Demographics variably impact on the perceptions of the direction in which Zimbabwe is heading: Education level seems to be the clearest – the highest levels of optimism (‘right direction’) are found amongst those of lower education levels. In general the trend is: the higher the education, the higher the level of cynicism. In the education groups of ‘some post-secondary’ to ‘post-graduate’ a minimum of 42% see Zimbabwe as moving in the wrong direction. These trends were manifested across demographic differentiation. Age, however, does not clearly differentiate, although the most cynical about the country’s direction is likely to be in the 31-50 year old age group. Urban-rural differentiation indicates that urban people are more inclined to see the direction as ‘wrong’, and rural people are more concentrated in the grouping of ‘right’ direction. However, both ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ remain diffused across the rural-urban divides. Gender analysis of the data shows that men are more likely than women to see the country as heading in a wrong direction. Employment status (employed versus unemployed) does not differentiate the perceptions of right or wrong direction that the country is seen to be heading in. Provincial differentiation shows that the most optimistic about the country’s direction are to be found in Mashonaland-Central (52% in this province see the direction as right). Manicaland, Masvingo and Mashonaland East (in this order and declining) are the other provinces most likely to observe the direction as right. Bulawayo is the most cynical of the provinces (only 10% observe the overall direction as right). The two Matabeleland provinces are the second and third most cynical. A further level of contradiction emerges from the survey in that 62% of respondents report the country’s current economic condition to be very good or fairly good (compared with 7% that say it is very or fairly bad) [Q2A]. A lower 50% reckon their own present living conditions are very or fairly good [Q2B]. A comparable 63% feel the country’s economic condition ‘today’ is better or much better than a year earlier [Q3A], and 60% estimated their own living conditions were better at the time of the survey than a year earlier [Q3B]. Thus, there is an improvement in personal living conditions, but Zimbabweans’ present living conditions are felt to be lagging behind the national condition. The survey itself does not offer further explanations of this phenomenon, but it is in line with complexities that prevail in contemporary Zimbabwe – a society undergoing change, in which individuals could very well feel that things are not exactly going as well for them personally, as it is reported to be going in the country in general. 26