Mark Alexander Abrams
Encyclopedia
Mark Alexander Abrams was a social scientist and "founding father of social and market research in Britain".http://www.the-sra.org.uk/documents/pdfs/mark_abrams_obituary.pdf
He was the son of Abram Abrams and Anne (née Jackson) and studied at Latymer School in Edmonton, the London School of Economics
,and in 1931-1933 at the Brookings Institute.
In 1933 he returned to Great Britain
and entered industry, joining the Research Department of the London Press Exchange (LPE), a major advertising agency.
He helped many European social scientists, including Sigmund Freud
, find refuge in the UK from the Nazis.
Between 1939 and 1941, he worked for the BBC
, Overseas Research Department analyzing Nazi propaganda broadcasts. He then worked at the Psychological Warfare Board, investigating experiences, beliefs, and needs of the population.
In 1946, Abrams started Research Services Limited, where he worked as Managing Director and later as Chairman until 1970. Abrams was connected with the British Labour Party
, for whom he conducted many public opinion polls between 1950 and 1960.
Between 1970 and 1976, he was Director of the Survey Unit at the then Social Science Research Council
which was set up to advise and assist academics and others on surveys conducted with public funds. Between 1971 and 1975 he and John Hall also conducted the pioneering Quality of Life in Britain surveys.
From 1976 to 1985 he was Research Director of Age Concern
and also External Examiner for the BA Applied Social Studies (CNAA) at the then Polytechnic of North London, where he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in 1982.
From 1978 to 1994 he was Vice-President of the Policy Studies Institute
. He was also an advisor of the Consumers' Association
.
In 1931 he married Una Strugnell with whom he had one son Philip Abrams http://books.google.com/books?id=0b46AAAAIAAJ&pg=PR14&lpg=PR14&dq=%22mark+abrams%22%22philip+abrams%22&source=bl&ots=8YUHhHIF01&sig=le53Zz9b5_eZlzf-B_ByQG25Q-4&hl=en&ei=1izHS8CLD9epsQbC9oDdCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CB4Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=%22mark%20abrams%22%22philip%20abrams%22&f=false and one daughter. The marriage ended in 1951 and he married Jean Bird with whom he had one daughter.
In 1933 he returned to the United Kingdom to the Research Department of the London Press Exchange, a leading advertising agency, where he began his pioneering work conducting large-scale surveys of newspaper and magazine readership and consumer behaviour.
In 1946 he founded Research Services Ltd (RSL) using his advertising
agency experiences in the 1930s and his subsequent experiences, and that of his staff, in the various wartime
Abrams had strong links with the Labour Party and carried out many of the Party's private polls in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1970-1976, Abrams was Director of the Survey Research Unit at the Social Science Research Council, then, from 1976–1985, he was Research Director of Age Concern, Vice-President of the Policy Studies Institute, 1978–1994, and also advised the Consumers' Association.
Together with Richard Rose
he wrote the book Must Labour Lose? where they discussed the theory of the embourgeoisement
of the working class in Great Britain.
'
He was the son of Abram Abrams and Anne (née Jackson) and studied at Latymer School in Edmonton, the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
,and in 1931-1933 at the Brookings Institute.
In 1933 he returned to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and entered industry, joining the Research Department of the London Press Exchange (LPE), a major advertising agency.
He helped many European social scientists, including Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
, find refuge in the UK from the Nazis.
Between 1939 and 1941, he worked for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Overseas Research Department analyzing Nazi propaganda broadcasts. He then worked at the Psychological Warfare Board, investigating experiences, beliefs, and needs of the population.
In 1946, Abrams started Research Services Limited, where he worked as Managing Director and later as Chairman until 1970. Abrams was connected with the British Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, for whom he conducted many public opinion polls between 1950 and 1960.
Between 1970 and 1976, he was Director of the Survey Unit at the then Social Science Research Council
Social Science Research Council
The Social Science Research Council is a U.S.-based independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research in the social sciences and related disciplines...
which was set up to advise and assist academics and others on surveys conducted with public funds. Between 1971 and 1975 he and John Hall also conducted the pioneering Quality of Life in Britain surveys.
From 1976 to 1985 he was Research Director of Age Concern
Age Concern
Age Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom....
and also External Examiner for the BA Applied Social Studies (CNAA) at the then Polytechnic of North London, where he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in 1982.
From 1978 to 1994 he was Vice-President of the Policy Studies Institute
Policy Studies Institute
The Policy Studies Institute is a British think-tank. It was formed in 1978 through the merger of the former Centre for the Study of Social Policy and Political and Economic Planning. Since 1998 it has been an independent subsidiary of the University of Westminster...
. He was also an advisor of the Consumers' Association
Consumers' Association
The Consumers' Association is the umbrella organisation that houses the trading arm Which? Ltd. The Consumers' Association is a charity, registered in England and Wales No 296072. Which? Ltd is its wholly owned trading subsidiary....
.
In 1931 he married Una Strugnell with whom he had one son Philip Abrams http://books.google.com/books?id=0b46AAAAIAAJ&pg=PR14&lpg=PR14&dq=%22mark+abrams%22%22philip+abrams%22&source=bl&ots=8YUHhHIF01&sig=le53Zz9b5_eZlzf-B_ByQG25Q-4&hl=en&ei=1izHS8CLD9epsQbC9oDdCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CB4Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=%22mark%20abrams%22%22philip%20abrams%22&f=false and one daughter. The marriage ended in 1951 and he married Jean Bird with whom he had one daughter.
In 1933 he returned to the United Kingdom to the Research Department of the London Press Exchange, a leading advertising agency, where he began his pioneering work conducting large-scale surveys of newspaper and magazine readership and consumer behaviour.
In 1946 he founded Research Services Ltd (RSL) using his advertising
agency experiences in the 1930s and his subsequent experiences, and that of his staff, in the various wartime
Abrams had strong links with the Labour Party and carried out many of the Party's private polls in the 1950s and 1960s. From 1970-1976, Abrams was Director of the Survey Research Unit at the Social Science Research Council, then, from 1976–1985, he was Research Director of Age Concern, Vice-President of the Policy Studies Institute, 1978–1994, and also advised the Consumers' Association.
Publications
- Condition of the British People, 1911-1946 (1947);
- Social Surveys and Social Action (1951);
- The Teenage Consumer (1959);
- Beyond Three Score and Ten (1980);
- People in Their Sixties (1983).
Together with Richard Rose
Richard Rose (political scientist)
Richard Rose is an American political scientist who is currently Director of the Centre for the Study of Public Policy and Professor of Politics at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He studied as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University and completed his PhD at the University of Oxford...
he wrote the book Must Labour Lose? where they discussed the theory of the embourgeoisement
Embourgeoisement thesis
Embourgeoisement is the process of migration of individuals into the bourgeoisie as a result of their own efforts or collective action, such as that taken by unions in the US and elsewhere in the 1930 through 1960s that established middle class status for factory workers and others that would not...
of the working class in Great Britain.
'