[Cleanliness Norms 1964-1975].
In 1964 the Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach made a first survey taking stock of norms concerning cleanliness in the Federal Republic of Germany. At that time, 78% of respondents thought that the vogue among young people of cultivating an unkempt look was past or on the wane (Table 1.). Today we know that this fashion was an indicator of more serious desires for change in many different areas like politics, sexual morality, education and that its high point was still to come. In the fall of 1975 a second survey, modelled on the one of 1964, was conducted. Again, it concentrated on norms, not on behavior. As expected, norms have changed over this period but not in a one-directional or simple manner. In general, people are much more large-minded about children's looks: neat, clean school-dress, properly combed hair, clean shoes, all this and also holding their things in order has become less important in 1975 (Table 2). To carry a clean handkerchief is becoming oldfashioned (Table 3). On the other hand, principles of bringing-up children have not loosened concerning personal hygiene - brushing ones teeth, washing hands, feet, and neck, clean fingernails (Table 4). On one item related to protection of the environment, namely throwing around waste paper, standards have even become more strict (Table 5). With regard to school-leavers, norms of personal hygiene have generally become more strict (Table 6). As living standards have gone up and the number of full bathrooms has risen from  42% to 75% of households, norms of personal hygiene have also increased: one warm bath a week seemed enough to 56% of adults in 1964, but to only 32% in 1975 (Table 7). Also standards for changing underwear have changed a lot: in 1964 only 12% of respondents said "every day", in 1975 48% said so (Table 8). Even more stringent norms are applied to young women (Tables 9/10). For comparison: 1964 there were automatic washing machines in 16%, 1975 in 79% of households. Answers to questions which qualities men value especially in women and which qualities women value especially in men show a decrease in valutation of "cleanliness". These results can be interpreted in different ways (Tables 11/12). It seems, however, that "cleanliness" is not going out as a cultural value. We have found that young people today do not consider clean dress important but that they are probably better washed under their purposely neglected clothing than young people were ten years ago. As a nation, Germans still consider cleanliness to be a articularly German virtue, 1975 even more so than 1964 (Table 13). An association test, first made in March 1976, confirms this: When they hear "Germany", 68% of Germans think of "cleanliness" (Table 14).
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003020:Clothing; D005260:Female; D005860:Germany, West; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Sauberkeitsmormen 1964-1975