Understanding Society User Support

Hi,

I'm investigating the degree to which individuals retain or change their ethnicity over time, particularly from childhood (where their ethnicity is likely reported on their behalf by a parent) to adulthood (where they probably self-identify their ethnicity). I've been trying to work out whether the Understanding Society main survey data is viable for exploring these questions.

I've been able to work out from the really excellent documentation on the main website that adults are not asked for their ethnicity in each wave of the survey (which might have allowed me to see whether their ethnicity remains the same across waves or changes). They are instead asked once in the first wave they take part in. I have not so far been able to answer a handful of other questions I have, which I wondered if you might be able to help me with.

• I'm aware that the household reference person will answer questions about children under the age of 10 in the household on their behalf. Is there a question which is asked to ascertain the child's ethnicity? If so, I take it that this only asked in one wave?
• I'm aware that children between the age of 10 and 15 self-complete the youth questionnaire, and that this youth questionnaire asks these children to self-identify their ethnicity. Is the ethnicity question only asked in one wave, in the same way as the main adult questionnaire?
• If a child completes the youth questionnaire and is asked their ethnicity in one wave, and then in a subsequent wave becomes old enough to complete the main survey themselves, would they be asked their ethnicity again in the main survey or would the ethnicity recorded from the earlier youth questionnaire be carried over? Likewise, if the answer to my first question is yes, would a respondent whose ethnicity is defined for them as a <10 year old child then be asked for their ethnicity in the youth questionnaire and main questionnaire when they become old enough to complete them?

I suppose these questions can be summed up in one question, which is: are respondents, at any point in their life and involvement with the survey, asked about their ethnicity (either by proxy of self-identified) on more than one occasion (so that a comparison and measure of stability could be made)?

Thank you very much for everything you do!