Detroit Area Study, 1955: A Description of Urban Kinship Patterns and The Urban Family (ICPSR 7319)
This collection provides information on 731 married wives of couples living in the Detroit metropolitan area in 1955. Data are provided on the frequency and interaction of respondents with their relatives, as well as their attitudes on family. The collection is a combination of two studies: A DESCRIPTION OF URBAN KINSHIP PATTERNS by Morris Axelrod, and THE URBAN FAMILY by Robert Blood. Data are provided on the frequency of and reasons for large family gatherings, the nature of help that the respondent's family received from relatives, the nature of help that the respondent gave to relatives, and the nature of the relationship with the respondent's relatives on both sides of the family. Other questions explored respondents' family attitudes. They were asked about the division of labor and decision-making processes in their homes, their interactions with their spouses, including communication between them and the causes and methods of handling disagreements, and their attitudes toward marriage in general. In addition, the respondents were asked about expected family size and what they felt the advantages were of having children. Also probed was their use of leisure time. Demographic variables specify age, sex, race, education, marital status, occupation, family income, length of residence in the Detroit area, home ownership, and religious preferences.