THE 1980 VIRGINIA SLIMS AMERICAN WOMEN'S OPINION POLL A Study Conducted by the Roper Organization, Inc. The 1980 Virginia Slims American Women’s Opinion Poll A Survey Of Contemporary Attitudes Conducted by THE ROPER ORGANIZATION Table Of Contents Introduction: Statement by Virginia Slims Statement by The Roper Organization Overview Chapter One: Her Concerns Directions: The Move Toward Equality Obstacles: The Sexual Bias Men and Women: Qualities Most and Least Admired Chapter Two: Her Career Women on the Job Climbing the Organizational Ladder The Impact of Career on Family Life Chapter Three: The Family Marriage Motherhood Divorce Chapter Four: Of Personal Interest Leisure Time Exercise Personal and Social Concerns Fashion Financial Independence Chapter Five: The 80’s and Beyond The Woman of 1990 Appendix To Our Friends: Since the introduction of Virginia Slims in 1968, the brand has always maintained a sense of responsibility to the American woman. It was for this reason that we commissioned The 1970 Virginia Slims American Women’s Opinion Poll specifically designed to survey the attitudes of women. In 1972 and 1974 Virginia Slims conducted two additional polls. The 1970’s, more than any other decade, has witnessed the greatest change in the status of the American woman. We felt it would be both useful and important to update the findings of the previous Virginia Slims Opinion Polls. The Roper Organization was commissioned to conduct a survey to measure how far women have come since the start of the 70’s. In addition, we hope the Poll will give some insights into women’s direction in the next decade. We are extremely pleased to be associated with The Roper Organization, whose research staff has the great technical skill required to conduct this type of survey. Virginia Slims, in its continuing commitment to the American woman, is proud to present The 1980 Virginia Slims American Women’s Opinion Poll—a review of where the American woman is today; how her status has changed in the past ten years; and where it seems to be heading in the future. Sincerely, Shepard P. Pollack President Philip Morris U.S.A. Dear Readers: We at The Roper Organization are pleased to be associated once again with Virginia Slims and to continue our on-going study of the American woman. Over the past decade, we have seen a number of changes in the role of women in society and we have documented these changes. In this year’s Poll, we have utilized many of the topics and questions from the three previous Virginia Slims Polls, 1970, 1972, and 1974. Clearly, all questions from previous Polls could not be repeated; however, we continue to document major topics such as women’s role in society, politics, and their attitudes towards marriage, divorce, and the family. In addition, we have broadened the scope of the 1980 Poll to include areas which have become relevant to today’s changing women. New subjects added focus on work, careers, and equality of job opportunities. Also, the 1980 Poll looks at women’s expectations of further changes in their status and their role in the future. The 1980 Virginia Slims American Women’s Opinion Poll was conducted among a representative, nationwide sample of 3000 women age 18 and up, and a control group of 1000 men 18 and older. These respondents were interviewed in face “to” face situations in their homes during the latter part of 1979 (but, it should be noted, before the seizure of our Embassy in Iran, the Russian intervention in Afghanistan, and President Carter’s call for draft registration of both men and women). In our capacity as Poll coordinators, The Roper Organization takes full responsibility for the phrasing of the questions, the execution of the Poll, and the analysis of the study results which follows. Burns W. Roper, Chairman Shirley Wilkins, President Overview: The American Woman of 1980 During the decade of the 70’s, the status of American women changed in some very important ways. This Poll measures the changes in women’s attitudes towards equality, the working environment, traditional roles in the family, and leisure time. A representative group of men were also polled for comparative purposes. In 1980, many women find themselves a long way, psychologically, socially and culturally, from where they were ten years ago. Men too, have changed their views of women and their roles in society, but less so. A reflection of the inferior or at least ‘different’ status of women historically is the fact that women were less inclined to acknowledge deficiencies or inequalities in their status ten years ago than men were. Both have changed in the interim, but particularly women, who are now as much or more inclined to see inequality and the need for change. Women have grown more sensitive to the kinds of discrimination they have to deal with in almost every area of their lives. They have begun to express increasing interest in having full-time careers. They have started to redefine their traditional roles in the family as mothers and wives. In many ways, American women of 1980 are making clear their determination to equalize their status with that of the American male. Towards Equality A single, rather startling fact indicates how far women have come during the 70’s in their efforts to achieve equality. Ten years ago, the group that was least in favor of changing women’s status consisted of older, less-educated women. The group that was most in favor of change was made up of younger, more-educated women. Today, however, older, less-educated women support change in greater numbers (55%) than the younger, better-educated women in 1970 (45%). In 1980, more women than ever before are in favor of efforts to improve the status of women. Similarly, women in increasing numbers perceive that the chief obstacle to improving women’s status is traditional sex bias. In 1974, 31% of women (42% of men) believed that society favored men above women. In 1980, 43% of women (43% of men) say that in general, men have an easier time in society than they do. Furthermore, most women today perceive that “masculine” and “feminine” modes of behavior are not the inherent char- acteristics of being male or female, but, rather, are socially learned and culturally fostered. In order to change women’s status in society, therefore, and make it more equal to that of men, society must effect a change in itself. The present study indicates that this is precisely what women have been with sex discrimination. doing during the past decade. In particular, women have been altering social attitudes by redefining traditional perceptions of what have generally been considered to be “male” and “female” domains. Today more and more women are freely entering the “male sphere’’—specifically, the working world; at the same time they are fulfilling, in radically different ways, responsibilities which society has traditionally assigned to the ‘female preserve” of the home. In the 1970's, more men than women felt the need to improve the status of women. Today, women are now equal to, or ahead of men, in their perceptions of the need for change and of the traditional barriers to such change. The Working Woman: Entering the Male Domain Society has traditionally considered the male to be the breadwinner, with the working world of business, government, the professions, and skilled labor as his special domain. Today, however, increasing numbers of women are entering this world. Twice as many women, more than one out of three, are working today on full-time jobs as were similarly employed in 1970. The trend is likely to continue into the future; nearly 75% of non- working women under 30, and more than 60% of such women in their 30's say they intend to get full-time jobs in the future. The majority of women today believe that by the end of the century, almost all women who can will be working. By the year 2000, then,’full employment’ will have a very different meaning both sociologically and statistically. As women become more career-oriented, moreover, they are increasingly perceiving sex discrimination on the job—particularly in climbing the organizational ladder. A majority of women today (57%) claim that a woman who is aiming at an executive position in her company will meet with discrimination. A similar majority of women (55%) say that a woman who seeks a top government post has to confront the obstacle of the sex bias. More than half (52%) say that a woman wishing to establish a medical or legal practice, or work in some other professional category, meets with sex discrimination. The findings of this report indicate that men tend to differentiate between the sexes far more than women do. Women generally admire the same qualities in both men and women. While men admire these same qualities in women, men more than women also admire other qualities, specifically, self-control and leadership ability. In discriminating between the kinds of qualities they look for in men and women, men appear to have a greater degree of sex bias than women. Woman As Wife and Mother: Redefining Traditional Roles A majority of women today (52%) are redefining the traditional under- standing of the marital relationship. Traditionally, the male was the bread- winner, who went out to earn money, while the female was the housewife, remaining at home to maintain the household. While women today over- whelmingly (94%) continue to favor marriage as a way of life, they are tending to perceive marriage as a responsibility to be shared between both partners through similar roles, with husband and wife working to con- tribute earned income, and with both husband and wife sharing home- making and childrearing responsibilities. Women today are redefining their roles in the home in another significant way. More than four out of five women (82%) in 1980 say that children are not an essential ingredient in a full and happy marriage. Today, therefore, motherhood, once an integral part of marriage, is no longer seen as an essential ingredient in marriage. With regard to the place of children in the home, there is a general tendency among mothers today to consider most household chores as being the responsibilities of either boys or girls. Mothers in 1980 would be likely to ask either boys or girls to mow the lawn (70%), wash the dishes (90%), help clean the house (86%), and carry out the garbage (81%). These findings indicate a gradual shift in attitudes from 1974 regarding appropriate house- hold chores for boys and girls. Men, as favorable to the concept of equality as women, show more traditional “boy/girl” stereotyping in this respect, though they, too, have moved in the same direction. This shift in attitudes may have far-reaching implications. When today’s boys and girls become tomorrow’s men and women, they may be less inclined than the men and women of today to define masculinity and femininity in terms of the kinds of jobs people do. In the case of an unsuccessful marriage, more women today (62%) favor divorce as an acceptable solution than did so ten years ago (52%). Again, this shift in attitudes represents yet another example of the trend to redefine and reappraise women’s traditional role as wife and mother. Of Personal Interest: Concerns The personal and social concerns of women today reflect their commitment to their families more than to their jobs. More than half are concerned about crime and lawlessness, while those with children are concerned with their future and with their families’ health. Women are concerned in equal numbers with financial needs and getting along with their husbands and their children. Men, 69% of whom hold full-time jobs (vs. 35% of women), are more concerned about their careers (45%) than are women (36%). The cost of living today is a matter of major concern to the women of 1980. Food costs pose the largest problem, with energy costs, medical bills, and the resulting difficulty of saving money coming next. Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, while it has lost some momentum, is supported by 51% of women and 52% of men. Leisure Time In addition to examining the ways women today are attempting to improve their status on the job and in the home, this report explores some of the ways in which women spend their leisure time. The most popular pastimes for women today are watching television, reading, and shopping. More than two out of five women claim to be moderately active, and one out of every five women says that she is a very active participant in some form of physical exercise. The most popular sport for today’s women is bicycling (21%), with calisthenics (20%), swimming (18%), and bowling (16%) next in favor. Today’s women tend to be weight-conscious. Three-quarters say that they diet some of the time, while nearly one in five is on a diet all the time. Among 54% of women today, shopping is a popular pastime. When buying clothes, more women are more interested in pleasing themselves today (93%) than they were in 1970 (84%). A majority (64%), however, say that fashion is controlled by fashion designers. Financial Independence Consistent with the advances women have made, they have a markedly increased portfolio of assets and are achieving an independence in financial matters. They have a higher incidence of bank accounts and loans than they did eight years ago, and they are much more likely to have them in their own names, rather than jointly. This is most dramatically illustrated by single women who have gone from 36% to 61% in terms of checking accounts in their own names and from 7% to 17% in installment loans of their own. Among married women, for whom there are frequently both practical and legal reasons for joint tenancy, joint accounts are the norm. But, even among married women, checking accounts in their own names have risen from 7% to 11%, savings accounts from 7% to 13%. The Future 72% of women (74% of men) today foresee increased change in the status of women during the decades to come. Many of these changes will con- siderably alter traditional attitudes toward women’s roles in society. More than half of women today believe that by the end of the century nearly all women who can will be working, some as presidents of corpora- tions, others as draftees in army combat units. Nearly half of both women and men today (49% and 46%) think it likely that the institution of marriage, as a permanent commitment between a man and a woman, may be a thing of the past. Women today perceive a number of advantages and disadvantages in continued efforts to improve their status. While they may obtain better jobs, higher pay, and greater freedom of choice to select a better way of life, they suspect that they will have to pay a price in terms of harm to the quality of family life, and the loss of many of the courtesies and preroga- tives they have traditionally received from men. In summary, women in 1980 believe that they have made major steps toward equalizing their status with that of men. Particularly significant are the numbers of women now entering the working world with the intention of making careers for themselves, and the numbers of women who are perceiving in marriage an identicalness of role, instead of the traditional male breadwinner, female homemaker pattern. In both these areas, work and home, women today are in the process of forging new identities for themselves, and of casting themselves in new roles. The result of this process will be to alter traditional social attitudes towards women and to give women a status equal to that of men. Chapter One: Her Concerns For the woman of 1980 advancement towards true equality has proceeded at a gradually accelerating rate during the past decade. Today’s woman has found support from unexpected sources and has made considerable gains in achieving the status she wishes for herself. Along the way, she has become increasingly sensitive to being treated as an inferior. She also has a clearer perception of the barriers obstructing her progress and the extent to which cultural conditioning is responsible for her role in society. She admires the same basic qualities in both men and women, without differentiating on the basis of sex to the degree that men do. Finally, she knows where she is going and the goals she wants to achieve. I. Directions: The Move Toward Equality For women in 1980, the 70’s represented a decade of change from a situation of relative inferiority towards a situation of greater equality. At the beginning of the past decade, a minority of women (40%) approved of most of the efforts to strengthen and change the status of women in society. After only two years, by 1972, that group had grown to 48%. In 1974, research findings recorded a turning point in the women’s movement, with a majority of 57% of women favoring a change in their societal status. Today this group has grown even larger, with a seven point rise to 64%. It is interesting to note that today’s women and men favor a change in women’s status in equal numbers (64%). This represents an increase of 24 percentage points for women over the decade; an increase of 20 points for men. Opposition to changing the status of women has dropped 18 points among women (to 24%) and 16 points among men (to 23%) during the same period. a Efforts To Strengthen Women’s Status WOMEN MEN 1980 Favor 64% 64% Oppose 24% 23% Not Sure 11% 13% 1974 Favor 57% 63% Oppose 25% 16% Not Sure 18% 18% 1972 Favor 48% 49% Oppose 36% 36% Not Sure 16% 15% 1970 Favor 40% 44% Oppose 42% 39% Not Sure 18% 17% QUESTION: There has been much talk recently about changing women’s status in society today. On the whole, do you favor or oppose most of the efforts to strengthen and change women’s status in society today? A. Sources of Support Perhaps the strongest indicator of the force of the women’s movement can be seen in the numbers of older, less educated women who are coming out in support of change today. These women, though least favorable to change, now favor progress towards female equality in even greater numbers than did those most favorable to change a decade ago (the younger, more highly educated women). Of the geographical areas in the United States where women most approve of an advancement in their status, the West is the strongest, with seven out of ten women supporting the movement. The Northeast is a close second, with 68% of women in favor of advancement. While women in the West and Northeast are most favorable, women in major urban centers, with populations of 1,000,000 and over, are more positive about their involvement. Four out of five are committed to further- ing women’s rights. The weakest support comes from widows, of whom a minority of 48% favor the movement. Efforts To Strengthen Women’s Status 1980 1970 Favor Oppose Not sure Favor Oppose Notsure Total Women 64 24 11 40 42 18 Single 75 15 10 53 33 14 Married 64 25 11 38 45 17 Divorced/separated 75 18 8 61 27 12 Widowed 48 35 17 36 41 23 White 62 26 12 37 46 17 Black 77 14 9 60 20 20 18 to 29 74 16 10 46 39 15 30 to 39 70 19 11 40 44 16 40 to 49 60 31 9 39 43 18 50 and over 55 31 14 35 45 20 Non-high school graduate 54 30 16 36 38 26 High school graduate 63 26 11 38 45 17 College 73 18 8 44 40 16 Northeast 68 21 11 41 40 19 Midwest 61 26 12 38 46 16 South 60 27 13 39 41 20 West 70 21 9 42 43 15 Cities 72 19 9 47 36 17 Suburbs 68 20 12 41 44 15 Towns 60 28 12 3 7 46 17 Rural 58 29 12 34 45 21 QUESTION: There has been much talk recently about changing women’s status in society today. On the whole, do you favor or oppose most of the efforts to strengthen and change women’s status in society today? B. Gains 1980 A majority of women today, and an equal number of men (53%), say that in 1980 women have achieved greater respect for themselves as individuals. This represents an increase among women of 15 points from a decade ago. This majority consists of three-fifths of women under 30, of women with Don’t Know _ College educations, and of women with incomes over $25,000. 1974 Respect For Women Ten Years Ago As Compared To Now WOMEN 1980 More Respect 53% Less Respect 22% Same Respect 21% Don’t Know 4% 1974 More Respect 47% Less Respect 23% Same Respect 23% Don’t Know 6% 1970 More Respect 30% Less Respect 27% Same Respect 30% Don’t Know 4% MEN 1980 More Respect 53% Less Respect 20% Same Respect 24% Don’t Know 3% 1974 More Respect 48% Less Respect 23% Same Respect 25% Don’t Know 4% 1970 More Respect 40% Less Respect 25% Same Respect 32% Don’t Know 2% QUESTION: On the whole, do you feel that, compared with 10 years ago, women are now looked on with more respect as individual human beings, looked on with less respect, or about the same respect as 10 years ago? C. Increased Sensitivity As they have improved their position, women have also become increas- ingly sensitive to the various kinds of slights which indicate a lack of regard for them. Women under 30 years of age tend to become particularly annoyed on such occasions. Being Left Behind Nearly three-quarters (72%) of women today say they are annoyed by being left home when men go off to enjoy themselves. Unescorted Dining A majority of women (56%) express annoyance when they are made to feel uncomfortable if they enter a bar or restaurant unaccompanied by a man. Nudes A majority of women are irritated by centerfold photographs of nude women (53%), a finding which represents an increase of ten points since 1970. But slightly more (55%) are annoyed by centerfolds of nude men. Jokes A strong minority (44%) are annoyed by sexist jokes featuring such stock characters as the woman driver, the mother-in-law, and the dumb blonde. This figure represents an increase of 12 points over 1970. Condescending Talk More than two out of five (42%) express annoyance at being addressed as if they were girls, as opposed to being regarded as women. Again this finding represents an increase of 11 points since 1970. Extent To Which Various Items Annoy Women 1980 1970 Annoyed Hardly Annoyed Don't know Annoyed Hardly Annoyed Don't know % % % % % % “Women being left home while men go out for a good time” 72 24 3 70 27 2 “Bars and restaurants which make a woman uncomfortable unless accompaniedbyaman” 56 30 14 NOT ASKED Pictures of nude men in women’s magazines” 55 43 3 NOT ASKED “Pictures of nude women in men’s magazines” 53 44 3 43 55 2 “Jokes about women drivers, mothers-in- law, or dumb blondes” 44 55 1 32 67 1 “A man talking about you as a girl and not as a woman” 42 56 3 31 65 4 QUESTION: Do you find yourself getting annoyed a lot, getting somewhat annoyed, or hardly getting annoyed at all by any of the above? D. Titles and Forms of Address _ The women’s movement spawned a series of attempts to coin titles and forms of address—and even pronouns—which could be universally applied without indicating sex differentiation. Women have reacted to these various attempts both positively and negatively. Miss and Mrs. or Ms. Most women eschew the trendy “Ms.” as a form of address in favor of other more traditional forms which make a woman’s marital status immediately clear. Among this group are 81% of married women and 88% of widows. A minority of 16% of women today prefer to be called “Ms.” This figure represents a slight advance of two points over the past six years. Some groups prefer “Ms.” more than others; among them 38% of divorced or separated women; 32% of single women; 26% of women under 30 years of age; 24% of black women; and 23% of college-educated women. Miss And Mrs. Or Ms. Ms. Miss and Mrs. Don't know % % % Total 1980 16 77 7 Single 32 62 6 Married 12 81 7 Divorced/Separated 38 54 8 Widowed 7 88 5 White 15 78 7 Black 24 70 6 18 to 29 26 66 8 30 to 39 19 74 7 40 to 49 14 79 7 50 and over 8 87 5 Non-high school graduate 10 85 5 High school graduate 14 80 6 College 23 69 9 1974 14 81 5 QUESTION: Recently there has been a move to change the form of address for women from Miss and Mrs. to Ms. Which form of address do you like best for women—Miss and Mrs. Or Ms.? Nomenclature The efforts to invent de-sexualized titles have created controversies across the board. Here are some examples: “Chairperson” is favored by 35% of women, particularly those who are younger and better educated. On the other hand, 32% of women prefer “Chairman,” while 26% would be addressed as ‘Chairwoman.” “Police Officer’ wins the approval of a majority of 61%. “Policewoman” appeals to a minority of about 29%. Another 6% feel it would be appro- priate to call a woman a ‘Policeman.” Pushing the topic to an extreme, interviewers asked women what they would like to be called if they worked on a job delivering milk. More than three in ten (31%), including two-fifths of women under 30, chose ““Milk- person.” A nearly equivalent number, including 35% of college-educated women, wanted to be called ““Milkman.” More than one in four (27%), including 36% of less-educated women, preferred to be addressed as “Milkwoman.” 1. Obstacles: The Sexual Bias As she moves towards increasing independence and social equality, today’s woman increasingly perceives more and more that the principal barrier obstructing her path is the historical, socially-conditioned sex bias. The more these fundamental attitudes change, the more easily women will be able to achieve equal status with men. A. The Male Advantage An increasing number of women today perceive that men have a more favored status in society. In 1974, 31% of women acknowledged a male advantage. Today, 43% say that men are more favored. Among this group are included a majority of divorced and separated women (54%); a strong minority of single women and women under 30 (46% each); and a similar number of women in their 30’s, and women with college educations (45%). More Advantages In Being A Man Or A Woman ANSWERS OF WOMEN 1980 1974 More advantages in being a man 43% 31% More advantages in being a woman 9% No more advantages in being one than other 45% 56% Don’t know 3% 5% QUESTION: All things considered, in our society today, do you think there are more advan- tages in being a man, or more advantages in being a woman, or that there are no more advantages in being one than the other? More Advantages In Being A Man Or A Woman Answers of women More advantages More advantages No more advantages Don't know in being a man in being a woman in being one than other % % % % Total-1980 43 9 45 3 Single 46 12 40 3 Married 41 9 47 3 Divorced/separated 54 7 36 3 Widowed 40 8 47 5 White 43 9 46 3 Black 42 10 43 6 18 to 29 46 12 40 3 30 to 39 45 8 44 2 40 to 49 39 8 49 4 50 & over 40 8 48 4 Non-high school graduate 40 6 49 4 Hign school graduate 43 9 45 3 College 45 11 42 2 1974 31 8 56 5 QUESTION: All things considered, in ou7 society today, do you think there are more advan- tages in being a man, or more advantages in being a woman, or that there are no more advantages in being one than the other? B. “Femininity” More Bred Than Born A majority of women today (58%)-and a majority of men, as well (54%)-believe that most sexually differentiating characteristics, involving "masculine" and "feminine" ways of behavior, are learnedfrom childhood, and are not inherent in being male or female. This group, in other words, probably believes that the male advantage, and the female disadvantage, are mostly socially and culturally fostered,rather than linked to one's gender. A minority of both women (22%) and men (25%) believe that the differences in male and female behavior are the result of basic physical differences between the sexes. “Masculine” And “Feminine” Ways Of Behavior-1980 TOTAL WOMEN Basic physical differences 22% Way raised and taught 58% Both equally (volunteered) 15% Don't know 5% TOTAL MEN Basic physical differences 25% Way raised and taught 54% Both equally (volunteered) 15% Don't know 6% QUESTION: Do you think that men behave in "masculine" ways and women behave in "feminine" ways more because of some basic physcial differences between them, or are "masculine" and "feminine" ways of behaving more a result of the way people are raised and how they are taught to act? “Masculine” And “Feminine” Ways Of Behavior-1980 Basic physical Way raised Both Don't know differences and taught equally* % % % % Total Women 22 58 15 5 White 22 59 15 4 Black 19 54 19 8 18 to 29 20 59 16 4 30 to 39 23 58 16 3 40 to 49 24 55 15 5 50 & over 22 58 14 6 Non-high school graduate 21 57 14 7 Hign school graduate 23 58 15 4 College 21 59 17 3 Total Men 25 54 15 6 *volunteered QUESTION: Do you think that men behave in "masculine" ways and women behave in "feminine" ways more because of some basic physical differences between them, ore are "masculine" and "feminine" ways if behaving more a result of the way people are raised and how they are taught to act? lll. Men and Women: Qualities Most and Least Admired Research findings indicate that women value different qualities in both men and women than men do. A. What Do Women Admire in Men? The most prized quality in men, according to more than three out of five women (62%) today, is intelligence. Next, a majority of women (51%) value a man’s sensitivity to feelings in others. Thirdly, equal percentages of wemen (42%) value a sense of humar and gentleness in a man. By contrast, just 13% of men value gentleness in other men, and only 30% value sensitivity in other men. In a marked shift of attitudes since 1974, fewer women (29%) admire self- control in men today than did six years ago (37%). Conversely, more women today (29%) value a man’s ability to express his emoticns than did women in 1974 (22%). The qualities which women least admire in men are sex appeal (9%) and competitiveness (4%). By contrast, 31% of men admire sex appeal in women, Dlacing it fifth on the list of qualities men most admire in women. Women, in short, admire men who have a gentle, sensitive aspect to their character. The man who would most appeal to the woman of the 1980 would be intelligent, sensitive, gentle and witty. Men seem to be primarily at- tracted to women who are intelligent, gentle, amusing, sensitive-and sexy. 8. What Do Women Admire in Other Women? Women today tend to admire in other women the same qualities that they admire in men. A majority of women admire intelligence (57%) and sensitivity (50%) in other women, as they do in men. Next on the list of admired qualities is a sense of humor (38%) and gentle- ness (33%). More than three out of ten women (32%) value self control in other women, while three out of then value the ability to express emotion. Appre- ciation of this latter quality has risen five points since 1974. Women today value independence in other women (30%) more than they value independence in men (18%). This 30% figure represents a six point rise since 1974, perhaps indicating the effect of the women’s movement on perceived valuable qualities in women. Women, in short, most admire other women who, in addition to having the traditional feminine qualities, are independent. Qualities Admired By Men And Women Qualities most admired Qualities most admired in a man: in a woman: Women's Men's Women's Men's opinions opinions opinions opinions 1980 1974 1980 1974 1980 1974 1980 1974 % % % % % % % % Intelligence 62 66 65 66 57 57 55 55 Being sensitive to the feelings of others 51 51 30 36 50 52 39 38 A sense of humor 42 46 40 38 38 42 40 38 Gentleness 42 44 13 16 33 37 46 43 Self-control 29 37 39 47 32 41 27 37 Being able to express feelings and emotions 29 22 15 16 30 25 24 24 Willingness to compromise 26 21 16 18 22 21 20 25 Leadership ability 24 21 40 36 12 11 10 10 Independence 18 19 22 20 30 24 19 17 Frankness—speaking out On Opinions 17 18 31 36 21 21 16 20 Competence 14 11 24 17 15 12 17 14 Sex appeal 9 6 3 2 5 5 31 26 Being competitive 4 3 12 7 6 4 7 4 QUESTION: Here is a list of different qualities people can have. Would you call off the 3 or 4 you most admire in a man and in a woman? (Respondent Received List) C. Men: More Discriminating? Research findings indicate that men tend to differentiate far more sharply between “masculine” and “feminine” qualities than women. Men, for example, tend not to look for gentleness (13%) and sensitivity (30%) in other men. They do not, furthermore, value highly (15%) the ability in men to express feelings and emotions. They do, however, look for gentleness (46%) and sensitivity (39%) in women. Women, on the other hand, tend to appreciate the same kinds of qualities in both men and women. Equal percentages of women admire sensitivity in both women (50%) and men (51%). One might conclude, therefore, that men today display a greater degree of sex bias towards women when it comes to evaluating qualities in the two sexes. Chapter Two: Her Career A key element in the movement towards equality for American women today is the trend to assume full-time jobs. Evidence suggests that this trend will continue into the foreseeable future, significantly affecting women’s status in the working world and in the home. A wide range of occupations, many of which were formerly within the male domain, are open to women today. However, while the status of women has become more equal to that of men in such areas as job opportunity, responsibility, and salary, women perceive discrimination against them- selves when they attempt to rise in the organizational hierarchy. In addition to economic necessity, many elements have contributed to motivating increasing numbers of women to enter the work force. Among these factors are the increased availability of day-care centers and the approval and encouragement of the male head of the household. In certain circumstances, however, the woman of 1980 would be ready to sacrifice her career in favor of that of her husband. Working women see no inconsistency between maintaining a career and a marriage, but many are uncertain about the compatibility between a career and motherhood. |. Women on the Job More women are working on full-time jobs today than ever before, and the trend appears to be one that is building in strength. Women are getting more career-oriented and are seeking a broader selection of jobs than they ever did in the past. A. The Trend Increasingly more women are intent on having both full-time careers and families, and do not see any confiict in maintaining both. This trend is so strong that, according to 83% of the women interviewed, it is very or fairly likely that by the year 2000 almost all women who are able will be working. More and more women, therefore, seem to be considering a career aa another dimension, along with that of marriage and family, of a full and active life. B. The Full-Time Job: Today Figures indicate that twice as many women, one out of three, are working today in full-time jobs as were similarly empioyed in 4970. Within this group, the greatest increase is among women from 30 to 39 years old: nearly three times as many (42%) hold full-time jobs, as opposed to ten years ago (15%). Among women in their 40's, 43% have full-time joos, almost double the number in 4970 (23%). Among college-educated women, 45% now have full-time jobs, slightly tess than double the number of those who worked full-time in 1970 (24%). C. The Full-Time Job: Tomorrow It seems very likely that during the 80’s women will continue to enter the full-time job market in increasing numbers. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of non-working women under 30 years of age plan to work in the future. More than three-fifths (62%) of the non- working women now in their 30's intend to get full-time jobs eventually. Arnong women in their 40's, nearly two-fifths (37%) of those not currently working plan to get jobs in the future. Education is the chief factor which differentiates between non-working women who intend to find jobs in the future and non-working women who prefer to remain at home. Among women wiht college degrees, nearly half (46%) plan to enter the work force. Among women who have finished high school, nearly two-fifths (38%) plan to work eventually. Among women, however, with less than a high school education, only one-fifth (20%) intend to work in the future. D. The Part-Time Job Part-time jobs continue to be less favored than full-time jobs by owmen who want to work. In 1980, only 12% of women work part-time. Nearly the same number, 11%, held part-time jobs in 1970. Employed Full-Time Or Part-Time TOTAL 1980 Work full-time 35% Work part-time 12% Not employed 52% TOTAL 1970 Work full-time 18% Work part-time 11% Not employed 70% QUESTION: Are you at present employed-either full time or part time? Employed Full-Time Or Part-Time 1980 1970 18 30 40 50 18 30 40 50 to to to and to to to and Total 29 39 49 over Total 29 39 49 over % % % % % % % % % % Work full-time 35 43 42 43 23 18 20 15 23 15 Work part-time 12 15 18 13 8 11 10 10 14 11 Notemployed 52 42 41 44 70 71 70 75 63 4 QUESTION: Are you at present employed—either full-time or part-time? E. Career Orientation In 1980 women are tending more and more to plan full-time careers instead of regarding their jobs as something temporary. More working women today (45%) plan to make their jobs full-time careers than planned to do so in 1970 (39%). Particularly inclined toward full- time careers are employed women who have college degrees (56%) and those at the highest income level (54%). By contrast, nearly half (47%) of the women interviewed regard their jobs as temporary. More than half (54%) of the employed women under 30 see their jobs as stopgaps. F. Why Work? A primary reason why women are increasingly tending to hold down full- time jobs is money. More than two-fifths (43%) say they are working to bring in extra money, probably to supplement family income. The second most important reason, to more than a quarter (27%), is to support themselves. Third, named by nearly a fifth (19%), is to support their families. A minority (14%) of women say they are working primarily because they want something interesting to do. Reason For Working-1980 To support self (27%) To support family (19%) For something interesting to do (14%) Don't know (1%) To bring in extra money (43%) QUESTION: are you working primarily to support yourself, to support your family, to bring in some extra money, or for something interesting to do? G. Types of Jobs More and more women in 1980 consider jobs once felt to be “masculine” to be perfectly appropriate for women as well. In many job areas, more- over, which were traditionally considered to be male preserves, women would have just as much confidence if a woman were doing the job President With the election of John Kennedy in 1960, religion became less of a barrier to obtaining election to the United States Presidency. Now, in 1980, it seems that the barrier of sex is in the process of falling. A vast majority of women (78%) say they would vote for qualified women for the Presidenc A somewhat lesser majority of men (69%) agree. Doctor, Lawyer With regard to the professions, more than two-thirds of the women inter- viewed say that it would make no difference to them whether their physician or attorney were a woman or a man. Mayor Slightly more than two-thirds see no problem with women holding mayoral office. Airline Pilot Nearly half (48%) consider it appropriate that there be female as well as male airline pilots-although an equal percentage say they would prefer to have a man in charge in the air. The lack of a widespread cultural image of female pilots may account for this preferance. Or it may be a matter of physical strength. However, among younger women a good majority (64%) would have equal confidence in a female pilot. Police Officer In a job where physical strength more clearly makes a difference—being a police officer—nearly six in ten women (58%) responded that they would have more confidence in a man in that position. More Confidence In A Man Or Woman In Certain Occupations-1980 Answers of women No effect on Don’t Man Woman confidence know % % % % A doctor treating you for a serious injury in a hospital emergency room 26 5 69 1 Mayor of your community 26 4 69 1 A lawyer defending you in a suit brought against you 27 5 67 1 A pilot on a commercial jet airplane 48 1 48 3 A police officer 58 2 39 1 QUESTION: Women are entering all kinds of different fields of work these days. Here is a list of different occupations. In each case, and assuming you didn't know the person, would you please state if you would have more confidence in a man or woman in that situation, or wouldn't it have any effect on your confidence? (Respondent Received List) ll. Climbing the Organizational Ladder As they become more career-oriented, women are increasingly perceiving more sex discrimination in jobs. The majority of women say that there is discrimination against women in rising to executive positions in business, trying to obtain a top government job or top professional job. Men and women seem to agree that there is lack of equal opportunity at the top. But, in all areas except that of getting a college education, more women than men perceive a sex bias. A. The Business World Women in 1980 are more aware than they were in 1970 of the difficulties of obtaining executive positions in business. A significant number (57%) perceives discrimination against them when they attempt to reach a leader- ship slot in business. Women who are currently working full-time and who might, therefore, be considered to be speaking from experience, agree in even larger numbers (65%). Most sensitive to discrimination in business are nearly three-quarters of the women in large cities (73%) (i.e., those with a population of one million or more). B. The Government Perceptions of discrimination against women seeking top government posts are only slightly below those in the business world. Again, a majority (55%) of women say there is discrimination in this area. More than three- fifths (63%) of the women who now work full-time agree that there is sex discrimination in government. A large majority (69%) of women living in large cities are in accord. C. The Professions More than half (52%) of the women interviewed say that there is sex dis- crimination against women who are seeking to establish successful careers as doctors, lawyers, teachers, or in other professional categories. More than three-fifths (62%) of women holding full-time jobs are in agreement, as are a majority (67%) of women who live in large urban areas. D. Skilled-Labor Jobs Nearly half (48%) of all women thought that there was sex discrimination in getting skilled-labor jobs. In 1970, only 40% found discrimination in this area. Perceptions of sex discrimination on the job are increasing with respect to skilled-labor jobs, as they are in the professions, the government, and business. E. Leadership Women in 1980 continue the trend of increased perception of sex bias in situations where a group contains both men ana women. in such cases, nearly half (45%) of women today, as opposed to 39% in 1970, perceive sex discimination against giving women leadership positions in groups containing both sexes. F. On the Job Equality Apart from obtaining leadership positions as executives where only one- third think they stand an equal chance with men, women who work are much more optimistic about equality in their own work With respect to promotion, 52% say they have an equal chance with male co-workers With respect to salary, 55% say their salary treatment is equal to that of their male colleagues With respect to responsibility, a majority (68%) think they have an equal chance to that of the men with whom they work. In the general area of on-the-job equality, college-educated women are more convinced than other groups that they get equal treatment in all areas. Two-fifths (40%) think they have an equal chance with their male co- workers to reach executive level positions. Nearly three-fifths (59%) think they have an equal chance for promotions. More than three-fifths (63%) think their salaries are equal to those of their male colleagues. Nearly three- quarters (72%) think that their responsibilities are equal to those of their male co-workers. Discrimination Against Women 1980 1970 Women Male Women Male % % % % Women are discriminated against in: Obtaining executive positions in business 57 48 50 47 Obtaining top jobs in government 55 44 XX XX Obtaining top jobs in the professions 52 43 40 36 Obtaining loans, mortgages, charge accounts in their own names 51 43 XX XX Getting skilled-labor jobs 48 46 40 44 Being given leadership responsibility in groups with both men and women 45 36 39 40 Getting into graduate professional schools (medical schools, law schools, etc.) 27 24 XX XX Obtaining top jobs in the arts 20 14 21 16 Getting white-collar and clerical jobs 13 11 17 15 Getting a college education 7 7 11 7 XX = Not asked QUESTION: Do you fell women are discriminatea against in the following areas? Equal Chance With Men For Working Women 1980 Men say Working women say: about working women Not Not Equal equal Don’t Equal equal Don't chance chance know chance chance know % % % % % % Salary 55 32 13 54 40 6 Responsibility 68 20 12 62 32 6 Promotion 52 33 15 49 42 9 Becoming an executive 34 47 20 42 48 10 QUESTION: Do you feel you stand an equal chance with the men you work with in the following areas? G. The Woman as Boss Two-thirds of all working women (and men) today claim that it makes no difference to them whether they have a male or female boss. Among work- ing women, this figure represents an increase from 1970, when only slightly more than half (53%) of this group said it made no difference to them. Women at the lowest and highest eaucationai levels are more likely to say that it makes no difference whether their boss is a man or a woman. Slightly more than a quarter (28% of women and 26% of men) would rather work for a man. Among this group, the women say that a female boss is likely to be a harder taskmaster (32%), more petty (22%), and more emotional (16%) than her male counterpart. A male boss, they say, would be more thoughtful (19%) and would make them feel more comfortable (14%) than a woman boss. Of those few taday who prefer a woman as boss, men and women are about equal (3% and 5% respectively), but very much in the minority of the overall group. This group seems to teel that women are more understand- ing (39%), easier to get along with (37%), and move equitable (24%) as leaders or managers than are men. lll. The Impact of Career on Family Life Women today who are married and who work have so far been successful in avoiding any negative impact of their careers on their family lives. There is also a very strong tendency in this group to claim that their jobs and their families are wholly compatible In another career dimension, there is a strong disposition among working women to favor their husbands’ career over their own, possibly reflecting a lingering stereotype among women of "the male provider," possibly reflecting his better income as a result of tradition or sex bias on the job A. Growing Away From Home In 1980, nearly half (46%) of the women interviewed prefer taking a job to staying home. This percentage is up sharply from 1974, when only 35% preferred an outside job to homemaking. More than half (55%) of college-educated women would prefer an outside job, compared with about 2 out of 5 less well educated women. This find- ing indicates, once more, that education is an important factor it deter- mining opinions of women about work. Preference To Job Versus Household Responsibilities TOTAL WOMEN 1980 Prefer to have job 46% Prefer ta stay home 51% Don’t know 3% TOTAL WOMEN 1974 Prefer to have job 35% Prefer to stay home 60% Don’t know 5% QUESTION: Now, if you were free to do either, would you prefer to have a job outside the home, or would you prefer to stay at home and take care of a house and family? Preference To Job Versus Household Responsibilities Prefer to Prefer to Don’t have job stay home know % % % Total Women 1980 46 51 3 Single 73 24 4 Married 41 55 3 Divorced/separated 63 34 3 Widowed 35 63 2 White 43 53 3 Black 67 31 2 18 to 29 57 40 4 30 to 39 46 51 4 40 to 49 50 47 3 50 and over 36 61 3 Non-high school graduate 39 59 2 High school graduate 43 54 3 College 55 40 5 Employed full-time 67 30 3 Employed part-time 53 42 5 Not employed 30 67 3 1974 35 60 5 QUESTION: Now, if you were free to do either, would you prefer to have a job outside the home, or would you prefer to stay home and take care of a house and family? B. Male Priority Despite the emphasis women today are giving to jobs, more than three- quarters (77%) say a woman should seriously consider giving up her job if her husband had to relocate. A lower percentage of men (68%) agree that this self-sacrifice would be appropriate. A small minority of women (10%) think that the husband should turn down the possibility of career advance- ment through relocation in favor of the wife's job. An even smaller minority (4%) think that in case of relocation, husband and wife should live apart and see each other whenever they can. The majority of women today, therefore, would hold to the traditional view of the importance of the male breadwinner, and relocate with the husband for his career advancement. Relocation For Career Advancement-1980 Women Male % % Husband should turn down job and stay where they are so wife can continue with their job 10 18 Wife should quit her job, relocate with husband, and try to get another job in new place 77 68 Husband should take new job and move, wife should keep her job and stay where she is, and they should get together whenever they can 4 4 Don't know/No answer 9 11 QUESTION: Suppose both husband and wife work and the husband is offered a very good job in another city. Assuming no children, which one of these solutions do you think they should seriously consider? (Respondent Received List) C. Male Approval Nearly nine out of ten working women (87%) say that they have the approval of their spouses to pursue their jobs. A slightly higher percent- age of men (89%) say they favor their wives working. D. Working and Family Well-Being There seems to be an uneasy consensus among working women today that their jobs are compatible with the well-being of their families. Most women see no great harm in being working wives, but many perceive problems with being working mothers. Many, however, see positive benefits in combining their different roles. A majority (57%) say they are just as good wives as they would be had they not gone to work. By a three-to-one margin (47% to 16%) working women say they are just as good mothers as they would be had they not gone to work. By nearly equal margins (43% to 14%) they claim they make up for time lost with their children by improving the quality of the time they actually spend with them. By a slightly smaller ratio (49% to 18%) they claim that having jobs makes them more interesting to their husbands. How Women Feel About Working-1980 (Base: Working Women) Statement is: Not Doesn’t Don’t True true apply* know % % % % We would have a hard time economically if I didn’t work 57 31 9 3 I feel I would be a better wife if I didn’t work 11 57 29 3 I feel I would be a better mother if I didn’t work 16 47 34 4 feel I am amore interesting person to my husband or mate because I work 49 18 29 4 I may spend less time with my children because i work, but I feel I give them as much as non-working mothers because of the way I spend my time with them 43 14 40 4 When I’m home I try to make up to my family for being away at work and as a result I rarely have any time for myself 30 36 30 4 *Volunteered QUESTION: Here are some statements working women have made about the way they feel about working. Would you read down the list and for each one state whether it is or would be true of you, or not? (Respondent Received List) E. The Price Given the double demands of upholding the responsibilities of a career and a family, it would seem likely that a price of one kind or another would have to be paid. A sizeable minority (30%) agree: the price comes in terms of not having enough personal time for oneself as a working wife and mother. A larger minority (36%), however, claim that they do get enough time for themselves as working wives and mothers. F. Day-Care Women are strongly in favor of setting up more day-care centers where women with children could leave their children while they are on the job. In a major shift of opinion from a decade ago, three-quarters of the women (75%) and two-thirds of the men (66%) today said that they would favor the establishment of additional day-care centers. By contrast, in 1970, 63% of women and less than half (49%) of men favored an increase in day-care facilities. More day-care centers could have an important impact on mothers under 30 who are not now working, nearly half (44%) of whom said that they would probably lock for jobs if day-care facilities were available to them. Reliable day-care facilities would also help currently unemployed black women with children, 69% of whom said that they would certainly or probably look for jobs if day-care were available. Non-working urban mothers (50%) and those with family incomes below $7,000 (66%) were in agreement with this opinion. Chapter Three: The Family The traditional female roles of wife and mother have begun to change significanily. Support for divorce as a solution to an unsuccessful marriage has also grown stronger. As might be expected, however, many traditional family values [unintelligible] changes are certainly occuring in this area the [unintelligible] process of effecting a rapid or radical transformation of the American family. I. Marriage There is a strong shift in the interpretation of the meaning of marriage. Although traditional beliefs of the components of a good marriage remain fairly constant, the role of the man in the household is beginning to undergo some significant changes, as women begin devoting more time to their careers and hence, less to their homes. Concern was voiced by almost two- thirds of both women and men that the institution of marriage will be weakened because of the new morality. A. Marriage: The New Mutuality Marriage continues to be overwhelmingly favored as a way of life, with nearly unanimous support (94%) among women. There has, however, been a marked shift in the understanding of the nature of the marital relationship. A majority of women in 1980 (52%) perceive marriage as a responsibility to be equally shared by both partners, with both husband and wife earning salaries and sharing family and household responsibility. Nearly half of men (49%) are in agreement. A sizeable majority of younger women (66%) and a roughty similiar number of college- educated women uphold the new interpretation of the marital relationship. Six years ago, women who undersiood marriage as involving substantially similar roles were in the minority (46%). Thase, on the other hand, who continue to support the traditional concept of marriage find themselves in an ever-diminishing minority (42%), down 8 points since 1974. An equal minority of men (42%) agree that the traditional understanding of marriage is best. While marriage, either in its redefined or traditional forms, continues to provide the ideal lifestyle for the majority, this ideal is not fully realized. Two-thirds of the women interviewed are married and living with their husbands; the vast majority (nearly 80%) are in the 30-to-50 age group. What Would Be The Most Satisfying And Interesting Way of Life 1980 1974 Women Total 18 to 30 to 40 to 50 and Total Total Total Women 29 39 49 over Men women men % % % % % % % % A traditioanl marriage with the husband assuming the responsiblity for providing for the family and the wife running the house and taking care of the children 42 27 35 45 56 42 50 48 A marriage where husband and wife share responsibil- ities more-both work, both share homemaking and child responsibilites 52 6 61 49 38 49 46 44 Living with someone of the opposite sex, but not marrying 2 3 1 2 * 4 1 3 Remaining single and living alone 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 Remaining single and living with others of the same sex * * * - * * * * Living in a big family of people with similar interests in which some of the people are married and some are not 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 None, don't know 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 *Less than .05% —No response QUESTION: In today's society there are many different lifestyles, and some that are accept- able today that weren't in the past. Regardless of what you may have done or plan to do with your life, and thinking just of what would give you personally the most satisfying and interesting life, which one of these different ways of life do you think would be the best as a way of life (Respondent Recieved List) B. Reasons for Getting Married Although today the interpretation of the meaning of the marital relationship has changed, the motives for getting married remain the traditional ones. Love The vast majority of women (85%) say that a primary reason for entering a marriage is love. Slightly more than half (53%) claim that a major reason to get married is a liking for a particular person and a desire to live with him. Children Less than half (43%) state that a primary reason for marriage is having children. Security A cluster of minority opinions about the primary reasons for getting married revolves around issues related to personal security. Slightly more than one out of five women says that marriage provides her with an easier, more comfortable life, especially when both partners poo! their incomes. One out of five says life in a family is better than life as a single person. Women over 40 especially appreciate family life as an impor- tant motive for getting married. Less than a fifth (17%) of all women seek economic security in marriage, while 14% see marriage as a hedge against loneliness. Men tend to be as concerned about loneliness as women. How- ever, they place less importance on financial security (7%). Older women, more likely to be widowed, with their children grown and away, tend to emphasize the importance of marriage in combaiting the problems of loneliness. Sex A small minority of women (14%) look to marriage for providing a satis- factory sexual relationship. Men tend to place more emphasis on matital sex. Younger women in the respondent group, consistent with the realities of age. emphasize the sexual aspect in marriage (17%) more than other women do, nut not as much as younger men do (24%). Most Important Reasons For Marrying 1980 Women Men say say % % Being in love 85 82 Because you like and want to be with a particular person 53 52 To have children 43 40 Because the way of life in a family is better than the life you have living on your own 22 22 Because you can share responsibilities, income, etc., and have an easier, more comfortabie life 20 22 For economic security 17 7 For a satisfactory sexual relationship 14 20 To have somebody around so you won’t be lonely 14 16 Because married couples can have a better social life than single people 6 6 Because you get left out of a lot of things if you're not married 2 1 Don’t know 1 1 QUESTION: People marry for different reasons. Here is a list of some of them. (Respondent Received List) Would you read down that list and call off the 2 or 3 that you consider the most important reasons for marrying? C. Components of a Good Marriage Three shifts in opinion over the past six years have altered the consensus on what makes a successful marriage. Sex In all age groups, women in 1980 do not perceive sex as being as important a component of a good marriage as they did in 1974. In that year, more than three-fourths (77%) claimed that sex was important, while today that figure has fallen 9 points to 68% . Whether this implies less importance to sex among women, more taking it for granted, or the feeling that mar- riage is no longer a requisite for sex was not explored. Among men, how- ever, there has been no corresponding shift. In 1980, as in 1974, nearly three-fourths of men say that sex is an important factor in a mutually satis- fying marital relationship. Money In another shift, a majority (57%) of women in 1980 say that financial security is one of the characteristics of a good marriage. Six years ago, about half (49%) made the same claim. Apparently, inflation and the continuing threat of recession have made a marked impression on the marital relationships of many Americans. Children In a third shift in the consensus, a minority of women today (46%) claim that having children is one of the primary factors ina good marriage. Six years ago, about half of all women (51%) claimed that children were primary in the marital relationship. Love, Communication, Faithfulness, and Humor Apart from these shifts in opinion, the consensus as to what makes a good marriage remains pretty much the same in 1980 as it was in 1974. The large majority of women (89%) and of men (87%) say that one of the most important factors in a healthy marriage is "being in love." Another large majority of women (84%) and of men (79%) say that mutual communication and discussion of thoughts and feelings is of primary importance. Nearly four out of five women (79%) and 72% of men claim that sexual fidelity is essential to a healthy marriage, while nearly three out of four women (74%) and 70% of men maintain the importance of having a sense of humor in keeping a marriage mutually satisfying. While communication and sexual fidelity are important to men, they are even more important to women. Seven out of ten women (71%) and men (73%) agree that it is important to keep romance alive in the marriage relationship, while an equivalent number of women (71%) state that it is also important to be in agreement on how to raise children. Fewer men (63%) than women consider agree- ment on childrearing to be an important aspect of marriage. Nearly two-thirds of women (64%) and men (62%) say that it is important for husbands and wives to share the same lifestyles, enjoy the same activi- ties, and like the same friends. A similar number of women (63%) and fewer men (59%) say that each spouse should understand and appreciate what the other does every day. Things Considered “Very Important” To A Good Marriage 1980 1974 Women Men Women Men say say say say % % % % Being in love 89 87 90 80 Being able to talk together about your feelings 84 79 88 83 Sexual fidelity on the part of spouse 79 72 79 70 Both being able to see the humorous side of things 74 70 78 70 Having similar ideas on how to raise children 71 63 74 64 Keeping romance alive 71 73 71 66 Having a good sexual relationship 68 73 77 73 Having similar ideas on how to handle money 68 63 68 61 Liking the same kind of life, activities and friends 64 62 68 64 Your spouse having an understanding of what it is you do every day (your work around the house or your job, your outside interests, your abilities, etc.) 63 59 62 52 Financial security 57 58 49 49 Having children 46 43 51 51 Having similar backgrounds 27 25 28 23 QUESTION: Here is a list of some different things, and for each one, state how important you think it is to agood marriage? (Respondent Received List) D. Causes of Friction There are three major causes of friction in a marriage, although there was no overwhelming consensus on any of the three. Nearly one out of three women (30%) mentioned money and its uses as a source of disagreement. More than one out of five (22%) claimed that a major causes of conflict between husband and wife was disagreement about how to deal with the children. Women with children under 18 years of age, and women in their 30's and 40's put special emphasis on this problem. Surpisingly, more than one out of five (21%) claim that watching tele- vision was a major cause of friction between themselves and their hus- bands, suggesting that the causes of friction are not all that severe. Less frequently mentioned sources of divisiveness were disagreements over leisure activities (14%), in-laws (14%), and differences of opinion about political questions (10%). Slightly more than one out of twenty (7%) said that sex was a source of difficulty in their marital relationship. The women whose marriages seem to be most trouble-free appear to be those over 50 years of age. Among this group, 42% could think of abso- lutely no subject of controversy in their marriage. Things People Frequently Disagree On With Spouse - 1980 Answers of Women Answers 18 to 30 to 40 to 5O and of men Total 29 39 49 over Total % % % % % % How to spend money 30 37 34 37 18 27 How to deal with the children 22 19 32 34 12 18 Watching television 21 23 21 16 20 16 What to do with leisure time 14 18 15 11 11 17 In-laws 14 24 14 11 7 11 Politics 10 8 9 12 13 8 How to spend vacations 8 6 10 9 9 11 Sexual relations 7 9 9 7 4 7 None 30 24 22 26 42 35 Don’t know 3 3 2 3 4 4 QUESTION: Which of the these things, if any, do you find you and your husband or mate frequently disagreeing on these days? (Respondent Received List) E. Men Helping at Home A significant percentage of men are quite willing to help out with areas of housework which were once traditionally assigned to women. Of this group, college-educated men are most likely to help their wives with the household tasks. More than three-quarters go shopping sometimes for the family groceries. Nearly seven out of ten (69%) help with cleaning the house. More than two-thirds (65%) do the dishes at times, while nearly two-thirds (63%) sometimes or frequently help cook meals. A minority, though a sizeable one (46%), help with minding the children, while asomewhat smaller minority (41%) frequently or sometimes does the laundry. While many men will mind the children, few will mend the clothes (22%). How Often Men Do Household Chores - 1980 Base: Men Only Fre- Some- Doesn't Don't quently times Rarely Never apply** know % % % % % % Help with small repairs around the house 75 19 2 2 1 1 Carry out the garbage 66 23 6 4 * 1 Mow the lawn 58 13 6 9 13 1 Help with the grocery shopping 45 31 12 11 1 1 Keep your room clean 33 30 15 21 1 1 Wash or dry the dishes 32 33 18 16 1 1 Help clean the house (vacuum, sweep, dust, etc.) 29 40 19 11 * 1 Help with the cooking 29 34 17 19 - 1 Help take care of the children 28 18 3 3 46 1 Make your bed 26 28 20 25 - 1 Do your own laundry 22 19 20 37 - 1 Mend your clothes 10 12 17 60 * 1 —No response *Less than .05% **Volunteered QUESTION: I’m going to name some household chores, and for each one would you tell me whether it is something you do frequently, sometimes, rarely or never. F. The Male Homemaker With so many women leaving home for a career, it is not surprising that there has been a shift in opinion regarding men who choose to take charge of the household instead of earning a salary. In 1980, two out of five women and an equal number of men say that they would not lose respect for a male homemaker. By contrast, a roughly similar number of women (41%) claim that they would lose respect for a male homemaker. Ten years ago, by contrast, only one out of eight women and nearly one out of five men said that they would not lose respect for a male home- maker, while a rather strong 68% of women and 58% of men said they would definitely have less respect for a male homemaker. The strongest resistance to the idea of a man taking care of the home comes from women in lower income groups and lower educational levels. Majorities (52% and 57% respectively) say that they would have less respect for a male homemaker. G. The New Morality The more relaxed attitude towards traditional morality, particularly with regard to human sexuality, hashad a strong impact on contemporary American culture and society. Women in 1980 have rather clear and not very favorable opinions about the impact of this "new morality" on the institution of marriage. Nearly seven out of ten women today (68%) believe that the institution of marriage has weakened over the past ten years, and a nearly equivalent number (65%) claim that the new morality is one of the sources of this weakness. A large majority of women (74%) say that the new morality does not make for better marriages. Nearly six out of ten women (59%) believe that the new morality isin the process of undermining the moral health of America. The majority of women in 1980 are, therefore, inclined to uphold traditional standards when it comes to judging sexual conduct. Nearly six out of ten (58%) affirm that the new morality does not help people make better choices of a marriage partner. A nearly equivalent number (55%) say that the new morality doesn’t keep people any more honest about their relation- ships than the traditional morality. A majority of 54% maintain that pre- marital sex is immoral, whatever the new morality might say. By contrast, six out of ten single women (61%) and nearly the same number of separated or divorced women (57%) maintain that premarital sex is not necessarily immoral. A significant minority of single women, moreover, claim that the new morality makes for more honest relationships (48%), better marital choices (48%), and, ultimately, better marriages (40%). Whatever its pro’s and con’s, the new morality, in the opinion of most women, will be around for the foreseeable future. More than three-quarters of women today (77%) believe that more people will be living together outside of marriage in the future. And six out of ten women believe that more people will stay single, as opposed to five out of ten only six years ago. Effects Of The New Morality 1980 Don’t Agree Disagree know % % % It will make for better, more successful marriages 18 74 9 People will make better choices of marriage partners 30 58 12 Couples will have more honest relationships with each other 34 55 11 More people will decide to live together without marrying 77 18 6 More people will decide to stay single 62 29 9 The institution of marriage will be weakened 65 29 6 The country’s morals will break down 59 33 9 QUESTION: There is much talk today about the new morality. Many young people believe in and practice sexual freedom, and there is a good deal of speculation as to the effects of this. I'm going to read you some statements that have been made about the effects of the new morality, and for each one, would you tell me whether you tend to agree or disagree with it? ll. Motherhood Fundamental attitudes towards motherhood in 1980 have changed, just as have basic attitudes towards marriage. A. Children More than four out of five women today (82%) say that children are not essential for a full and happy marriage. Women with less education and women over fifty years of age are more likely to disagree. B. Childbearing Age Women today believe that the ideal childbearing age is 24. College- educated women would add a year; men would subtract one. C. How Many Children? A third of women today have three or more children, more than a fourth (27%) have two children, while 17% have one child. Nearly a quarter (24%) have no children, representing an increase of four percentage points over 1974. This increase may indicate a tendency among women to remain single longer, and to have children at a later age than was formerly the average case—or, in some cases, not to have children at all. Today, the majority of women (51%) favor having two children. More than three out of five (62%) women under thirty years of age hold this opinion. These figures compared with those of the past four decades, reveal an increasing preference for having small families. In 1941, and even a decade later, in 1952, one-quarter of women interviewed claimed that the ideal number of children per family was two. Slightly more than a quarter at both times favored having four children. Ideal Family Size—A Husband And Wife And How Many Children 1980 1974 1952 1941 Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men % % % % % % % % None 1 1 1 1 — — 1 1 One 3 4 3 2 1 1 2 1 Two 51 51 45 48 25 30 27 29 Three 23 24 22 23 27 30 23 26 Four 15 11 17 11 31 24 28 20 Five 2 2 3 3 5 5 5 7 Six or more 2 2 4 3 6 6 8 8 Don’t know 3 5 5 8 3 3 5 8 1941 and 1952 sources: American Institute of Public Opinion (Gallup) QUESTION: What is the ideal family size—a husband and wife and how many children? D. Unmarried Parents If marriage does not necessarily require children, is the reverse also true: do children necessarily require a marriage? Six out of ten women today respond affirmatively. Adults who have children ought to be married. When it comes to shotgun weddings, however, seven out of ten women are opposed to the concept of forced marriage when there is a child on the way. While a majority of women in 1980 disapprove of single, unmarried parents, more than a third (37%) can see no reason why single, unmarried women should not have children. This figure represents a six-point rise from 1974. Among the 1980 group, more than half (55%) of single women approve of single, unmarried parents. When it comes to matters of a single parent being able to adopt children, majority opposition eases. One parent, apparently, seems to be a better alternative than no parents. More than half (56%) of the respondent group approve of singles adopting children—a slight rise of three points over 1974. E. Abortion The large majority of women today (76%) say that abortion, where legally permitted, is a question to be decided between the woman and her physician. Almost half (49%) say that currently-standing abortion laws should be allowed to remain, while 37% say that such laws should be repealed. Two out of five women today (42%) would deny the father’s right to veto an abortion, while nearly the same number (41%) would approve. Nearly half (48%) of the men questioned would uphold the male parent’s veto prerogative. Attitudes Towards Sexual Standards And Behavior 1980 1974 Women Men Women Men Dis- Not Dis- Not Agree agree sure Agree Agree sure Agree Agree % % % % % % % % A couple who are having a child out of wedlock should marry for the sake of the child even though they don't want to 19 71 9 24 66 10 15 22 It should be legal for adults to have children without getting married 32 58 10 34 55 11 24 28 There is no reason why single men or women shouldn't adopt children and raise them alone if they want to 56 36 7 54 38 8 53 49 There is no reason why single women shouldn't have children and raise them if they want to 37 55 7 41 51 8 31 35 Laws making abortions legal should be repealed 37 49 14 35 52 13 36 31 Where abortions are legal, the decision about an abortion should be left up to the woman and her doctor 76 15 9 70 20 10 74 70 Where abortions are legal, the father should have the right of veto 41 42 17 48 36 15 NOT ASKED QUESTION: Do you tend to agree or disagree with the following statements about sexual standards and behavior? F. The Role of Children at Home As is the case with adults, sexual stereotypes applied to children have become sharply reduced since 1974. In the opinion of four out of five women today, boys should be as re- sponsible for doing laundry as girls. Six years ago, only three out of five women would have agreed With respect to the traditional male role of mowing the lawn, seven out of ten women today think that girls should be as responsible as boys. Six years ago, only slightly more than five out of ten (54%) would have agreed. When it comes to the traditional feminine task of mending clothes, a good majority of women (56%) think that boys should be held as respon- sible as girls. Six years ago, only 39% agreed. Differentiaition between boys and girls in traditional household tasks is clearly down. These findings are particularly interesting, as they indicate a future in which men and women will share tasks more freely, without any sexual stigma being attached to one job or another. In the future, people wil tend less to define masculinity and femininity by what kinds of work people do. Which Household Chores Should Boys, Girls, Or Both Do 1980 1974 Women Men Women Men Either Either Either Either boys boys boys boys Boys Girls or Don’t or or or only only girls know girls girls girls % % % % % % % Keep their own rooms clean * 2 97 1 95 94 95 Make their beds * 5 94 1 90 90 89 Wash or dry the dishes * 9 90 1 86 84 79 Help with the grocery shopping * 11 87 2 81 78 74 Help clean the house * 13 86 1 81 74 71 Carry out the garbage 18 * 81 1 72 69 60 Do their own laundry - 16 80 4 74 61 59 Help with the cooking * 22 76 2 68 63 53 Help with small repairs around the house 25 * 73 2 60 60 47 Mow the lawn 29 * 70 1 56 54 40 Mend their clothes * 39 56 5 50 39 36 *Less than .05% —No response QUESTION: Now I’m going to name some household chores that children might be expected to do, and for each one would you tell me whether it is something only boys should be asked to do, or something only girls should be asked to do, or something either boys or girls should be asked to do? II. Divorce Women in 1980 consider divorce, as a solution to an unsuccessful marriage, more favorably than women did a decade earlier. With respect to alimony, the traditional accompaniment to divorce, women’s attitudes have changed little. A majority oppose it in cases where a woman has or can earn a reasonable income. Also, opinions about the custody of children have tended to remain the same. A. Acceptability of Divorce Since 1970, there has been a marked growth in the number of women who regard divorce as an acceptable solution to a difficult and unhappy mar- riage. In 1970, only 52% found divorce an acceptable solution; today 62% of women believe that divorce is an acceptable way to solve an unsuccessful marriage. On the other hand, opposition to divorce has tended to remain the same, with 20% of women in 1970 opposing and 22% of women today opposing the legal dissolution of marriages. Curiously, a higher percentage of young women today (26%) are more opposed to divorce than are older women (20% ). One might explain these findings as a reaction on the part of many young women to the large num- ber of divorces occurring today among both their parents’ generation and their contemporaries. Divorce As A Solution For An Unsuccessful Marriage 1980 Women 1980 Men Don't know (1%) Don't know (1%) It depends (volunteered) (16%) It depends (volunteered) (16%) Opposed (22%) Opposed (25%) Favor (62%) Favor (58%) 1970 Women 1980 Men Don't know (2%) Don't know (1%) It depends (volunteered) (26%) It depends (volunteered) (22%) Opposed (20%) Opposed (23%) Favor (52%) Favor (54%) QUESTION: If a marriage isn’t working, do you favor or oppose divorce as a solution? % % % % % % B. Alimony Women today tend to disapprove of alimony if a woman has an income of her own. Three out of five women (59%) take this position. Older women, women with lower incomes, and separated or divorced women tend to be most in favor of of alimony. Three out of ten spearated or divorced women support the concept of alimony, while only about one out of six college-educated women, women with higher incomes, and women under thirty years of age think that alimony is appropraite. In a continuing shift of opinion, fewer men disapprove of alimony today than disapproved a decade ago. In 1970, a full three-quarters (76%) of men interviewed disapproved of alimony. In 1974, the percentage went down to 72%. Today, 69% disapprove of alimony. In principle, therefore, alimony for a working divorcee seems to be becoming more acceptable to the American male. With respect to a woman's paying alimony to a man, more than half of women today (51%) say that this is entirely innappropriate under and cir- cumstances. Nearly two out of five (39%), however, are somewhat more lenient, and say that in some cases the man should recieve alimony. College-educated women and those in upper income brackets are more receptive to the idea of alimony for men (50%). Not surprisingly, three out of five (60%) divorced and seperated women disapprove of the concept of paying alimony to a man. Alimony For A Woman Earning A Reasonable Income 1980 1974 1970 Women Men Women Men Women Men % % % % % % Favor alimony 20 12 19 12 18 8 Oppose alimony 59 69 66 72 62 76 It depends (volunteered) 19 18 10 11 19 14 Don't know 2 2 5 5 1 2 QUESTION: If a divorced woman has or can earn a reasonable income, do you think she should recieve alimony or not? C. Palimony Despite recent press coverage, palimony—being legally required to provide financial renumeration to a person with whom one has been living out of wedlock—was opposed by nearly two-thirds (64%) of women today and more than two-thirds (68%) of men. Fewer divorced and separated women (53%) are against palimony, presum- ably because they can more easily empathize with the woman’s position. D. Custody Opinions regarding the custody of children have tended to remain un- changed since 1974. The majority of women today (57%) believe that both mother and father should be given equal consideration by the court. A minority of 22% think that the mother should automatically be granted custody of the children. An even smaller minority (16%) believe that the choice should be left to the children themselves. Two-thirds of both women and men think that even if the divorced mother has her own income, the divorced father should provide partial support for the offspring. Seven out of ten of both young and college-educated women agree with this opinion. Three out of ten women (30%) believe that divorced husbands should pay full support for child maintenance. Two out of five women in lower income brackets agree. Custody Of The Child 1980 1970 Women Men Women Men % % % % Mother should automatically get custody of all children 22 16 24 18 Mother should automatically get girls, father should get boys 1 2 1 4 Mother and father should be equally considered for custody of any of the children and the decision made according to the circumstances 57 55 56 55 If old enough, the children should choose which parent they want to go with 16 20 15 19 Father should automatically get custody * 1 * * of all children Don’t know 3 6 4 4 *Less than .05% QUESTION: When a couple with children get a divorce, the question arises as to which parent should get custody. Assuming that both parents could be described as “fit parents,” which one of these statements best expresses how you feel custody should be decided? (Respondent Received List) Child Support By Father If Mother Has Custody And Reasonable Income 1980 1970 Women Men Women Men % % % % Father should provide: Full support 30 27 31 24 Partial support 66 65 64 67 No support 2 5 3 5 Don't know 2 4 3 4 QUESTION: If a mother has custody of the children, and has or can earn a reasonable income, do you think the father should be required to provide full financial support for the children, or partial support, or no support? Chapter Four: Of Personal Interest The woman of today who combines the responsibilities of acareer anda family has little time of her own. Whatever time she does manage for herself is devoted to a range of social, cultural, and other activities. She also sets some of this time aside for physical exercise. She has occasion to reflect on some of her particular social concerns, whether they bear on her own personal life, the life of her family, or on the society around her. Consistent with her rising independence and increased tendency to work, she has a markedly increased set of assets, a new financial wherewithal in her own right. She also takes the time to shop. In shopping for clothing her reasons for buying what she buys and the qualities she looks for in making a purchase are quite particular. I. Leisure Time The problem for the women of 1980 when it comes to leisure time is not deciding how to use it, but how to get it in the first place. More than two out of five say they manage to get about enough leisure time. An equivalent number (43%) say that they do not get enough leisure time - compared with 50% of men who also say they do not get enough time to themselves. Most likely to have trouble being able to obtain leisure time for themselves are women with full-time jobs (60%); a nearly equivalent number of women in their 30's; well over half (55%) of college-educated women; and slightly more than half (52%) of women under 30 years of age. Only 13% of women today say that they have more leisure time than they know what to do with. Women 50 years of age and older are more inclined to feel this way (20%). Women today spend their hard-won leisure time in a variety of social, cultural, and other activities. Things Frequently Done In Leisure Time - 1980 Answers Answers of Women of Men Total Total % % Watch television 63 71 Visit with friends 62 58 Read 54 43 Go shopping 54 25 Cook 53 13 Spend time with your children 49 41 Spend time with your husband/wife 47 50 Listen to music 43 37 Spend time by yourself 39 26 Garden or work in the yard 32 47 Work with houseplants 31 8 Sew 29 1 Do needlework (knitting, needlepoint, macrame, etc.) 29 1 Do something in connection with a hobby 21 28 Go out to a movie 19 26 Play cards 16 18 Engage in some sports activity (tennis, golf, etc.) 15 31 Take additional education courses 14 12 Do volunteer work 14 10 Go out to watch a Sports event 12 32 Do repairs around the house (Carpentry, electrical repairs, etc.) 11 40 Go to museums 7 7 QUESTION: When you have free time, which of these things do you frequently do? (Respondent Received List) A. Sociai, Family and Other Leisure Activities Two out of three married women (68%) frequently spend part of their leisure time with their husbands. The same number of women in their 30's frequently spend leisure time with their chiidren. Three out of every five women spend some leisure time visiting with friends. The most socially oriented are women under 30 years of age, 70% of whom spend leisure time visiting, friends. The other popular leisure activities among women today are watching television and reading. B. Cultural Activities Television Over three out of every five women today watch television frequently. Nearly seven out of ten women 50 years of age and older watch television frequently. Research findings indicate, however, that men are more likely to be frequent television viewers than women. The average syoman watches just under three hours of television daily (7 hours, 53 minutes). A small majority group of 14% watches televison for five hours or more a day. Women who are relatively less-educated are heavier watchers. Only one in five (22%) watches five hours or more a day. Reading More than half of women today spend some of their leisure time reading. By contrast, 43% of men read during their leisure time. College-educated women are more likely to read (68%) than other women, It should be noted that women spend only about a third the time reading that they spend watching television. The average woman reader spends about one hour a day reading. This group breaks down rather equally into thirds. One out of three women readers spend jess than an hour a day reading: this is true of haif of the: women who are less well educated. One-third of women readers spend about an hour a day reading. One-third spend more than an hour a day reading: predictably, more college-educated women (one-half) are in this hour- plus group. Women readers are interested in a broad spectrum of printed materials. The greatest number, four out of five, read daily or Sunday newspapers. Other types of reading material are considerably less popular with women readers, Slightly more than two out of five (42%) read women’s magazines. More than one out of four (28%) read novels. A nearly equivalent number (25% ) read news magazines. One out of five read national weekly news- papers (e.g., Star, Midnight Globe, Enquirer). A nearly equivalent number (18%) read non-fiction. Equal numbers read hobby-related materials (16%) and materials related to education (15%). By contrast, men read more news magazines and more educational matter than women. Nearly one out of four women (23%) with full-time jobs spend time feading magazines arid books related to their careers. Things Read Yesterday And In Past Week-1980 Answers Answers of women of Men Total Total past Yester- Past past week day week week % % % % A daily or Sunday newspaper 80 70 10 84 A woman’s magazine (Cosmopolitan, Ms., Ladies’ Home Journal, etc.) 42 20 22 5 A novel 28 17 11 15 A news magazine (Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, etc.) 25 13 12 38 A magazine about fashions, cooking or decorating 24 11 13 4 A weekly newspaper (Enquirer, Star, Midnight Globe, etc.) 20 10 10 20 A non-fiction book or biography 18 9 9 16 A book or magazine having to do with a special hobby 16 9 7 25 A book or magazine having to do with something you’re studying 15 10 5 21 A book or magazine having to do with your job 12 7 5 27 QUESTION: Which of these things, if any, did you happen to read yesterday? (Respondent Received List) Are there any other things on that list that you read in the past week? Cooking More than half of women today spend some of their leisure time cooking. Gourmet Cooking Gourmet cooking is an occasional thing among a relatively small group of women. One out of four say that they will sometimes cook gourmet meals, while a small minority (6%) say that they frequently like to prepare gourmet meals. Gourmet cooking is most popular among college-educated women and women with incomes of $25,000 and over (nearly two out of five, in each case). Frozen Dinners Findings reveal that despite the small amount of time women have to themselves, the majority never or rarely use frozen dinners. Slightly more than one out of five (22%) admit to occasionally using frozen dinners. Only a small minority of 8% use frozen dinners—which are most popular among single women, 17% of whom use them frequently. Baking More women say they bake from scratch (37% frequently, 34% occa- sionally). Two in five (41%) occasionally use a mix and about one-quarter (26%) frequently bake using prepackaged mixes. Music Slightly more than four out of ten women today (43%) listen to music. A majority (53%) of women under thirty spend part of their leisure time listening to music. Movies Only one in five women today go to the movies often. More than one out of three women under 30 years of age spend part of their leisure time at the movies. Museums Attendance at museum exhibits is the least popular cultural activity asked about among women today. Only 7% say they frequently visit museums during their leisure time. C. Miscellaneous Leisure Activities Apart from social and cultural activities, women today spend some of their leisure time engaged in a wide range of other kinds of recreation. One in three sometimes works in her garden, or with houseplants. Nearly the same number spends some time on sewing or needlework. Women 50 years of age or older are most inclined to spend time both working with plants and doing sewing and needlework. One woman in six spends some of her free time playing cards. One woman in seven does volunteer work. College-educated women and women 50 years of age and older tend to do more volunteer work than others. One woman in eight spends some of her free time attending sports events, although men are more likely than women to use their leisure time in this way. One woman in nine spends time doing repair work around the house. Here again, men are more likely to use their free hours doing this kind of work. II. Exercise Although the woman of 1980 is only moderately active in engaging in physical exercise, the range of sports in which she involves herself is very broad. A. How Much Exercise One out of every five women today (as opposed to 30% of men) says that she is a very active participant in some form of physical exercise. Some groups of women tend to be more active than average: a quarter under 40 years of age, and roughly equivalent numbers of those living in the South, in medium-sized cities, holding full-time jobs, and having a college education say they are very active physically. More than two out of five women claim to be moderately active in some form of exercise. Nearly the same number (38%) say that they are not very active at all. The least active are women 50 years of age and over and women whose income is under $7,000 per year. Women living in the Northeast tend to be less active: nearly half (48%) are not regular participants in any form of exercise asked about. Physical Exercise And Activity-1980 Total Women Very active 20% Moderately active 42 Not very active 38 Don't know/no answer * Age 18-19 30-39 40-49 50 & Over Very active 26% 24% 20% 13% Moderately active 50 42 42 36 Not very active 24 34 38 50 Don’t know/no answer * * — 1 Educational Non-H.S.Grad. H.S. Grad. College Very active 19% 18% 22% Moderately active 28 45 49 Not very active 52 36 29 Don’t know/no answer 1 * * Annual Income Under $7M $7-$15M $15-$25M $25M & Over Very active 17% 19% 22% 20% Moderately active 30 40 46 50 Not very active 52 42 32 30 Don’t know/ no answer 1 — * * *Less than .05% —No response Physical Exercise And Activity-1980 Geographic Area North Mid East West South West Very active 15% 18% 26% 19% Moderately active 37 48 39 47 Not very active 48 34 35 34 Don’t know/no answer * * * 1 *Less than .05% —No response QUESTION: When it comes to physical exercise and activity, would you say you are very active, moderately active, or not very active? B. Sports The majority of women today (54%) participate in some kind of sport. Women under 30 are most active (74%) as are seven out of ten college- educated women, and two out of three women with incomes of $25,000 and over. An even greater majority of men (71%), however, report regularly engaging in some form of sport. Bicycling Of the sports asked about, bicycling is the most popular among women today. More than one woman in five say they frequently go bicycling. College-educated women are even more inclined to bicycle. Bicycling is the only sport mentioned in this survey that more women than men engage in. Calisthenics One in five women (20%) engages in some form of calisthenics-type exercise regularly. Again college-educated women tend to prefer this form of exercise, as do a third of women over 50 years of age. Roughly equal numbers of women and men do calisthenics regularly. Swimming Swimming is the third most popular sport among women, with somewhat less than one out of five women swimming regularly. Once more, college- educated women are more likely to swim regularly. Men seem to like to swim as much as women. Bowling Bowling is popular with 16% of women. Men tend to like to bowl in about the same numbers as women. Tennis, Jogging, Fishing One woman in ten plays tennis, goes jogging, or likes to fish. Tennis 1s particularly popular with the college-educated and women under 30. Jogging also tends to be more popular among the college-educated. Boating, Softball, Baseball, Roller-Skating Smaller numbers (5%) of women engage in some kind of boating or sail- ing, softball, baseball, or roller-skating. About equal numbers of men participate in these sports. Skiing One out of every twenty-five women ski. Skiing is most popular among the college-educated and those under 30 years old. Other Golf, ice-skating, motorcycling, and horseback-riding are each engaged in by 3% of women. Equal numbers of men go ice-skating and horseback- riding. One out of fifty women engage in gymnastics, yoga, squash or basketball. Equal numbers of men engage in yoga. However, among this group of activities, yoga is the preference of college-educated women. Sports Regularly Engaged In - 1980 Answers of women Answers 18 to 30 to 40 to 50 and Of men Total 29 39 49 over Total % % % % % % Bicycling 21 31 29 18 9 17 Calisthenics or exercises 20 31 24 15 11 19 Swimming 18 28 22 16 9 20 Bowling 16 24 19 17 7 17 Fishing 10 13 10 11 8 31 Jogging 10 20 13 6 3 17 Tennis 9 19 14 6 1 13 Softball or baseball 5 12 5 2 * 15 Boating or sailing 5 7 6 6 4 11 Roller-skating 5 10 7 4 1 5 Skiing 4 8 5 3 1 8 Golf 3 3 4 4 3 11 Motorcycling 3 6 3 1 * 9 Horseback-riding 3 6 4 1 1 3 Ice-skating 3 5 4 3 1 3 Basketball 2 5 3 * * 13 Squash or racketball 2 3 2 1 * 5 Gymnastics 2 3 3 1 1 3 Yoga 2 4 3 2 * 1 Football 1 3 1 * — 10 Soccer * 1 * * — 3 Judo or karate * 1 * — * 3 None 45 26 32 48 66 28 Don’t know 1 * 1 * 2 1 *Less than .05% —No response QUESTION: Here’s a list of different sports some people engage in from time to time. Would you look at it and call off any that you do or play regularly? (Respondent Received List) C. Weight-Watching One of the reasons women exercise is to help themselves keep slim. Dieting is another means to this end. One in six women (17%) diets all the time. About one-fifth of college- educated women and women in high-income brackets are constant dieters, as are women who live in the western United States. Slightly more than one-quarter (26%) of women diet occasionally, while three in ten say they are careful about what they eat, but are not very concerned about their weight. Women who are 50 years of age and older are more inclined simply to watch what they eat rather than diet. Three out of ten men hold the same attitude toward weight-watching. Only one-fifth of men diet, either all the time, or occasionally. One out of every four women today say they eat and drink whatever they want. This is truer of women with lower incomes and less education, and women who live in the South. Nearly half (46%) of men say that they eat and drink whatever they want, without regard to the effects on their weight. III. Personal and Social Concerns Among the issues about which women today are expressing concern are political issues such as the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment; social concerns which touch family life; special family and personal concerns; and broad issues which affect society at large. A. ERA The passage of the Equal Rights Amendment is supported by more than a two-to-one margin (51% to 22%). This figure represents a slight decrease, however, in the number of women who supported ERA in 1975 (55%). Less than half (47%) of women at middle income levels ($15-25,000) and 46% of women with only a high school education favor the amendment. These groups are nevertheless more in favor of passage than against it, by two-to-one margins. Male support for ERA has diminished from 68% in 1975 to 52% in 1980, but equals that of women. While sentiment in support of the Amendment remains the majority opinion, the anti-ERA campaign has made itself felt over the past five years among both women and men. Favor Or Oppose Equal Rights Amendment 1980 WOMEN 1980 MEN Don't know (4%) Don’t know (5%) Have mixed feelings (23%) Have mixed feelings (20%) Opposed (22%) Opposed (24%) Favor (51%) Favor (52%) 1975 WOMEN 1975 MEN Don’t know (3%) Don't know (3%) Have mixed feelings (19%) Have mixed feelings (12%) Opposed (24%) Opposed (17%) Favor (55%) Favor (68%) 1975 Source: Roper Reports QUESTION: The various State Legislatures are now voting on an amendment to the United States Constitution which would assure women equal rights under the law. As I’m sure you know, there is a lot of controversy for and against this amendment. How do you personally feel about it—are you in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment or opposed to it? B. Other Concerns Half of women (52%) are concerned about crime and lawlessness in American society today. An equivalent number express concern about drug abuse. Among female parents, concerns about their children’s future occupy the attention of a majority (56%). Half of today’s women are concerned with their family’s health (more than are concerned about their own health—41%). More than two-fifths of all women (43%), and more than three-fifths of women in low-income brackets (63%) say that managing their money is a matter of major concern to them. Also, more than two out of five married women (43%) say that a major concern is how to get along with their husbands, while an equivalent number who are mothers (42%) are worried about getting along with their children. Larger areas of concern which claim the attention of two out of five women include the energy crisis and the threat of recession and unemployment. More than one out of three women today are worried about the possibility of becoming involved in a war. Slightly fewer are concerned about environ- mental pollution (32%) and nuclear-power plants (31%). Returning to more personal issues, 36% of women with full-time jobs are concerned about achieving success in their careers (compared with 45% of employed men). More than three in ten are concerned about having an interesting life—nearly half (46%) of women under 30. Slightly more than one in four (26%) are concerned about who will be the next President of the United States, while slightly more than one in five (22%) were worried about America’s relations with Russia, before Afghanistan. Issues Of Concern-1980 Answers of women Not con- Some- cerned thing about, A real of a, don’t concern concern know Crime and lawlessness 52% 37% 11% Drug abuse 52 32 15 The health of others in family 50 32 17 Your children’s future 45 22 13 The amount of money you have to live on 43 37 19 Your own health 41 33 27 The energy shortage 40 45 15 A recession and unemployment 39 41 19 Getting into another war 36 40 23 How well you and your children get along 34 18 27 How well you and your spouse get along 32 15 25 Air and water pollution 32 45 22 Nuclear power plants 31 38 30 How interesting your own life is 31 36 32 Who our next President will be 26 38 36 Our relations with Russia 22 44 33 How well you are doing in your job or career 21 22 22 QUESTION: No matter how good a person’s life happens to be, everyone has problems (from time to time, or things they are concerned about. Here are some things people have told us they are concerned about. (Respondent Received Card) Would you read down that list and then tell me for each one whether that happens to be a real concern of yours, Or something of a concern, or something you re not concerned about? IV. Fashion One of the traditional interests of women is fashion, especially in regard to buying clothes. Women in 1980 continue to be fashion-conscious—as well as demanding about the qualities they want their garments to have. A. Arbiters of Fashion The vast majority of women today (93%) dress to please themselves. This finding represents a jump of nearly 10 paints from 1970, when 84% dressed to please themselves. Only 5% dress for men, little more than one-third as many as did so ten years ago (13%). A negligible minority (1%) claim that they dress for other women. This number has not changed in a decade. Despite the growing trend among women to dress to please themselves, a good majority (64%) say that it is fashion designers who determine what kinds of clothes women wear. Women witn college educations and incomes over $25,000 are particulariy inclined to think designers set styles. Over one-quarter of women disagree, saying that other women, not th designers, establish fashion trends. This is particularly true (one in three) of younger women uncler 30 years old . B. Desired Qualities Comfort The quality most desired today in a woman’s garment is comfort. Four out of five women say that comfort is the most important quality in casual clothes. A smaller number, three cut of four women, say that comfort is the most important quality in ciothes warn to work. A still smaller number, three out of five women, Dut nevertheless a majority, say that comfort is the most important quality in formal clothes. Style More than half say that style is an essential quality in dressy clothes. One in three working women say style is important for the clothes they wear to work. Style seems to be more important to women under 40; to women in upper-income brackets; to college-educated women; to women who have full-time jobs; to women living in the East. Versatility An even 50% say that it is important that the clothes they buy for social occasions be adaptable to a number of uses. But only one in four working women looks for versatility in the clothes she wears to work Washability According to three out of five working women, washability is a necessary quality in working clothes. An equivalent number of women say that washability is an important characteristic for leisure-wear clothes. Durability Three out of ten working women look for long-lived garments in casual and working clothes; only half as many (16%), in dressy clothes Fabric The kind of fabric in all kinds of clothes is important to more than one in four women. What's Important When Buying Clothes-1980 Clothes for social Casual Clothes occasions clothes for work All All Working women women women Comfort 60% 85% 76% Style 55 30 36 How versatile they are 51 28 23 Whether they are washable or not 38 62 58 The kind of fabric they're made from 26 29 29 How long they will last 16 31 31 None-don't buy that kind of clothes 5 1 5 Don't know 1 1 3 QUESTION: Aside from costs, which two or three of these things are most important to you when you are buying casual clothes to wear in your leisure time? When you are buying clothes to wear to work? (Respondent Received List) V. Financial Independence Women today have a higher incidence of such things as checking accounts, mortgages and personal loans than they did eight years ago. Moreover, having such items in one’s own right, rather than jointly, has risen markedly. This is particulariy true of single women, divorced women and working women. But even among married women, where there are practical (and sometimes even lega!) considerations for having “joint tenancy”’, the incidence of such financia! assets and obligations in one’s own right has risen. A. Assets and Liabilities Savings and Checking A large majority af women have money in savings (77%) and checking (81%) accounts. Overall, 28% of women today have savings or checking accounts in their own name. This represents an increase over 1972, when 15% had savings accounts in their own name, and 16% had checking accounts in their own name. However, among single women, 61% have checking accounts and 63% savings accounts in their own names, up sharply from the 36% and 46% who did so eight years ago. Two out of five women who work full-time have checking accounts and savings accounts in their own name. While this is true of only one-third as many married women (where “joint tenancy” often has both practical and legal advantages), the incidence of checking and savings accounts in one’s own name has nearly doubled among married women. Credit Cards A majority of women today (64%) have credit cards; 27% have their own. Those most.likely to have their own credit cards are single women (42%), and women who have full-time jobs (37%). Only one in five (19%) married women have credit cards in their names. Loans Nearly three in ten women (29%) have installment loans; 7% in their own name. One out of five women (20%) has a personal bank loan; one out of twenty-five in her own name. More than two out of five women (42%) have mortgage loans; one out of twenty (5%) in her own name. Among single women, installment loans in one's own name have risen from 7% to 17% since 1972, personal bank loans from 6% to 9%, mortgage loans from 2% to 5%. But, it is worth noting here that a majority of women (51%) think women are discriminated against when applying for loans, mortgages, and charge accounts. This figure is down, but not significantly, from that of 1974 (56%). Common Stock One out of every five women (21%) owns some shares of common stock, 7% in her own name. Among single women this has risen from 8% to 11% in eight years. Items Held In Own Name 1980 1972 Have in Have in Own name own name Have Total Single Have Total Single % % % % % % Money in a checking account 81 28 61 70 16 36 Money in a savings account 77 28 63 63 15 46 Credit or charge card 64 27 42 NOT ASKED Mortgage on home or other property 42 5 5 42 3 2 Installment credit loan 29 7 17 27 4 7 Shares of common stock 21 7 11 18 4 8 Personal loan from a bank 20 4 9 19 2 6 QUESTION: Do you have (list read to respondent)? Are they in your name alone? B. Living Costs Food Among the major problems in making ends meet today, the cost of food looms the largest, in the opinion of 71% of women. Food costs are a special problem for low-income women. Energy More than three out of five (62%) say that gas, oil, and electricity is a major problem, second only to that posed by food costs. Savings & Medical Care Other items on the budget cause less concern. More than one-third of women today (35%), particularly those in high-income brackets, are concerned about being able to save money for the future. An equal number, especially women over 50 years of age and women in low-income brackets, are concerned about the cost of medical care. Automobiles, Housing, Taxes Three women in ten are concerned about meeting expenses for a car. An equal number, particularly younger women, are concerned about paying for housing. And more than 30% of women over 40 and in high- income brackets are concerned about the cost of taxes. Clothing One out of every four women, particularly those under 30, is concerned about the expense of clothing. Insurance A small group (14%) is concerned about the cost of insurance. College Slightly more than one in ten of all women are concerned about paying for their children’s college education. Women between the ages of 30 and 50 tend to be more concerned about this. C. Continued Inflation In general, women today are predicting that expenses will almost double during the decade of the 80's. They are less sure, however, about which costs will be problems for them in the future than they are about which are problems for them now. Nearly three in five (59%) think that the price of food will be a major future concern, while a nearly equivalent percentage think that energy will continue to be a worrisome expense. Nearly two in five (37%) expect that the cost of medical care will continue to be a concern. A similar percentage (35%) think that housing will be a major expense. Nearly one in five (19%) predicts that college expenses will be a major financial concern in the future. Cost of Living Today And In 1990 Have today Expect in 1990 Women Men Women Men % % % % The cost of food 71 67 59 55 The cost of gas, oil, electricity, etc. 62 61 57 56 Being able to save money for the future 35 33 25 24 The cost of medical care 35 32 37 32 The cost of owning and operating an automobile 31 37 25 28 The cost of housing 30 31 35 35 The amount you have to pay in taxes 28 34 28 31 The cost of clothes 25 18 14 11 The cost of insurance 14 16 11 9 The cost of putting children through college 11 11 19 20 None 2 3 2 2 Don’t know 1 1 7 10 QUESTION: Here is a list of things dealing with the cost of living. (Respondent Received List) Of course, all of them present most people with problems, but which three or four of those things, if any, ave the biggest problems for you and your family these days? Looking ahead 10 years, which three or four of those things, if any, do you think will be the biggest problems for you and your family in 19902 Oo Chapter Five: The 80’s And Beyond As all the findings described in this report have indicated, the women of 1980 has indeed come a long way during the decade of the seventies. At the same time, such are her expectations that it seems very likely that her status will continue to change during the coming decade. The concluding section of this report, accordingly, will look forward into the future. The Woman of 1990 At present, women indicate their desire to have both a family and a career. What kinds of changes can be expected during the coming decade? Will the movement for change continue, and in what direction? A. More Change for Better or Worse A sizeable share of women today (72%) believe that the impetus for change will continue for the years to come. A lesser majority (57%), however, approve of continued change in women's status. Nearly one in four women (23%) thinks that change has gone far enough, while 15% think that change has gone too far. B. Specific Changes More than half of women today (52%) believe that it is very likely that by the end of the century almost all women who are able will be working. Apart from this suggestive and far-reaching consensus, there is little agree- ment about other kinds of changes women are looking forward to over the next decade. What consensus there is has to do with women's situation at work. Career Nearly four-fifths of women today (80%) believe that it is very likely, or fairly likely that women will be presidents of corporations. Another large majority of women today (69%) say that it is likely that there will be a female Vice-President of the United States. Three-fifths of women today (before Carter's call for registration of both sexes) think it likely that women will be drafted into army combat units. Less than half of women today (46%) think it likely that women will be ordained as priests, ministers, or rabbis in the years to come. Two-fifths of women today believe it likely that there will be a female President of the United States. Family As far as the family is concerned, a startling 49%, nearly half of women today, think it likely that the institution of lifetime marriage will vanish. In addition, a majority of women today (65%) think it likely that the male homemaker will become a more accepted role for men. Course Of Events By The Year 2000 Answers of Answers of women men Very Fairly Very Fairly likely likely likely likely % % % % In the year 2000, almost all women who can will be working 52 31 44 34 Many large business corporations will have women as presidents 37 43 39 42 A woman will be elected Vice-President of the United States 29 40 32 36 It will be acceptable for a man to keep house and raise children while the women earns an income 28 37 25 36 If there is a draft, women will be drafted into combat units just as men are 25 34 23 29 The idea of marriage to the same person for life will disappear 23 26 22 24 Women will be ordained as priests, ministers, and rabbis in all religions 19 27 21 24 Women will be players on many profes- sional baseball and basketball teams along with men 27 29 16 26 A woman will be elected President of the United States 14 25 14 25 QUESTION: Here's a list of things that could happen in our society by the year 2000. (Respondent Received List) Would you look at it and tell me for each one how likely you think it is to happen by the year 2000—very likely, fairly likely, not very likely or not at all likely to happen? C. Advantages and Disadvantages The most frequently mentioned advantages which women today expect to attain in the future are: better jobs and more respect on the job from male colleagues (37%); higher pay (13%); greater freedom of choice to choose a way of life (11%); a better education (10%). The most frequently mentioned disadvataged of continued change in women's status is harm to the quality of family life (13%). Responding to a different question, nearly two-thirds of the women say that they thought that the decline of traditional male and female roles in society would result in more children having identity and adjustment problems. Another disadvantage mention was more pressure, competition, and stress on the job (9%), as women began to challenge one another (as well as men) at work. Finally, a number of women, (9%) mentioned that women would suffer from the loss of traditional courtesies, as they become increasingly equal to men. A majority of women, therefore, expect the impetus for change to carry the movement towards equality in the future. The kinds of changes women are moving towards, moreover, are fundamentally practical-particularly, a chance to function more fully in the work force. As these changes become part of the fabric of our culture, women can expect to obtain their primary goal: full equality between themselves and men. Advantages The Next Generation Of Women Will Have -1980 Women Men say say Women will have more job opportunities, more choice % % of jobs, better jobs, more responsible jobs 31 29 Women will be paid better, will have better paying jobs 13 11 Women will have equal opportunities with men for jobs, less job discrimination 7 8 Women will get equal pay for equal work 7 6 Women will be better trained for the work force, qualified for better jobs 2 1 Women will be more accepted in the business world 2 2 More women will work 1 2 There will be more women in politics, more women in public office 5 7 A woman may become President 1 1 Women will have more freedom, more freedom of choice, more freedom to choose how to live their lives 11 11 Women will be more independent, more financially secure, less dependent on men 6 5 Women won't be locked into being wives and mothers; have less pressure to marry, have children 4 2 Women will have more respect, will be taken more seriously, won't be looked down on 6 4 Women will be equal with men, equality will be a fact 4 5 Women will have more self-respect, more self- confidence, will have a better opinion of themselves 2 2 Women will be better educated 10 12 Women will have more things going for them; more things in their favor, things will be easier for women 2 3 Women will have more power, more authority, more control over things in society 2 3 Miscellaneous other comments (no more than 1% each) 8 7 None - no advantages 12 14 Don't know 11 11 QUESTION: What advantages, if any, do you think the next generation of women will have over the women of today? Disadvantages Next Generation Of Women Will Have-1980 Women Men say say % & Homes and children will suffer because more women are out working; less family life; a woman's place is in the home 13 11 Women will miss out on being home to raise a family; miss out on the real meaning of marriage and a family 4 2 They will lose the respect they now have from men; won't be treated as ladies; won't be given special courtesies like men opening doors 9 8 Women will lose their femininity; lose their identity as women 5 3 They will have more responsibilities; more problems to cope with; have to be more self-suffcient; more will be expected of them 9 9 Women will have to serve in the armed forces; will be drafted; might have to go to war 4 3 More women will have to work; no choice as to working 4 1 Women will be expected to work; pressured to have a career even though they would rather stay home 3 1 Women will probably have to work harder; more will be expected of them at work 3 4 There will be more competition for jobs; not enough jobs to go around for men and women 3 1 Women will have more stress and tension, more ailments resulting from stress as they move into a man's world, the working world 2 2 They may end up with things they don't want, too much equality 2 2 Women who don't want all the equal rights are going to suffer, be treated as though they are involved in equal rights 1 1 Women won't be able to get alimony, child support 1 1 Men aren't going to like women in new roles; husbands won't be too happy 2 1 Miscellaneous other comments (no more than 1% each) 3 3 None, no disadvantages 27 31 Don’t know 14 13 Question: What disadvantages, if any, do you think the next generation of women will have, compared with women today? Appendix Sample Size A nationwide cross section of 3007 women and a control group of 1004 men, 18 years of age and over, were: interviewed for the 1980 Virginia Slims American Women’s Opinion Poll. Sampling Method The samples of women and men interviewed in this study are representative samples of the female and male populations of the Continental United States, age 18 and up--exclusive of institutionalized segments of the pop- ulation (Army camps, nursing homes, prisons, etc.). The sampling methodology employed was a multistage, stratified proba- bility sample of interviewing locations. Ai thé first selection stage, 100 counties were selected at random propor- tionate to population after all the counties in the nation had been stratified by population size within geographic region. At the second stage, cities and towns within the sample counties were drawn at random proportionate to population. Where block statistics are available, blocks were drawn within the cities and towns at random proportionate to population. Where no block statistics were available, blocks or rural route-segments were drawn at random. A specified method of proceeding from the starting household was pre- scribed at the block (or route) level. Quotas for sex and age levels of respondents, as well as for employed women, were imposed in order to insure proper representation of each group in the sample. In addition, hours were restricted for interviewing men (after 5:00 on weekdays and weekends) in order to obtain proper representation for employment. A validation was made by telephone of all interviewers’ work by an outside Organization. All interviews were conducted in person in the homes of respondents. The Questionnaire The questionnaire used for the study differed slightly for men and women ertain questions pertinent only to women were not asked of men. Certain other questions were reworded for men to make them consistent with being asked of a man rather than a woman. For the most part, however, the questionnaire was identical. Demographic Breakdowns A number of demograpnic breakdowns were made for most questions asked in the study. The major demographic variables are shown in the table that follows The questionnaire and all data has been donated by Virginia Slims to The Roper Center, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06268 Demographic Breakdown Of Sample -1980 Total Total Women Men Number of respondents 3007 1004 Total 100% 100% Single 11 19 Married 67 70 Divorced/Separated 10 7 Widowed 12 4 Black 10 11 White 88 86 18 to 29 30 32 30 to 39 19 20 40 to 49 14 15 50 and over 38 34 Under $7,000 18 13 $7,000 to $14,999 27 26 $15,000 to $24,999 34 36 $25,000 and over 19 23 Refused 2 2 Non-high school graduate 25 26 High school graduate 41 32 College 33 40 East 24 24 Midwest 27 27 South 32 32 West 17 17 Largest cities (1 million and over) 9 9 Suburbs of largest cities 9 9 Other cities (250,000 to under 1 million) 14 14 Suburbs of other cities 12 12 Small cities (10,000 to 249,999) 34 34 Small towns and rural 22 22 Note: Responses were computerized and rounded off to the nearest whole percentage. Thus, percentages appearing here and in other tables of this survey may sometimes total slightly less or more than 100.