DO BRITISH MUMS CARE ABOUT CHEMICALS IN CHILDREN'S CLOTHING?

[FashionAndMumsResearch]

Along with the rise of clean eating, beauty, and homeware, fashion may be emerging as the next safety concern.

I'm a Master's student at the London College of Fashion, researching non-toxic childrenswear!

I'd be massively grateful if any British mothers of children aged 3-12 could take 5 minutes to complete the questionnaire. I have to hit 200 responses, which is challenging as I don't personally know many mothers. If you feel like it and have the time, please feel free to share it with any friends or group chats. https://arts.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cLOsTjZpcDVgKWy

Thank you so much and have a wonderful week Xx

Hey OP. I think you got a bit of a rough deal on here, and I speak as one of the diehard MN feminist vipers over there on the 'Feminism, Not The Fun Kind' board you are probably, right this minute, being told is 'feral' MN at its worst over on that Reddit thread you started.

Actually I WILL fill out your questionnaire. My younger son is just about within your age frame. I think it's annoying that your university questionnaire protocols make you include a question asking about gender, rather than sex, and contend that we members of the public would find being asked our sex 'offensive' or divisive. I know that British universities will take a long time to catch up to the evolving public opinion on this, but no - the vast majority of people are not, and never would have been, 'offended' to be asked for their sex on a standard questionnaire. Gender is, as I'm sure you're aware, different from sex, which is biologically determined. MN is possibly the most likely forum in the UK today where you will get your arse handed to you on a plate if you ask a poster's gender rather than sex on a questionnaire, so I do actually feel some compassion for you.

Now, as to your actual questionnaire, I do have some issues with the way you're phrasing questions, and the information you're giving participants (or not).

I would say, 'chemicals' makes me shrug and say 'meh', as chemicals are literally EVERYTHING. My A-level Chem/Biology student is rolling his eyes. (He's also drawing me some diagrams which I absolutely don't need in order to state this.) Look OP, your query is fine but I don't think you gave your participants enough information about WHAT chemicals, in what sorts of concentrations, whether these 'chemicals' are part of the actual fibres, or a treatment that the fabric was subjected to, and what the relative risks of buying clothing with these 'chemicals' in are - compared to ... what? Wearing totally organic cotton and wool? Going naked? And if I wash my clothing in a detergent containing a particular chemical it'll probably be absolutely fine for my skin. If I drink that same detergent I'll probably end up very ill. Do you see?

I ask questions of those who are telling my my choices are risky, and often enough I find that the person postulating that something is harmful doesn't actually understand the concepts of 'risk' and 'harm'.

If you want meaningful answers for your research, you have to ask meaningful questions, and without any background information on what you mean by 'harmful/toxic chemicals' you're not asking questions that will garner very meaningful responses. Unless, of course, some of your participants happen to be passing petrochemical experts or similar.

End of the day - 'chemicals' are in and ARE everything. Including wool, cotton, linen. We are made of chemicals.

Amelie - I'm wondering from some of your replies here and from your thread on Reddit and the surprise you expressed there at some of the reactions here, do you actually understand the concept of "gender" and do you actually know what the difference is between "gender" and "sex"?

And when you ask a survey question about "gender" how are you going to analyse the answers?

(Hint: it's not a good idea to ask survey questions that you've simply been told to ask or that you've copied from other surveys without knowing why you are asking them. A masters student ought to be able to understand that)

Please listen to @GlomOfNit 's comment about chemicals. This was going to be my point before it all got focused on sex/gender.
It's really important.

@AStonedRose Because teapots can't type, silly.

I don't doxx anyone - I report people who do though, which you would have seen if you'd read the thread.

This ^

Hi I never spoke badly about anyone on this thread. I am thankful I have learnt from this experience and that I have a broader view. I am and have always remained neutral, and this research has been distributed through many different channels, in person and online, to get as broad a sample as possible.

And “gender” questions!

Fair enough and apologies.

I can type with my spout.

I've completed the survey. Good luck with your research! It's a really important topic and a special interest of mine I find it fascinating that primary school uniform is still usually coated in stain-resistant finishes (despite the research suggesting that this does not lead to any reduction in the frequency of laundering, and little reduction in the degree of staining observed too, after a few months!) and non-iron coatings, even though we've known about the dangers of these chemicals for years now. Not to mention (I know this isn't part of your research) all the polyester school skirts, trousers and PE kits, happily releasing thousands of microplastics into the environment with every wash!

Make sure you're empty first, otherwise that's going to be messy!

If you are doing a Masters you are not that “young” and should understand how to plagiarise write a survey that will give you real answers, not the ones you are predicting. It’s lazy work and your tutors should be pulling you up on it.

Done. Good luck.
Just to say; the vast majority of surveys do have a ‘prefer not to say’ button for income.

The faux naiveté of this thread/subsequent posts is one thing. But then going to reddit to ask about MN/Mumsnetters, (in an implicitly negative way) when you're wanting their help, is seriously another thing @FashionAndMumsResearch

And you need, seriously, to learn more about research and how to ask questions.

Hey. Thank you so much for your kind words and insight. I understand all of this feedback; however, I have to try to remain as neutral as possible in how I respond for my research. I hope you understand. I feel like I am learning a lot, and I really appreciate your time. 😊

Hi, thank you for sharing your thoughts and for your time 😊

Also @FashionAndMumsResearch
Your grammar and punctuation throughout the survey are very poor.

(You even wrote "Master's" in your OP).

SMH.

The “number” of responses, not the amount of responses. Get someone to check over your dissertation for other glaring errors of grammar.

That may be how you identify, but that doesn't make it true.

Thank you so much. Very fair point, I will consider changing it!

And the anti-trans board may identify as feminists etc.

we could do this all day.

Hi I am dyslexic sorry.

She's probably in her early 20s. This is just bullying.

It tells me more about you than her.

But you won't change the gender question?

Hi thank you for the feedback. This survey was approved by two tutors, and it is my first time doing research of this scale, so I am sorry if it is not of high standard I am running on the advice I am given by staff.