The Significance of Linked Fate for Women: A Data-Driven Learning Guide

Application

Linked Fate and Demographic Characteristics

The variable V045174 measures whether respondents feel linked to what happens with women, and was asked only of women. For ease of analysis we recoded this variable to include only those respondents who answered "yes" (coded as 1) or "no" (2). The new variable is called LINKEDFATE. Looking at the frequency table, what percentage of women said that they feel linked to what happens with women? When probed further, what percentage reported feeling linked "a lot"? What percentage said "not very much at all"?

Does the sense of linked fate vary for women based on age, race or education? To find out we recoded each of these variables into fewer categories for ease of analysis (the new variables are named AGE.CAT, NEWRACE, and EDU.CATS respectively).

Examine the results of the crosstab between LINKEDFATE and AGE.CAT. Which age group reported the lowest sense of linked fate? Which group reported the highest?

Now looking at the results table for LINKEDFATE and NEWRACE, which groups exhibit the highest and lowest sense of linked fate?

Finally turn your attention to the crosstab between LINKEDFATE and EDU.CATS. What percentage of respondents without a high school diploma said that they feel linked to what happens with women? How does this compare to those with a college degree or more?

Attitudes Toward Women

Sense of pride in women's accomplishments is measured by the variable PRIDEWOM. Take a look at the crosstab between PRIDEWOM and LINKEDFATE. Do the women in the sample who feel linked to other women report feeling proud of women's accomplishments more often than women who don't? Similarly, looking at the results of the crosstab between ANGRYWOM and LINKEDFATE, do they report feeling angry at the treatment of women more often than the women who do not feel linked to other women?

Feeling thermometers are often used to measure how respondents feel about a specific group of people on a scale of 0 to 100. Scores of 0-49 indicate very cold or cold feelings, and scores of 50 and above indicate warm, or very warm feelings toward a specific group. Consider the results of the comparison of means for the feeling thermometer about women, based on LINKEDFATE. Do respondents who have a sense of linked fate report warmer or colder feelings toward women?

Attitudes Toward Issues that Affect Women

The variable WELFARE measures respondents' views on federal spending for welfare, and whether they thought it should be increased, decreased, or kept the same. Looking at the results of the crosstab between WELFARE and LINKEDFATE, does having a sense of linked fate appear to make a difference in respondents' level of support for federal spending on welfare? Does the comparison of means using the feeling thermometer measure (V044404p) and LINKEDFATE show a difference in respondents' feelings about people who are on welfare?

Finally, look at respondents' views on federal spending for childcare, and whether they thought it should be increased, decreased, or kept the same. Consider the crosstab between CHILDCARE and LINKEDFATE. Note that we used the variable CHILDREN as a control. Respondents who have no children are coded as "0" and those who do are coded as "1." In the results, the first table and chart indicate the views of childless respondents; the second table and chart show the views of those respondents who do have children; and the final table and chart are for all respondents combined. Which group showed the highest level of support for increased spending for childcare? Which group was more likely to think that spending for childcare should be decreased? Does having children appear to make a difference in respondents' views on this issue? How about linked fate?

Note: The online data analysis system (DAS) used on this site uses a system called Survey Documentation and Analysis (SDA), developed and maintained by the Computer-assisted Survey Methods Program (CSM) at the University of California, Berkeley. Documentation for DAS/SDA can be found on their Web site.

Goal & Concept - Dataset - Application - Interpretation & Summary - Bibliography