Almost nine in 10 Scots think sectarianism is a problem for the country, according to new findings from the Scottish Social Attitudes survey, although two-thirds believe it’s only a problem in specific areas.
The survey, conducted between May to August 2014 by ScotCen Social Research, found that although 88% said they thought sectarianism is an issue in Scotland, 69% of respondents believe it is only a problem in specific areas of the country, with Glasgow and the west of Scotland being the most commonly mentioned.
However, those who actually live in the west are more likely to see sectarianism as a problem across the whole of Scotland.
The survey also asked what factors people believe contribute to sectarianism. Football was the most commonly mentioned, with more than one in two saying they thought it was the main factor. Loyalist (including Orange Order) marches and Irish Republican marches were the next most commonly mentioned factors.
Respondents viewed families and schools as the best places to tackle sectarian attitudes in Scotland. Football clubs and authorities were also mentioned as places to tackle the issue.
Finally, ScotCen found that nearly one in two Scots think the Scottish government gives the right amount of attention to sectarianism, about a third said too little focus was placed on the issue. And 10% believe the government had given too much attention to the problem.
