Detroit Area Study, 1954: Ideal Family Size in Detroit and Administrative Behavior in a Metropolitan Community

This study of adults aged 21 and older in the Detroit
metropolitan area provides information on their contact with and
attitudes toward government administrative agencies, their views
regarding civic duties, and their organizational memberships in 1954.
The study was a combination of two separate studies: IDEAL FAMILY
SIZE IN DETROIT by Ronald Freedman, and ADMINISTRATIVE BEHAVIOR
IN A METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY by Morris Janowitz. Respondents were asked
about their contact with and knowledge of various agencies, including
the Michigan Employment Security Commission and the Social Security
Department. They were asked to evaluate the performance of the
public schools, the County Sheriff's Department, state and local
police, and local, county, and state government officials. Several
questions were asked to determine the respondents' attitudes toward
government employment and employees, specifically the prestige of
various jobs in the public sector compared with comparable jobs in
the private sector, and their preference for working for the United
States government or a private firm. Other questions probed respondents'
living experiences before coming to Detroit, their feelings about
living in Detroit, and their views about collectivist versus
individualist ideology, a national health insurance plan, military
draft, taxes, changes in the Social Security system, the role of
political influence in enabling private citizens to get help from
government agencies, and the ideal family size. Also explored were
respondents' understanding of the meaning of "red tape" and how much
of it they thought was necessary, and their views on the extent of
government's role in solving problems such as unemployment, education,
and housing. Respondents were also asked about their political
activities, political party preference, and electoral and voting
participation. They were asked to identify the mass media on which they
relied most for political information, the organizations they belonged to,
and if they had a television set. Demographic variables specify age, sex,
education, place of birth, marital status, number of children,
nationality, religious preferences, occupation, family income, length
of residence in the Detroit area, home ownership, length of time at
present residence, and class identification.
More information about the Detroit Area Studies Project is available on the Detroit Area Studies Project Web site.