Showing papers in "Social Indicators Research in 1990"

Religious domains and general well-being.

Abstract: With only a few notable exceptions, studies on quality of life or general well-being have failed to deal with religiosity in general, and the development of more refined measures of religious meaning and belonging in particular. Data measuring subjective perceptions of well-being for various domains of life, including neighborhood, employment, work at home, education, friends, household members, marital status, standard of living, health and religion were used to form a number of domain scales. Relationships between the multidimensional concepts of well-being and religiosity are explored and the importance of religiosity in defining well-being is tested. Religious satisfaction was found to be important for general life satisfaction and existential well-being. Among the eight indicators and scales of religiosity, various combinations of religious satisfaction, frequency of prayer, prayer experience, and relationship with God, were important predictors of general life satisfaction, existential well-being, and overall happiness. Under no circumstance did any measure of religosity contribute to negative affect.

Subjective well-being as a function of age and gender: A multivariate look for differentiated trends

Abstract: Studies on subjective well-being (SWB) suggest that its cognitive aspect, or life satisfaction, is positively correlated with age, whereas its affective aspect, often separated into positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), is negatively correlated with age. Gender differences in SWB are usually small. The present study attempted to explore these trends in an Israeli sample of 447 community-dwelling people aged 21 to 87, with special reference to relatively unattended issues as the effect of control variables on the affective aspect and the feasible age by gender interaction in SWB. The results showed that Cantril's Self-Anchoring Scale (SAS), Bradburn's Affect Balance Scale (ABS), and Neugarten et al.'s Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA) were all significantly and negatively correlated with age. No significant gender differences emerged, but a significant age by gender interaction was found in SAS and LSIA. Controlling for personal variables (education, health, place of birth, and marital status) could wipe out the age effects on SAS and LSIA, but not on ABS. By the same procedure, the age by gender interaction could be wiped out in SAS, and substantially reduced in LSIA. The age effect on ABS was mainly due to PA, rather than NA. The results indicate the differential impact of personal variables on the aspects of SWB. Refering to the Israeli context, it seems that both cohort- and aging-related variables account for the decline of life satisfaction in the older subjects. Age-associated decline of affect is apparently connected to some other adaptive mechanisms, which regulate both positive and negative affect in old age.

The effects of quality of working life (QWL) on employee behavioral responses

Abstract: Quality of work life (QWL) was conceptualized in terms of need satisfaction stemming from an interaction of workers' needs (survival, social, ego, and self-actualization needs) and those organizational resources relevant for meeting them. It was hypothesized that need satisfaction (or QWL) is positively related to organizational identification, job satisfaction, job involvement, job effort, job performance; and negatively related to personal alienation. A survey study was conducted based on a sample of 219 service deliverers to the elderly in a large midwestern city. The results were consistent with the hypotheses. Managerial implications were also discussed.

Grade level differences in school satisfaction.

Abstract: Despite evidence that children and adolescents are much more dissatisfied with the student role than adults are with the worker role, sociologists and psychologists have devoted much more effort to examining adult age differences in job satisfaction than grade level differences in school satisfaction. In this study, scores from a 3-item school satisfaction measure were analyzed via a 12 (Grade Level) by 5 (Ethnicity) by 2 (Gender) ANOVA. Twenty-five percent of the 431 330 public school students surveyed in the state of Arizona endorsed none of the school satisfaction items. Grade level was nonlinearly related to school satisfaction. School satisfaction decreased over grades 1–8 and did not vary across grades 9–12. Ethnicity and gender did not moderate the grade level-school satisfaction relation.

Measurement errors in survey questions: Explaining response variability

Abstract: In this paper, the response variability in questions from the Swedish Survey of Living Conditions, is studied. A multivariate study of the variation over questions has been done. This study uses questions as statistical units. The questions have been classified in a number of respects, dealing with question character and structure, what the questions ask about and what they require from the interviewee. The study shows that a substantial part of the response variability, i.e., the variation in reliability, can be explained by a few characteristics of the questions.

Long- and short-term affective states in happiness: Model, paradigm and experimental evidence

Abstract: The present paper evaluates relevant findings on long- and short-term affective states in subjective well-being and argues for a componential model that combines the two into the more general concept of happiness. Two age parameters, one for long-term and one for short-term affect are added to the simple model to account for age changes in happiness. Measures of long- and short-term affect are presented, as is a paradigm for separating the components. Support for the simple model is provided by an experimental investigation with 64 college students who were exposed to positive and/or negative mood induction. As expected, the induction had substantially greater effect on short- than on long-term affect measures, particularly the negative induction procedure. These findings are consistent with predictions. However, multiple age cohorts will have to be assessed within a longitudinal framework to obtain values for the age parameters.

Subjective well-being and coping with adversity

Abstract: This paper is concerned with identifying coping strategies which are effective in minimising the impact of adverse life events on subjective well-being and, in particular, on negative affect. Data are drawn from the 1983 and 1985 waves of the Victorian (Australian) Quality of Life Panel Study (N=734). Respondents completed a life events inventory (Henderson et al., 1981) and were then asked to identify the most adverse event they had dealt with in the last two years. They responded to a coping strategies inventory (Moos et al., 1984), indicating how they had dealt with this event. Instrumental, problem-solving strategies proved most effective in dealing with adversity related to work and finances, health, and personal relationships. Contrary to expectation, affective regulation strategies were ineffective, while avoidance and denial strategies were harmful.

Time use studies for leisure analysis

Abstract: Approaches to activity measurement capable of capturing nuances necessary to appropriately identify and classify leisure activities are needed. Of the several existing measurement approaches the time diary is one of the most promising. Time diaries facilitate the recording of the total flow of activities and attendant objective and subjective dimensions. Areas of particular concern in the conduct of time diary studies are activity coding, the interview approach, and the selection of diary days. Time use data can be studied at both the macro and micro level. At the micro level one can study time points, individuals and events. At the macro level it is meaningful to study subpopulations, bundles of time and aggregated events. Analytically, a holistic approach must be taken with several dimensions, which compose the activity setting, being considered concurrently.

Test of a field theory of consciousness and social change: Time series analysis of participation in the TM-Sidhi program and reduction of violent death in the U.S.

Abstract: This study is part of a research program to test the hypothesis that consciousness has a fundamental field property that is relevant to social change in the direction of improved quality of life The exogenous variable was the number of participants in the group practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi program, a technology of consciousness predicted to reduce stress in society through a field of “pure consciousness” The period of the study was 1982–1985, during which the size of a group of participants in Iowa was sufficient to have a measurable influence on the US much of the time, according to theory; a secondary analysis also considered the period 1979–1985, including the time when the group of participants was smaller The endogenous variable was a violence index comprising the number of weekly fatalities in the US due to three major causes of violent death: motor vehicle fatalities, suicide, and homicide Time series analysis using both the intervention analysis approach and the transfer function approach indicated a significant reduction in the violence index associated with the exogenous variable Alternative hypotheses are discussed, as are the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for understanding social change and improving the quality of life

Toward an index of gender equality

Abstract: This paper develops a Gender Equality Index (GEI) that is modelled in its thinking and implementation on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The GEI was computed using annual Ontario data on seven socioeconomic indicators for the years 1975 to 1984. The analysis supports the following conclusions: (1) that it is possible to indentify a subset of indicators that have face validity as measures of relative gender equality; (2) that factor analysis is a useful means for evaluating the construct validity of gender equality; (3) that the resulting GEI reveals a strong upward trend toward gender equality in the latter half of the 1970's and the early 1980's and (4) that this trend has flattened in 1984.

Time use and leisure: subjective and objective aspects.

Abstract: This paper utilizes data from the 1981 Canadian Time Use Pilot Study and from a small Halifax time-budget study to look at subjective and contextual dimensions of leisure for women and men. The Canadian study (n=2685) had information on the time spent in daily activities as well as on the settings and social contexts of those activities. The Halifax study included similar time-budget information on 60 married couples, but also incorporated subjective ratings of all diary events in terms of perceived work or leisure. Using subjective weightings from the Halifax study, estimates of subjective leisure were made for different categories of daily activity and for different Canadian population subgroups. Hypercodes were used to look at the effect of social roles on leisure time, and the AID procedure was used to analyze the contextual dimensions of leisure for men and women. The results show that objective activity and well as subjective leisure vary by population subgroup. Constraints to leisure include being female, being employed, having children, and, to some degree, being married. Of the contextual dimensions, subjective leisure was shown to be influenced primarily by type of objective activity. Location, time of day and day of the week also influenced leisure designations, but to a lesser extent. This study suggests the potential usefulness of subjective weightings of activities in order to gain a greater understanding of leisure patterns and participation.

A pilot study in the use of the quality of life interview schedule

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to refine the Quality of Life Interview Schedule (QUOLIS¢) approach to measuring the quality of life of developmentally handicapped adults who are unable to complete a written questionnaire or a verbal interview. Emphasis was placed on the evaluation of intra- and inter-rater agreement. Ten interviews were conducted. Informants were primarily parents and residential counselors. The results indicate that the QUOLIS¢ approach is generally acceptable to informants, the rating scales are sensitive, and the majority of scores have substantial to almost perfect correlations of intra- and inter-rater agreement.

Childcare and the daily routine

Abstract: This paper assesses the daily routines of 538 mothers in Metropolitan Toronto, Canada, who vary by degree of paid, outside employment. Attention is given not only to trade-offs among activities but to subjective feelings about time-use. Childcare, one major response to the demands on employed mothers, is examined to assess the extent that different options contribute to amelioration. While some forms of childcare are found helpful, the data make clear the need for more comprehensive policy adaptation to changing family conditions.

Time-budget methodology for research on aging

Abstract: Several aspects of time-budget methodology that are relevant to research on the activities of daily living by the aged are described. Most studies on the well-being of the elderly utilize data based on the number of activities, but the duration of the activities are not considered. This paper provides an overview of some of the salient research on time use studies and the elderly.

Objectifying the subjective: The measurement of environmental quality

Abstract: The paper begins by examining the nature and measurement of environmental quality (EQ) pointing to the tensions between insider and outsider accounts and lay and expert perceptions. Lay accounts are seen as particularly crucial in residential environments and QoL research into these fields is assessed. But QoL and EQ are seen as closely related phenomena. While there exist important concepts and approaches e.g. relating to the nature of places and the significance of contextual data, it is argued that ethnographic investigations and the theory of structuration may help reconcile the tensions and that all approaches will lead to better interpretation, understanding and explanation of the nature of the subjective world.

Politics, dynamics and individualism — The Swedish approach to Level of Living research

Abstract: The Swedish approach to Level of Living research is described in terms of its place within the context of political theory and informational needs in the democratic process. Two common points of criticism against the approach are discussed — the alleged biases toward static and individualistic descriptions and analyses, respectively. It is concluded that the design of the Swedish Level of Living surveys actually is quite suitable for dynamic analyses, and that the focus on individual level data far from being severely restricting is in fact a significant asset for many purposes. Finally, some empirical results from the Swedish surveys 1968 to 1981 are reported. Changes in the level and distribution of welfare in the population are interpreted in the framework of causal connections between the different level of living components, with economic resources and working conditions as central determinants.

Structural elements of material well-being: An empirical test among people on social security

Abstract: The paper reports on a study of indicators of well-being, including objective indicators of well-being, global, affective indicators of well-being, and indicators of socio-economic well-being. Socioeconomic well-being is (narrowly) defined as that part of the individual's universal well-being which is strongly related to money and material means. It was hypothesized that these 3 classes of indicators of well-being have different meanings for the various groups of people on social security. Therefore, data were collected from a Dutch, nationally representative sample of 3 categories of individuals drawing benefits, namely: people receiving social benefits; unemployed, and disabled people, and a group of people in work. Hypotheses were tested regarding the following issues: The results indicate that, for the groups mentioned above, material aspects of well-being may be distinguished from immaterial aspects of well-being, and that indicators of socio-economic well-being contribute significantly to the prediction of happiness. Furthermore, these indicators discriminate best between people having employment and categories of individuals drawing benefits. It is concluded that a socio-economic version of well-being may be highly relevant when studying the quality of life of people on social security.

Health concerns as a deterrent to seasonal migration of elderly Canadians

Abstract: Each year, thousands of older Canadians seasonally migrate to warmer climates to spend the coldest winter months. Generally in good health, these older Canadians face the possibility of becoming ill during their long stays outside the country. This paper investigates health incidents and health concerns of 2046 Canadians aged 65 and older who spent part of the 1985–6 winter in Florida. Respondents had completed a mailed questionnaire sent to subscribers to a weekly newspaper targeted at the Canadian audience. Forty-six percent reported a health problem that bothered them now, and 14% said they had experienced a medical emergency requiring doctor or hospital care on this trip to Florida. Another 41% reported having had such a medical emergency on a previous trip. Although most respondents were habitual seasonal visitors to Florida, 5% said they had anticipated they would not return next year because of a health condition. We investigate the deterrence effect of health status and concerns on seasonal migration. Implications for demand for health services of seasonal migrants, in both Canada and Florida, are drawn.

Age, gender and daily life: An analysis of social involvements

Abstract: Variety of role involvements based on the allocation of time is an alternative indicator of multiple roles. The measure of variety developed by Altergott (1982) is analyzed for a sample of U.S. adults, aged 18–88. The multivariate analysis of the structural and personal factors that account for the level of variety is presented. Age is negatively associated with variety. Women have lower levels of variety than men. While the amount of variety in men's daily life is influenced by family, health and preference, the amount of variety in women's daily life is affected by work and education. Opportunity structures and individual propensities affect levels of variety. The conclusions support the development of the behavioral measurement of multiple roles. Variety of role involvement in daily life provides a sensitive indicator that varies with age, gender and personal resources.

Indirect measures of child mortality: Overview and application to Brazil, 1980

Abstract: Mortality rates in the early childhood years are valuable indicators of a population's standard of living, especially in high mortality countries in the developing world. This study summarizes the logic of indirect techniques of mortality estimation, and applies the methods to sample data from the 1980 census of Brazil. The results for metropolitan areas show that children in affluent households have an average expectation of life that is around ten years higher compared to the children of the poor. Multivariate analysis using the mortality ratio proposed by Trussell and Preston found that mother's education was the most important determinant of child mortality, followed by the effects of running water in the house, father's schooling, membership in the social security system and region of the country. Given the potential usefulness of the indirect methods to a wide range of researchers outside of the field of demography, the study presents detailed examples of the computational steps required of the various techniques.

Male attitudes toward abortion: An analysis of urban survey data

Abstract: Utilizing data from Edmonton Area Surveys of 1977, 1984, and 1987, this paper examines the attitudes of Canadian men toward the contentious issue of abortion. Respondents were presented with various different circumstances for abortion and asked to indicate the conditions in which they feel women ought to or ought not to be allowed to obtain a legal abortion. Findings reveal that attitudes toward abortion vary greatly depending upon the criteria for abortion.

Do some authoritarian governments foster physical quality of life

Abstract: A recent claim that the populations of “populist authoritarian” governments have relatively high physical quality of life is tested empirically and found to be true. Analysis of life expectancy in 103 countries shows that although political rights contribute to the prediction of life expectancy, net of GNP per capita, one category of authoritarian governments, here called the “constrained authoritarians,” has higher than expected physical quality of life. Of interest is the additional finding that location in sub-Saharan Africa has a strong negative impact on life expectancy, net of GNP and political rights.

The measurement and analysis of time use

Abstract: There is a growing interest in, time allocation research. Particularly by government statistical bodies. Papers in this issue, briefly highlighted in this introduction, make a small contribution to fulfilling a need for wider exposure of time use literature. The included papers do two things. First, they identify issues related to the collection and analysis of time use data. Second, they show how time use data can be effectively applied to improve one's understanding of significant issues.

Social indicators and crime rate forecasting

Abstract: This paper presents an attempt to use macrodynamic social indicators in a time series analysis of three crime categories-homicide; property and; robbery offenses in Israel. Earlier findings such as the relationship between homicide and unemployment, and density of population and property offenses are confirmed by the analysis. The models that are constructed are used later for forecasting and yield a satisfactory performance of at least two of the crime models.

Demographic accounting for special education.

Abstract: Project MAP (Model Accounting Plan) attempts to improve upon current systems for monitoring special education programs and documenting their effectiveness. MAP is a demographic accounting system for monitoring the transitions of special education students as they progress through the school system and for the year after they graduate. Eleven hundred secondary level special education students participated in a pilot test of the MAP. Transition probabilities and expectancy measures were calculated to indicate the likelihood with which students of different ages and handicaps move through various instructional settings in special education. Examples of specific analyses and observations about the findings are presented to illustrate the MAP methodology and to indicate its potential for providing useful information regarding resource allocation and program effectiveness to special educators and decisionmakers at all levels.

Design of experimental studies for measurement and evaluation of the determinants of Job Satisfaction

Abstract: In this paper the authors examine the methodology of data analysis and collection usually applied in Job-Satisfaction studies and more generally in Well-being research. In this field, data is collected through questionnaires and analysed using multivariate statistical techniques, a process which is commonly known as non-experimental research. The article points out some of the problems in this procedure and proposes an alternative experimental methodology which is applied to evaluate Job-Satisfaction over a Dutch random sample. Essentially it consists of the implementation of factorial designs in questionnaire construction. The use of fractional factorials is also discussed.

Regional disparities in Indonesia: A social indicators approach

Abstract: The paper examines the nature of regional imbalance in Indonesia by using a number of social indicators. Several disaggregated social indices are constructed with the help of a taxonomic technique. For the purpose of comparison, an overall economic index is also constructed. It is observed that the ranking of provinces differ substantially across the indices, implying that there is no causal relationship between the selected social and economic indicators. Regional disparities declined in the past decade in terms of all social indices except the demographic index. Economic inequality nowever increased between 1970 and 1980.

Junior partners: Women's contribution to family income in Canada

Abstract: This research examines the degree of financial contribution of married women to their overall family income. This phenomenon is analyzed from the point of view of sex-role/human capital orientations. The sex-role position argues that regardless of women's social, economic and education background their financial input to household economy will always be less than fifty percent because women's financial opportunities are impeded by sex-role configurations and expectations. The human capital thesis explains women's apparent inability to contribute more than half of the family income as a function of their lower human capital; that is, education, professionalization and training in the labour market. Individual data pertaining to thirty-year old married women, taken from the 1981 Canadian census, are examined. Generally, we find support for the positions: Women with relatively high human capital assmulation contribute significantly to overall household income, but invariably that contribution is less than 50 percent of total family income. On average, all women contribute 22 percent of their families annual income, while working women provide approximately 33 percent of the total. This analysis demonstrates what appears to be a pervasive phenomenon in industrial nations: married women are generally junior economic partners within the family. The extent of junior partnerships, however, is somewhat conditioned by women's human capital resources.

Determinants of quality of rural life in Nigeria: the women's view.

Abstract: This study investigated rural women's perception of quality of life The study attempted to determine (a) the extent to which rural women in Nigeria actually understand the term “quality of life’, (b) the components of a good quality of rural life in Nigeria and (c) to compare the present quality of life with that enjoyed by the last generation Based on a sample survey of 308 rural women in eleven villages in Oyo State; the study found that the ability to have plenty of children, good health, wealth and good personality were highly perceived as measures of essential components of quality of life in rural areas Overall, the women indicated that their present living conditions in rural areas were better than the conditions in which the last generation lived