Detroit Area Study, 1955: A Description of Urban Kinship Patterns and The Urban Family

This collection provides information on 731 married wives
of couples living in the Detroit metropolitan area in 1955. Data are
provided on the frequency and interaction of respondents with their
relatives, as well as their attitudes on family. The collection is a
combination of two studies: A DESCRIPTION OF URBAN KINSHIP PATTERNS
by Morris Axelrod, and THE URBAN FAMILY by Robert Blood. Data are
provided on the frequency of and reasons for large family gatherings,
the nature of help that the respondent's family received from relatives,
the nature of help that the respondent gave to relatives, and the
nature of the relationship with the respondent's relatives on both
sides of the family. Other questions explored respondents' family
attitudes. They were asked about the division of labor and
decision-making processes in their homes, their interactions with
their spouses, including communication between them and the causes
and methods of handling disagreements, and their attitudes toward
marriage in general. In addition, the respondents were asked about
expected family size and what they felt the advantages were of having
children. Also probed was their use of leisure time. Demographic
variables specify age, sex, race, education, marital status,
occupation, family income, length of residence in the Detroit area,
home ownership, and religious preferences.