Attitudes

Attitudes

Mature Women Attitude Variables

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."

Table MW1. Reference Numbers for Questions on Attitudes and Expectations toward Work

Year Husband's attitude
toward R working
Expected age
of retirement
Expected age of
husband's retirement
General attitude
toward retirement
1967 R00339.00 -- -- --
1972 R02448.00 -- -- --
1977 R03678.00 -- -- --
1979 -- R04805.00 R04820.00  
1982 R06074.00 R06438.00 R06459.00 --
1984 -- R07089.00 R07099.00 --
1986 -- R07660.00 R07687.00 --
1987 R08395.00 -- -- --
1989 -- -- -- R09892.00-R09896.00
1995 -- -- -- R34878.00-R34882.00
1997 -- -- -- R42013.00-R42017.00
1999 -- -- -- R51505.00-R51509.00
2001 -- -- -- R62457.00-R62461.00

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).

Table MW2. Reference Numbers for Attitudes toward Wives Working Questions

Statements

Survey Year
1972 1977 1982 1987
Wife can work without neglecting her family R02435.00 R03664.00 R06058.00 R08379.00
Women's place is in the home R02436.00 R03665.00 R06059.00 R08380.00
Job gives wife interesting outside contacts R02437.00 R03666.00 -- --
Wife with a family doesn't have time for employment R02438.00 R03667.00 R06060.00 R08381.00
A working wife feels more useful R02439.00 R03668.00 R06061.00 R08382.00
Employment of wives leads to juvenile delinquency R02440.00 R03669.00 R06062.00 R08383.00
Employment of parents needed to keep up with cost of living R02443.00 R03672.00 R06063.00 R08384.00
Working wives raise the standard of living R02441.00 R03670.00 -- --
Working wives lose interest in home and family R02442.00 R03671.00 -- --
It is better for all if man is outside achiever and woman takes care of family -- -- R06064.00 R08385.00
Men should share the work around the house with women -- -- R06065.00 R08386.00
Working mothers can have as secure relationship with child as non-working mothers -- -- R06066.00 R08387.00
Women are happier if they stay home and take care of kids -- -- R06067.00 R08388.00
Rearing children should not inhibit career -- -- R06068.00 R08389.00

Table MW3. Attitudes toward Married Women's Participation in the Labor Market (Unweighted)

  Probably or definitely not all right No opinion, undecided Probably or definitely all right
  Survey Year Survey Year Survey Year
Conditions1 67 72 77 82 87 67 72 77 82 87 67 72 77 82 87
...if necessary to make ends meet
Number
Percentage2
314
6.2
270
6.0
222
5.6
128
3.6
113
3.5
39
0.8
18
0.4
22
0.6
10
0.3
18
0.6
4716
92.8
4077
91.2
3662
92.4
3359
94.8
3065
94.6
...if she wants & husband agrees
Number
Percentage2
1116
22.0
661
14.8
403
10.2
241
6.8
207
6.4
68
1.3
19
0.4
30
0.8
28
0.8
25
0.8
3886
76.5
3684
82.4
3472
87.6
3228
91.1
2956
91.2
...if she wants & husband disagrees
Number
Percentage2
4105
80.1
3292
73.6
2532
63.9
1830
51.7
1514
46.7
140
2.8
67
1.5
123
3.1
113
3.2
161
5.0
822
16.2
1004
22.5
1247
31.5
1554
43.9
1510
46.6
 
Source: Table is based on responses to the following questions: R00335.00-R00337.00 in 1967; R02444.00-R02446.00 in 1972; R03673.00-R03675.00 in 1977; R06069.00-R06071.00 in 1982; and R08390.00-R08392.00 in 1987.
1 The question asked respondents the following: How do you feel about a married woman with children between the ages of 6 and 12 taking a full-time job outside the home under the following conditions?
2 This refers to the percentage of the total interviewed population in that survey year giving the indicated response. This total was 5083 in 1967, 4471 in 1972, 3964 in 1977, 3542 in 1982, and 3241 in 1987.

 

User Notes

The attitudes toward women working questions have also been asked of the Young Women and NLSY79 respondents in multiple surveys, permitting comparisons across generations and over time. Questions on household tasks have likewise been addressed to Young Women and NLSY79 respondents.

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.

Table MW4. Reference Numbers for Questions on Respondent Responsibility for Household Tasks

Year Child care Cleaning
dishes
Cleaning
house
Cooking Family
paperwork
Grocery
shopping
Care of ill/
disabled
Washing
clothes
Yard/home
maintenance
Extent of respondent responsibility for task1
1974 R03022.00 R03024.00 R03025.00 R03023.00 -- R03021.00 -- R03026.00 R03027.00
1976 R03229.00 R03231.00 R03232.00 R03230.00 -- R03228.00 -- R03233.00 R03234.00
1981 R04996.00 R05002.00 R05005.00 R04999.00 R05014.00 R04993.00 -- R05008.00 R05011.00
1982 R06095.00 R06101.00 R06104.00 R06098.00 R06113.00 R06092.00 -- R06107.00 R06110.00
1984 R06799.00 R06808.00 R06811.00 R06805.00 R06820.00 R06796.00 R06802.00 R06814.00 R06817.00
1987 R08416.00 R08425.00 R08428.00 R08422.00 R08437.00 R08413.00 R08419.00 R08431.00 R08434.00
1989 R09405.00 R09414.00 R09417.00 R09411.00 R09426.00 R09402.00 R09408.00 R09420.00 R09423.00
Relationship of other person sharing/performing task
1981 R04997.00 R05003.00 R05006.00 R05000.00 R05015.00 R04994.00 -- R05009.00 R05012.00
1982 R06096.00 R06102.00 R06105.00 R06099.00 R06114.00 R06093.00 -- R06108.00 R06111.00
1984 R06800.00 R06809.00 R06812.00 R06806.00 R06821.00 R06797.00 R06803.00 R06815.00 R06818.00
1987 R08417.00 R08426.00 R08429.00 R08423.00 R08438.00 R08414.00 R08420.00 R08432.00 R08435.00
1989 R09406.00 R09415.00 R09418.00 R09412.00 R09427.00 R09403.00 R09409.00 R09421.00 R09424.00
Frequency respondent performs task
1982 R06097.00 R06103.00 R06106.00 R06100.00 R06115.00 R06094.00 -- R06109.00 R06112.00
1984 R06801.00 R06810.00 R06813.00 R06807.00 R06822.00 R06798.00 R06804.00 R06816.00 R06819.00
1987 R08418.00 R08427.00 R08430.00 R08424.00 R08439.00 R08415.00 R08421.00 R08433.00 R08436.00
1989 R09407.00 R09416.00 R09419.00 R09413.00 R09428.00 R09404.00 R09410.00 R09422.00 R09425.00
Respondent's attitude toward performing task
1981 R04998.00 R05004.00 R05007.00 R05001.00 R05016.00 R04995.00 -- R05010.00 R05013.00
 
1 Numbering of response categories may change over time. Users should consult the codebook for precise coding.  

Related Variables: The Job Satisfaction section describes questions about the respondent's attitude toward her current job. The Job Search section discusses questions on reservation wages, hypothetical job offers, and plans to seek work in the future. See the section on Psychological Well Being for additional measures of emotional well-being.

Survey Instruments: Questions on attitudes are found in various questionnaire sections, including "Attitudes about Work," "Attitudes," and "Health."