Old People Study 1982

Political participation and opportunities of the older generation to
participate in society. Social and health situation.

Topics: Residential status; length of time in residence; private
household or old people´s home; number of rooms; number of rooms used;
satisfaction with housing; living together with children; time of last
employment and age at retirement from professional life; circumstances
and reasons for retirement from professional life; preference for an
early retirement; positive and negative aspects of retirement from
professional life; fulfilled expectations in the new phase of life;
total duration of employment; attitude to life as a pensioner (scale);
evaluation of the achievement principle in the German economic and
social system; experienced recognition of one´s own achievements in
life; appropriateness of pension received; importance of social values
such as tradition consciousness, citizen involvement, achievement
orientation, intellectual change, money and law; attitude to the youth
protests in connection with atomic energy, environmental protection and
peace policies; understanding for the demands of the young; party
preference (rank order procedure); personal change in party voted for;
number of children and place of residence of children; preference for
spatial proximity to children; readiness of children to provide old
people´s care; attitude to nursing care insurance; perceived fringe
groups or appropriateness of respect of interests of social groups and
organizations; preferences in social policy and understanding of
democracy (scale); appropriate opportunities for the older generation
to participate in politics and society; political participation;
interest in senior representatives within the parties; readiness for
involvement in such organizations and representations of interests;
necessity of a party for older people; most important tasks of such an
old people´s party; frequency of selected daily and leisure activities;
perceived economy opportunities with public expenditures; attitude to
economy measures which also affect older people; personal social
activities; issue competence of the parties regarding solution of
problems of older people; judgement on one´s own current financial
situation and assessment of further development; interest in politics;
assessment of the political development of the country; influence of
parties on further political development; evaluation of political
parties (scale); satisfaction with democracy; trust in selected
political and social institutions and organizations; self-assessment of
condition of health; frequency of use of medication; current medical
treatment; frequency of utilization of doctors, dentists and lay
medical practitioners; duration of hospital stays; chronic illness and
disabilities; possession of handicapped identity card and degree of
disability; amount of monthly health insurance fee; judgement on the
relationship of citizens and politicians; composition of income;
opportunities to save; utilization of financial support and entitlement
to reduced charges for older people; assets and investments; ties to
church as well as trade unions; detailed recording of membership in
clubs, associations, initiatives and parties; economic conditions in
parental home during youth; social origins; frequency of political
discussions in parental home; father´s party inclination.

The following questions were also posed to residents of old people´s
homes or senior homes: number of rooms available; living together with
other persons; satisfaction in the old people´s home; possibility of
living together with children.

Interviewer rating: presence of third persons during interview and
their interventions in the course of the interview; reliability and
willingness of respondent to cooperate; length of interview; month of
interview.