ)	44.3%	45.8%	42.5%
Didn’t like them much (to SQ)	25.1%	27.0%	22.9%
Hated them (to SQ)	9.1%	7.0%	11.6%
Never went to a school with uniforms	5.3%	6.7%	3.6%

Q1SQ: Do you still have your old school uniforms? (Sample size=573)

	All	Male N=308	Female N=265
Yes	23.9%	20.5%	27.9%
No	76.1%	79.5%	72.1%

Q2: Because of a yearning for their uniform, is there a school, company you want to enter or a profession you want to be? (Sample size=605)

	All	Male N=330	Female N=275
Yes (to SQ)	15.9%	10.9%	21.8%
No	84.1%	89.1%	78.2%

Q2SQ: Have you searched the internet regarding this school, company, profession uniform? (Sample size=96)

	All	Male N=36	Female N=60
Yes	20.8%	22.2%	20.0%
No	79.2%	77.8%	80.0%

Q3: Have you ever worked at a company with a uniform? (Sample size=605)

	All	Male N=330	Female N=275
Yes	61.2%	53.3%	70.5%
No	36.7%	44.2%	27.6%
Never worked	2.1%	2.4%	1.8%

Those who liked their school uniform were more likely to have worked in a company that had a uniform compared to those who hated it.

Q4: Do you think that it is better than there should be a company uniform? (Sample size=605)

	All	Male N=330	Female N=275
Yes (to SQ1)	25.3%	25.2%	25.5%
Perhaps yes (to SQ1)	32.9%	30.3%	36.0%
Perhaps no (to SQ2)	26.0%	29.1%	22.2%
No (to SQ2)	15.9%	15.5%	16.4%

Q4SQ1: Why do you think that it is better that there should be a company uniform? (Sample size=352)

	All	Male N=183	Female N=169
Don’t need to choose what to wear every day	79.3%	73.2%	85.8%
Can differentiate work from private time	48.6%	54.1%	42.6%
Can recognise which company, profession at a glance	22.4%	28.4%	16.0%
Creates a sense of unity at the workplace	18.2%	26.2%	9.5%
I like uniforms	4.3%	2.7%	5.9%
Other	6.3%	4.9%	7.7%

Q4SQ2: Why do you think that it is better that there should not be a company uniform? (Sample size=253)

	All	Male N=147	Female N=106
It’s a bother to change clothes	44.3%	38.8%	51.9%
Can recognise which company, profession at a glance	25.3%	24.5%	26.4%
I hate uniforms	24.5%	25.9%	22.6%
I hate everyone looking the same	24.5%	23.8%	25.5%
Can choose my favourite clothes every day	22.9%	23.1%	22.6%
Other	9.9%	8.8%	11.3%