Detroit Area Study, 1963: A Study of Family-School Relationships in Detroit

This study of 1,536 mothers of 5th- and 6th-grade school children in the Detroit metropolitan area provides information on their views on family and school relationships in 1963. The mothers were asked to assess the neighborhood schools, their children's performance in school, and their personal contacts with school officials. Other questions probed the extent of quality time the parents spent with their children, and the time they spent visiting their children's school and the nature of such visits. Additional questions explored respondents' feelings about people of the same social class living in the same neighborhood, and their views on public schools, public assistance, public officials, character development, obedience and respect for authority, child discipline, assignment of home chores to children, and the importance of family stability. Information was also elicited on the type of house respondents lived in, type of neighbors and neighborhood, and their relationship with neighbors and relatives. Demographic variables specify age, sex, marital status, place of birth, education, occupation, number of children in school and their grades, number of children retarded, nationality, personality traits, English proficiency, occupation, family income, unemployment records, religious preferences, length of residence in the Detroit area, and length of time at present residence. More information about the Detroit Area Studies Project is available on this Web site.