• Mature Women cohort
• Young Women cohort

Mature Women cohort

Respondents have answered questions about their attitudes on a wide variety of topics. Many questions refer to attitudes about work and retirement. Periodically, the surveys ask about satisfaction with life in general, housework, and child care.

Attitudes toward retirement

As this cohort aged, the surveys began eliciting attitudes and expectations about retirement (see Table MW1 for reference numbers). In 1979, 1982, 1984, and 1986, respondents were asked at what age they expected their husbands to retire; those who were participating in the labor market at the time of the survey were also asked at what age they expected to retire. Additionally, these women were asked if they intended to continue working after their husband's retirement. The 1989 and 1995-2001 surveys included questions on attitudes toward retirement in general. For example, respondents were asked to agree or disagree with statements such as "Work is the most meaningful part of life" and "People who don't retire when they can afford to are foolish."

Attitudes toward women working

To capture societal sentiment about women participating in the labor force, the survey has asked a wide variety of questions about working women/mothers. In select years, respondents were asked how their husbands felt about the respondents working (see Table MW2). There was also a series of questions which elicited attitudes about the circumstances under which respondents felt it was acceptable for married women with young children to hold jobs outside the home. Table MW3 lists reference numbers for questions about women's roles in the labor market (although these questions were not asked in every survey year, a pattern of changing attitudes about working mothers can be observed).

Attitudes toward life

In addition to attitudes about work and working, respondents provided data on their feelings about life in general. In each survey since 1979, respondents have answered to a global life satisfaction question on how they were feeling these days (e.g., R04856.00). They are asked to classify themselves overall as very happy, somewhat happy, somewhat unhappy, or very unhappy. For additional measures, see the Psychological Well Being section.

Attitudes toward housekeeping and child care

Respondents were asked about their opinions on working in the home as a part of the non-paid labor force. In 1967 (R00341.00), 1979 (R04676.00), 1982 (R06076.00), and 1987 (R08397.00), the women were asked for their general attitudes (i.e., "How do you feel about keeping house in your own home?").

At select survey points, the women were asked more detailed questions about their responsibility for a variety of household tasks. Beginning in 1974 and continuing until 1989, a series of questions was asked of respondents about the degree of their responsibilities for select household chores. The response categories included respondent has sole responsibility, respondent shares responsibility, others have responsibility, and not applicable. In some of these survey years, respondents who answered that they shared responsibility for a particular task with others or that others had sole responsibility for the task were asked for their relationship to the other person who usually performed (shared) the task. In addition, those women who shared responsibility with someone else for a given task were asked the frequency (less than half of the time, about half the time, or more than half the time) with which they performed the task. In the 1981 survey, respondents were asked how they felt about performing each task (like, dislike, or don't mind). Table MW4 summarizes this series of items.

Additional questions regarding the respondent's general attitudes toward taking care of children (R00342.00 in 1967) and her attitude toward the use of child care centers specifically (R01686.00-R01688.00 and R01707.00 in 1971) have been collected irregularly. See the Child Care section for more information about child care arrangements.

Young Women cohort

In many surveys, respondents answered questions about their attitudes. Many questions referred to attitudes about work and retirement. Periodically, the surveys asked about educational and occupational goals, housework, child care, and satisfaction with life in general.

Attitudes toward women working

The 1972, 1978, 1983, and 1988 surveys asked women about their opinions on the employment of wives. Table YW1 presents reference numbers for these statements about married women's participation in the paid labor market by survey year.

A three-question series asked in 1968, 1972, 1978, and 1983 assessed respondents' approval of women working. On a scale of definitely all right to definitely not all right, respondents indicated their opinion about women working if necessary to make ends meet, if the woman desires and the husband agrees, and if the woman desires and the husband disagrees. Related questions, including her husband's attitude toward the respondent's working, were asked at select survey points (see Table YW2).

Attitudes toward retirement

As this cohort aged, the surveys began eliciting attitudes and expectations about retirement. In 1995-2001, Young Women responded to a series of statements on their attitudes toward retirement in general. These questions (e.g., R42013.00‑R42017.00) asked respondents to agree or disagree with statements such as "Work is the most meaningful part of life" and "People who don't retire when they can afford to are foolish."

Attitudes toward life

In addition to attitudes about work and working, respondents provided data on their feelings about life in general. In the 1980, 1982, and 1985-2003 surveys, respondents answered a global life satisfaction question on how they were feeling these days (e.g., R15693.00). They were asked to classify themselves overall as very happy, somewhat happy, somewhat unhappy, or very unhappy. Additional measures of psychological well-being are discussed in the Psychological Well Being section.

Attitudes toward housekeeping and child care

Respondents were asked about their opinions on working in the home as a part of the non-paid labor force. Specifically, at five-year intervals (beginning in 1978) respondents were asked for their attitudes about domestic labor and child care. In 1978, 1983, and 1988, respondents were asked, "How do you feel about keeping house in your own home?" and "How do you feel about taking care of children?" In 1971, employed women with children were asked to state their attitude toward child care centers. See the Child Care section of this guide for more information about child care arrangements.

At select survey points, the women were asked more detailed questions about their responsibility for a variety of household tasks. In the 1975, 1978, 1982, 1983, and 1987 surveys, a series of questions was asked of respondents about the degree of their responsibilities for select household chores. The response categories included respondent has sole responsibility, respondent shares responsibility, others have responsibility, and not applicable. In some of these survey years, respondents who answered that they shared responsibility for a particular task with others or that others had sole responsibility for the task were asked for their relationship to the other person who usually performed (shared) the task. In addition, those women who shared responsibility with someone else for a given task were asked the frequency (less than half of the time, about half the time, or more than half the time) with which they performed the task. In the 1982 survey, respondents were asked how they felt about performing each task (like, dislike, or don't mind). Table YW3 summarizes this series of items.