Welfare Survey 1990 - East

Actual living conditions and quality of life as subjectively felt by
the population in Eastern Germany.

Topics: 1. Housing situation; residence equipped with central heating,
bath and toilet in residence; size of residence; residential status;
satisfaction with housing and satisfaction with residential area
(scales); amount of rent and satisfaction with rent; perceived
differences of opinion between social conflict groups; assumed time
until achievement of living conditions equivalent to the western
standard; satisfaction with public safety and environmental protection;
perceived stress through environmental pollution in the residential
surroundings; concern about selected environmental problems in Eastern
Germany; attitude to abortion and aid to those wanting to die;
satisfaction with care and the fulfillment of selected societal and
social tasks at the time of the GDR; feelings of loneliness; pleasure
at work; feelings of powerlessness; perceived obligation to incorrect
behavior; feeling of happiness; extent of leisure time and satisfaction
with leisure time; living life together with a partner; marital
satisfaction or satisfaction in the partnership; satisfaction with
division of labor in household; contact opportunities with other
people; size of circle of friends; frequency of contact with best
friend.

2. Reasons for unemployment; unemployment duration and perceived
possibilities to find a suitable job; last full-time employment;
employment in occupation learned; employment in the civil service;
short time work; monthly gross income of respondent and monthly net
income of the entire household; importance of job characteristics and
job satisfaction (scales); importance of areas of life; perceived over-
or under-qualification at work; work orientation; fear of loss of job
and probability of finding a position of equivalent value; frequency of
unemployment in the last 12 months; judgement on financial security in
case of unemployment; satisfaction with social security; satisfaction
with income and satisfaction with standard of living (scale).

3. Satisfaction with personal condition of health (scale); visits to
the doctor; use of medication; life and occupation reorganization due
to illness or disability; physical and psychological constitution as
well as self-determination or heteronomy (scales).

4. Religiousness; interest in politics; satisfaction with democracy;
party preference; party inclination; importance of selected areas of
life for one´s well-being and general satisfaction (scale); contentment
with life in comparison over time; pessimistic or optimistic
expectations regarding the developments of selected areas of life;
optimism for the personal future.

5. Satisfaction with personal education; self-assessment of social
class; union membership, party membership and membership in a citizen
initiative or club; size of household.

Also encoded was: reliability and willingness of respondent to
cooperate; presence of others and their interventions in interview;
presence of the other person at initiative of respondent; initiative to
interventions in interview at wish of respondent; interruptions of
interview; city size and degree of urbanization.