Winnipeg Area Study, 1981-1993 (ICPSR 6277)

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The Winnipeg Area Study (WAS), a joint venture among University of Manitoba sociology department scholars, is a sociodemographic survey of Winnipeg residents (tenants and homeowners) from 1981-1993. In 1981, the first WAS chose rural urban migration as a focus. Questions covered the respondent's residential history, including a comprehensive residential record of the last ten years, factors considered in choosing to live in the city as well as in the present residence, and plans for future residential moves within or outside the city, as well as reasons for these plans. A general health profile of respondents was also included. Attitudinal questions addressed topics such as common-law unions, union-management issues, environmental issues, attitudes toward growing old and toward the elderly in one's family, and western Separatism. The questionnaire also examined attitudes concerning the performance of the University of Manitoba. The major theme of the 1983 WAS was a comparative analysis of professional and folk health beliefs and healing practices. Questions focused on topics such as perceived health status, self-care and medication activities, health care utilization patterns, and attitudes toward medical care. The 1984 study was an amalgam questionnaire including items on leaving home, fear of crime, wife abuse, gift-giving, city services and fiscal restraint, household finances, ethnicity, and social standing. In addition, the study contained a number of questions on quality of life and sociodemographic characteristics of respondents, many of which were repeated from the 1981 and 1983 WAS. The major theme of the 1986 study was public beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions regarding the mentally ill and community mental health services. Respondents were asked to rank the order of importance of ten possible impacts on their neighborhood. Order effects were controlled using a split half design. In 1987, the WAS was conducted primarily by telephone. The survey examined marriage, fertility, and child care, and attitudes toward union and management. Items from the CAGE questionnaire for detecting alcoholism were also asked. The major themes of the 1988 survey were the morals and economy of family life. Questions dealt with a number of topics, including spousal relationships and the management of family finances. In addition, questions on family fertility expectations and child-rearing careers were included. The 1989 WAS was an amalgam questionnaire that explored topics such as the decision-making process for moving to a senior citizen home, labeling and other attitudes toward nonsmokers, smokers, and ex-smokers, perception of the seriousness of drug usage in Winnipeg and knowledge of the Alcoholism Foundation of Manitoba, the decision-making process for treatment of life-threatening diseases such as cancer, attitudes toward the Assiniboine Park Zoo and other city recreation facilities, perception of the most serious crime in the city, household contact with and response by police, perceptions of the efficiency of the courts, and assessments of contemporary versus traditional religious attitudes toward the work ethic. The 1990 WAS included several questions replicating items from the 1986 WAS and from the follow-up interview of 1986 respondents conducted in 1989. Other topics under investigation included values, experience with or knowledge about mental disorders, knowledge about mental health law, neighborhood structure, beliefs regarding the mentally disordered, and attitudes toward mental facilities, legal rights of the mentally disordered, community facilities, social rejection, neighboring, and helping programs/services. The 1991 WAS topics included attitudes toward the downtown Winnipeg area, occupational injuries and illnesses, wife abuse, adult education, and universities in the Winnipeg area. In 1992, the WAS investigated social stress in the community, sustainable urban development, crime and police services, city policies, services, and taxes, attitudes toward corporal punishment, and barriers to adult education. The 1993 WAS focused on attitudes toward the authority of teachers, education and youth at risk, youth and criminal justice, public speaking, and social issues. Sociodemographic information obtained each year included sex, age, marital status, birthplace, employment status, occupation, and household information.

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