Compilation of Middletown III and Middletown IV Data, 1977-1999 [Muncie, Indiana] (ICPSR 4604)

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Middletown III was a replication of research done in 1924-1925 by Robert and Helen Lynd in Muncie, Indiana. Middletown III included the Family Roles Survey (1977), the High School Survey (1977, 1989), the Community Survey (1978), the Government Services Survey (1978), the Kinship Survey (1978), the Neighborhood Survey (1978), the Religion Survey (1978), the Women's Occupational Survey (1978), and the Recreation Survey (1982). Middletown IV was a 1999 replication of two of the most important surveys that had been conducted in 1924 and 1977: the Community Survey and the High School Survey. The High School Survey (1977, 1989, and 1999) queried respondents about the number of years they attended Muncie schools, membership in extra-curricular activities, sex education, curriculum, grades and schoolwork, books and magazines read that were not assigned, and future plans post-high school. Respondents were also asked about close friendships, work outside of school, activities on Sunday, and their opinions about their relationship with their parents, and several statements about personal, political, and social issues. For the Community Survey (1978, 1999), respondents were asked about their residence and living in Muncie, as well as job history, reasons to work, and the advantages gained from working. The survey also asked questions of respondents about spouse employment and vacation, household roles, activities, and expenses, as well as close friendships, important qualities in boys and girls, educational plans for their children, and opinions on special topics. For the Family Roles Survey (1978), respondents were asked to express their opinion in regard to raising a family in Muncie, spouse role performance and expectations, marital satisfaction, and close friendships. The Government Services Survey (1978) asked respondents about their participation in the 1976 presidential, 1974 Indiana congressional, and 1975 Muncie city elections, service in the armed forces, and housing. In addition, the survey asked respondents for their opinion in regard to unemployed citizens, welfare, the Muncie community, and government programs, as well as their awareness or use of certain programs. The Kinship Survey (1978) asked respondents to identify where and how long they lived at a location in relationship to Muncie. In addition, respondents were asked for demographic information about their spouse, mother and father (their own and their spouse's), siblings, cousins, and children, their relationship and interactions with them, including their participation in different types of activities together, giving or receiving of goods or services, and frequency of communication. The Neighborhood Survey (1978), queried respondents about their residence in a Muncie neighborhood and their intent to remain at or move from this location. Opinions were sought about the neighborhood and particular facilities visited, attended, or used most often. Respondents were also asked to identify whether relatives or friends lived in Muncie, the location of their residence, as well as their spouses' work location. Respondents scored their interactions with their closest relative, and identified relationships with friends and work associates. In the Religion Survey (1978), respondents provided information about their participation in political elections, what activities they enjoy, as well as their opinion in regard to quality of life, marital satisfaction, racial inequality, women's liberation, and their response when encountering a problem. In addition, respondents were asked about their religious behavior and philosophies, including practices such as prayer, fasting, and the teaching and study of different religions. For the Women's Occupational Survey (1978), respondents were queried about their views in regard to quality of life and marriage including number of times and age married, the status of the marriage, number of children born in each marriage, marital satisfaction, relationship with spouse, causes of disagreement with spouse, and household roles. Pertaining to occupation, respondents answered questions about job training and requirements, job satisfaction, and job discrimination. They also provided their opinions about how work had affected their relationships with their children and spouse. For the Recreation Survey (1982), respondents were queried about attending professional events, participating in sports and household activities, visiting particular recreational locations, owning recreational, electronic, or entertainment equipment, and playing a musical instrument. In addition, the survey posed questions about membership in a group or organization, vacations, religious behaviors, and books or magazines read. Respondents also provided their opinion about gender attributes pertaining to societal roles. Major demographic themes that may appear in one or more of the surveys include age, gender, race, birthplace, occupation and employment, income, social class, education, marital status, religious preference, number of friends or relatives in the city, number and ages of children or siblings, and household composition, as well as the topic of organizational memberships, political affiliation, time spent per day watching movies or television, and number of newspaper or magazine subscriptions. For the Community Survey (1978, 1999), Kinship Survey (1978), Neighborhood Survey (1978), and Women's Occupational Survey (1978), in addition to occupation, the data may also include Duncan Socioeconomic Index (SEI), Siegel Prestige, or industry classification codes.

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These data are restricted from general dissemination. Users interested in obtaining these data must complete an Agreement for the Use of Confidential Data, specify the reasons for the request, and obtain IRB approval or notice of exemption for their research. Apply for access to these data through the ICPSR Restricted Data Contract Portal, which can be accessed via the study home page.

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