Productive Americans, working and planning, 1965

The study focused on the total economic effort of families, the outside constraints and inner desires that affected that effort, and the attitudes and views of people that might affect the quantity and the efficiency of their work effort. Information was obtained to help explain the extent to which families work, plan ahead, accept change, avoid risk, and keep a realizable set of goals. Data were collected on the kinds of work people did and their level of job satisfaction, their desire and opportunity to work more hours, job history and any plans for changing to another type of job, and their plans for future retirement or present experience if already retired. Also included was information about aspirations for education of children, arrangements for child care and household help, frequency of meals taken in restaurants, and type of residence presently occupied and plans to move, if any. There are data on family history, including information about college attended by both head and wife, places family has lived, and feelings about personal efficacy. Income questions included amount of money earned, amount received from investments and from transfer income. In addition to such information as age, sex, and family composition, there were questions about religious affiliation and political party membership. The data were obtained by personal interviews with families. Eligible respondents were a cross-section probability sample of family heads. The unit of analysis for the file is the family.