Welfare Survey 1978

Actual living conditions and subjectively perceived quality of life of
the West German population.

Topics: 1. Objective situation in areas of life: housing situation and
residence furnishing; residence costs; house and residence possession;
life with partner; type and number of friends; neighborhood aid;
members of household and size of household; year of marriage;
occupational position of spouse and father; vocational training and
occupation career; employment and mobility; condition of health; visits
to the doctor; hospital stays and use of medication; need of care and
help in need of care; disabilities; event under which one particularly
suffered and about which one is happy.

2. Evaluations and perceived qualities of life: judgement on one´s own
residence 5 years ago and current housing situation; satisfaction with
housing as well as satisfaction with residential area and traffic
conditions (scales); satisfaction with being alone or marital
satisfaction; understanding between the partners; satisfaction with
family life, the functioning of the household, leisure time, health,
social security, standard of living,democratic institutions in the FRG,
opportunities for political activity, public safety, environmental
protection, one´s own education, working conditions, one´s occupation,
the prospects of promotion, income, the church and with the status as
housewife or pensioner (scale); general work satisfaction and
contentment with life (scale); importance of areas of life; moral
orientation; work orientation; most important political goals; attitude
to abortion and treatment of the critically ill; attitude to a child
benefit for mothers; perception of social differences and social
conflict groups; groups with too much power.

3. Miscellaneous: self-assessment of social class affiliation;
memberships; amount of assets; activities in the direction of improving
income; further education activities; use of income; applying for a
stay at a health resort; religiousness; date of birth; availability at
home in the last 3 days.

Demography: age; sex; marital status; number of children; ages of
children (classified); religious denomination; frequency of church
attendance; school education; occupational position; occupational
training; further education; occupational position; employment;
household income; assets; household size; household composition;
respondent is head of household; characteristics of head of household;
residential status; voting behavior at the last federal parliament
election; memberships; union membership.

Interviewer rating: type of building; type of house; type of city;
presence of other persons and their intervention in interview;
reliability and willingness of respondent to cooperate; length of
interview.