Longitudinal Study of Generations, 1971, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997: [California] (ICPSR 4076)

Version Date: Feb 25, 2005

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Principal Investigator(s):
Vern L. Bengtson, University of Southern California-Los Angeles

https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04076.v1

Version V1

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Summary

The Longitudinal Study of Generations (LSOG), initiated in 1971, began as a survey of intergenerational relations among 300 three-generation California families: grandparents (then in their sixties), middle-aged parents (then in their early forties), and grandchildren (then aged 15 to 26). The study broadened in 1991 and now includes a fourth generation, the great-grandchildren of these same families. The LSOG, with a fully elaborated generation-sequential design, allows comparisons of sets of aging parents and children at the same stage of life but during different historical periods. These comparisons make possible the investigation of the effects of social change on inter-generational solidarity or conflict across 35 years and four generations, as well as effects of social change on the ability of families to buffer stressful life transitions (aging, divorce and remarriage, higher female labor force participation, changes in work and the economy, and possible weakening of family norms of obligation), and the effects of social change on the transmission of values, resources, and behaviors across generations. The study also examines how intergenerational relationships influence individuals' well-being as they transition across the life course from early, to middle, to late adulthood. The LSOG contains information on family structure, household composition, affectual solidarity and conflict, values, attitudes, behaviors, role importance, marital relationships, health and fitness, mental health and well-being, caregiving, leisure activities, and life events and concerns. Demographic variables include age, sex, income, employment status, marital status, socioeconomic history, education, religion, ethnicity, and military service.

Citation

Bengtson, Vern L. Longitudinal Study of Generations, 1971, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997: [California]. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2005-02-25. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04076.v1

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Funding

United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Aging (2R01AG00799-21A2)

Subject Terms

Geographic Coverage

Smallest Geographic Unit

state

Distributor(s)

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
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Date of Collection

1991 -- 1997
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Sample

Families were recruited by enlisting a grandfather over the age of 60 who was part of a three-generation family that was willing to participate.

Time Method

Longitudinal

Universe

Families were drawn randomly from a subscriber list of 840,000 members of a California Health Maintenance Organization in Los Angeles.

Unit(s) of Observation

individuals

Data Source

personal interviews, telephone interviews, self-enumerated questionnaires, and mailback questionnaires

Data Type(s)

Presence of Common Scales

Affectual Solidarity Reliability, Consensual Solidarity (Socialization), Associational Solidarity, Functional Solidarity, Intergenerational Social Support, Normative Solidarity, Familism, Structural Solidarity, Intergenerational Feelings of Conflict, Management of Conflict Tactics, Rosenberg Self-Esteem, Depression (CES-D), Locus of Control, Bradburn Affect Balance, Eysenck Extraversion/Neuroticism, Anxiety (Hopkins Symptom Checklist), Activities of Daily Living (IADL/ADL), Religious Ideology, Political Conservatism, Gender Role Ideology, Individualism/Collectivism, Materialism/Humanism, Work Satisfaction, Gilford-Bengtson Marital Satisfaction

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Original Release Date

2005-02-25

Version History

2018-02-15 The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented. The previous citation was:
  • Bengtson, Vern L. Longitudinal Study of Generations, 1971, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1997: [California]. ICPSR04076-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2009-03-03. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04076.v1
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Notes

  • The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.