Suchergebnisse

Analysis of survey data on 455 trends during the post-WWII period shows that the US has generally moved in a liberal direction. The growth of liberalism has not been uniform across topics & time, however: trends dealing with equal rights & individualism had the most consistant liberal movement; trends dealing with economic regulation & government power showed mixed change; & movement was mostly conservative on the topic of crime. Liberal growth was strongest during the 1960s & early 1970s. In the mid-1970s, many liberal trends slowed, with some stopping their advance & a few reversing direction. On average, liberal growth leveled off, but did not move in a conservative direction. In large part, this shift in social change represents a response to events at the period, but it may also be influenced by periodic alternations of the cycle of reform. 5 Tables, 3 Figures, 92 References. AA

Changes in the preferences of Americans on a range of issues.

An investigation of the origins & evolution of preelection straw polls in the US in the early nineteenth century. Focus is on how the demise of the congressional caucus method of nominating candidates led to the emergence of polls. The nature of these polls, how they were used, & their methodological soundness are assessed. It is concluded that the polls developed out of three major historical trends: democratization, centralization, & quantification. 72 References. F. S. J. Ledgister

General Social Survey data (pooled N = 19,510 cases, 1973-1987) are used to test a multivariate, theoretical model designed to predict household telephone ownership. Among the factors hypothesized to predict ownership are socioeconomic status, household composition, cultural background, social attachments, counternormative behavior, & psychological & physical well-being. Findings indicate that the socioeconomic factor (income, in particular) has the largest impact. Most other factors also have significant, independent effects. Most non-telephone-owning households can be characterized as marginal outsiders. 3 Tables, 2 Figures, 22 References. Adapted from the source document.

Public response to proposed voluntary and mandatory service programs since the 1960s, chiefly; US.

Support for national service is examined using data from national surveys conducted in the 1930s through the 1980s. It is argued that support varies according to the type of program proposed; eg, voluntary plans are more popular than mandatory plans, & plans for men are favored more than those for women, although this has been changing. Different types of proposed national service programs are described, & different social groups' support for each type considered. In general, youth are much more opposed to mandatory plans than are their elders, though when national service was a possible alternative to the draft, youth were as supportive as were older people. It is concluded that self-interest is a major force in shaping attitudes, & can be used to attract support for national service. 1 Appendix, 12 References. Modified AA

Trends in sexual attitudes, including premarital sex, pornography, and birth control; results from public opinion polls since the 1970s, chiefly; US.

A criticism of the research methods reported in an article on rumor by Jean-Noel Kapferer (see SA 38:2/90V3966), based on a "field quasi-experiment" in which 500 copies of a leaflet containing false information were distributed to housewives. A portion of the recipients were then contacted to measure the impact of the leaflet, & subsequently told that the information was false. It is argued that this experiment violates the Code of Professional Ethics & Standards of the American Assoc for Public Opinion Resarch, & that it could have led to loss of sales for the product falsely described. In Reply, Kapferer presents information missing from the original article that addresses these issues. Several points are briefly stated: the companies whose product was involved actually funded the study; the leaflet had already reached 43% of all households on its own anyway; the Ss did not seem to be upset when told the information was false. The sociological question that this discussion raises is: can there be any empirical research on rumors? C. Grindle

An analysis of survey trends in the US for both adults & students indicates that the characterization of changes in sexual attitudes over the last thirty years as a "sexual revolution" is inappropriate. Results of nine surveys, presented here in full detail, show that while approval of premarital sex & cohabitation grew, approval of extramarital & homosexual relations did not. Similarly, while sex education & the availability of birth control became more accepted, approval of pornography did not increase. The changes were both too limited in magnitude & scope to be aptly called "revolutionary.". 30 References. Modified AA

The Ups and Downs of Cross-National Survey Research