Vicars and Young Pastors (Panel 1974-1977)

Attitude of theologians to theology, Christianity and church. Judgement
on their training and detailed information on their occupation as
pastor.

Topics: First wave: The survey content is identical to the content of
ZA Study No. 1514 with exception of the part of the survey only for
former theologians.

Second wave: 1. Theology and study of theology: university situation
and judgement on the study of theology; relationship to theology;
changes in attitude to theology and to the study of theology in the
parsonage; judgement on relevance to reality and practice; motive for
the selection of the study of theology; associations with the term
theology (semantic differential); most important supplemental subjects
for theology students; theological subjects within the training that
could be reduced; personal influence from a theological direction or
school; knowledge about personal attitude to theology among selected
groups of persons; established protestant church in state in which
vicar training took place and judgement on this training.

2. Church: personal view of church and concepts of an ideal church;
experiences with the church and relationship to the church; actual and
desired role of the church in society; the role delegated to the church
by society; associations with the term church (semantic differential);
management activities in trans-parish committees and church work;
characterization of the relationship to immediate superiors; knowledge
about personal attitude to church among selected groups of persons;
changes in attitude to church in the parsonage.

3. Politics and society: influence of student movement on theology and
church; social-political attitudes; active participation in student
politics; party preference; assessment of personal political position
by oneself and others; party membership; characterization of the
Federal Republic; familiarity of one´s own party membership in parish;
perceived party preference of selected persons and party preference
desired of respondent by them; most important political and social
problems in the Federal Republic; personal contribution to solution of
these problems; knowledge about personal political attitudes and
activities of selected groups of persons; changes in attitude to
politics as well as in political activities during time in parsonage.

4. Christianity: concepts of the Christian and Christianity; perceived
significance of Christianity in practical life; the way one sees
oneself as Christian; knowledge about personal attitude to Christianity
in selected groups of persons; changes in attitude to Christianity and
in personal devoutness during time in parsonage.

5. Parsonage and community: judgement on one´s own occupational
competence and training; preferred and non-preferred fields of work;
judgement on the social prestige of pastors; personal view of pastor
and criticism of the occupation of pastor; judgement on the bonus
payments of the church; perceived job stress and effects on personal
life; judgement on the identifiablity of the duties of a pastor;
judgement on the possibilities of personality development in the
parsonage; type of parsonage; official service designation; personal
selection of current parish; knowledge about parish from vicar
training; living in the area of the parish; size of church parish;
situation of the parish; proportion of occupational groups in the
parish; religious groups in the parish; leadership of these groups;
representation of these groups in parish committees; church attendance
of these groups; main honorary workers from these groups; adequate
presence, rejection of tasks and independence of the main honorary
workers; relationship to the main honorary workers; participation of
these workers in meetings of church committees; number of permanent
members of the presbyterium or the church parish council;
representation of a certain theological and political direction by
these committees; composition of these committees according to age, sex
and occupational groups; characterization of the way these committees
see themselves and judgement on personal relationship to these
committees; institutions present in the parish; responsibility for
taking care of administrative work; presence of honorary workers in
sufficient number and judgement on personal relationship to these
workers; perceived changes in attitude to theology, study of theology,
personal devoutness, Christianity, politics, political activities, the
occupation as pastor and the parsonage; significance of honorary
helpers and main honorary workers for parish work; relationship
regarding the parish and experiences with parish work; perceived
hinderances for the occupation as pastor; associations with the term
parish (semantic differential); ordination and choice of pastor; events
and institutions with the character of a national church; opportunity
to occupy oneself with problems of the national church public
corresponding to one´s own concepts; majority party or governing
coalition in the community; most important municipal political problems
and personal effort to solve these problems; characterization of
relationships with selected institutions and organizations in the
community; group of persons with strongest criticism of the decision to
go to the parsonage; transfer to the parsonage immediately after the
second theological examination; number of pastor positions up to now
and interest in a change; second study and type of major; termination
of the occupation of theologian with an occupational alternative;
interest in change to a special or function parsonage; satisfaction
with current pastor position; knowledge about personal attitude to the
parsonage among selected groups of persons; personally hiring or firing
employees; time expended for selected activities; manner of processing
personal occupational experiences; group of persons with strongest
demand on one´s own work; comparisons by parish with predecessor;
desired main job focus; changes in the parish intended and already
completed; feeling of control over private life-style; changes in one´s
circle of friends due to transfer from curacy to parsonage; active
participation of partner in parish; main difficulties of parish pastor;
number of pastors in church parish; composition of circle of colleagues
according to age and sex; personal friendship with colleagues in church
parish; areas of cooperation with colleagues; influence of colleagues
on one´s own work; frequency of discussions with colleagues and
participation of non-theological workers in these meetings;
representation of a certain theological and political direction in the
circle of colleagues; discussion of occupational experiences and
problems with the colleagues; composition of the circle of friends;
main focus of occupational commitment among colleagues;
characterization of relationship with colleagues.

6. Social data: year of birth; number of siblings; social origins;
manner of child-raising in parental home; praying together with parents
in childhood; personal contacts of family with a pastor during one´s
childhood; church or theological occupation of a relative; type of
school at high school graduation; reading religious or theological
writings in parental home; participation in vacation stays or church
youth camps; group leader in a church youth group; attending church
events as schoolchild; comparison of personal devoutness as well as
active participation in church life with that of parents at time of
decision for the study of theology; other subjects during studies;
judgement on participation in church life and on one´s own devoutness
in comparison to that of partner; point in time of marriage; occupation
and current occupational activity of partner; time of birth of first
child; current active memberships; time of second government
examination; city in which currently active; cities of college
attendance; housing situation and size of place of residence.

Also encoded was: ZIP (postal) code.