Family and Partner Relations in Eastern Germany (Survey of Families)

Family ways of life in the new states. Situation in life, occupation
and partner biography up to now, moral orientations as well as attitude
to children. Topics: Number of siblings; growing up with parents;
divorce as reason for separation of parents; social origins; preference
for a baby year with subsequent nursery care or extension of the baby
year to three years; extension of the baby year or job guarantee;
attitude to the role of women between raising children and employment
(scale); importance of educational goals (scale); desire for children;
living together with spouse; separation year; firm partnership; living
together with a partner. Partner biography: detailed information on
first to fourth or last partner relation; year of meeting and start of
partnership; living together with partner in common residence; year of
moving together; common children; positive or negative age difference
with partner; marital status of partner at start of relation; social
origins of partner; same religious denomination of partners; marriage
and year of marriage; stability of partner relation or year of
termination; year of death or year of separation or divorce; year of
giving up common residence; reference persons or conversation partners
for personal things; meal partners; person with whom one has a very
close instinctive tie; providing financial support to others or receipt
of such support; leisure partner; co-residents in main place of
residence and as appropriate at a secondary residence; age, sex, degree
of relation, frequency of contact and distance to these persons; number
of living brothers, sisters, grandchildren and grandparents; year of
birth and month of birth of respondent; detailed information on
education and occupational training; conclusion of education and time
of taking up first employment; career course; year of discontinuation
of employment; time worked each week at the start of occupational life;
time of changes of time worked each week; start, end, length and
reasons for interruptions of employment; search for work; work on
weekends and shift work; working according to instructions or working
independently; limited employment; most important criteria in choice of
occupation (scale); opinion on employment of women; division of child
care as well as housework between the two partners (scale);
decision-maker with selected purchase decisions as well as in family
matters; significance of marriage for the partner and children (scale);
number of hours each week for raising children and housework; attitude
to children (scale); religiousness; postmaterialism; frequency of
selected leisure activities; residential status; year of construction
and condition of building; characterization of residential furnishings;
total costs for residence; living space; number of rooms; number of
children´s room; description of infrastructure of residential area and
presence of kindergarten, nursery, playground etc.; information on all
sources of income; most important source of income; official right of a
child to support payments; regularity of payments deposited; personal
stress from particular events in the last year, such as e.g. death,
family problems, legal disputes, problems with authorities,
unemployment and partner problems; looking after persons in need of
care; family relation and weekly time expended for the care;
self-classification of condition of health. The following information
on spouse/partner of respondent: number of living brothers, sisters,
grandchildren and grandparents; occupational position; time worked each
week; arrangement of working hours on working days and weekends as well
as shift work; search for employment. The following form was filled out
by the respondent in writing: characterization of partner relation
(scale); user and use of contraceptives; reasons for use of
contraceptives. With families with children the following additional
detailed information was recorded on all children: date of birth, sex,
legal status; time period of living together with family; school
attendance; education and institutions or persons looking after the
children; desired number of children.