The 1980 Virginia Slims American Women's Opinion Poll
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- Title (Dublin Core)
- The 1980 Virginia Slims American Women's Opinion Poll
- Description (Dublin Core)
- Polls on women and their opinions in the 1980s paid for by Virginia Slims and carried out by the Roper Organization, Inc.
- Date (Dublin Core)
- 1981
- Date Created (Dublin Core)
- 1981
- Congress (Dublin Core)
- 97th (1981-1983)
- Topics (Dublin Core)
- See all items with this valueSex discrimination against women
- See all items with this valueMotherhood
- See all items with this valueFamily planning
- See all items with this valueEquality
- Policy Area (Curation)
- Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Creator (Dublin Core)
- Roper Organization
- Record Type (Dublin Core)
- report
- Names (Dublin Core)
- See all items with this valueRoper Organization
- Rights (Dublin Core)
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/
- Language (Dublin Core)
- eng
- Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core)
- https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=23&q=
- Physical Location (Dublin Core)
- Collection 003, Box 162, Folder 3
- Institution (Dublin Core)
- Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
- Archival Collection (Dublin Core)
- Robert J. Dole Senate Papers-Legislative Relations, 1969-1996
- Full Text (Extract Text)
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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. -
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.
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