Courses of Life and Historical Change in East Germany (Life History Study LV DDR)

Detailed information and judgements on courses of life in the areas
family, education and employment.

Topics: 1. Family origin of target person: social origin; information
on natural mother, natural father or stepparents and foster parents as
well as on siblings; information on courses of life of siblings.

2. Residential history and places of stay: residence description and
reasons for change; supplementary questions on household structure and
mobility.

3. School and occupational training biography: school and occupational
training.

4. Employment history, occupation and work life: positions and
activities of employment life; times of no contribution to retirement
program; gaps in employment; side jobs; occupational further education;
current working conditions; expected occupational changes and possible
reactions of respondent; unemployment and its consequences; military
service; illness history.

5. Personal family: marriage biography; partner situation; information
on earlier spouse; information on current spouse or companion through
life; information on children; social contacts; assistance received and
given; importance of areas of life; role of man and woman; comparison
of living conditions GDR / FRG.

6. Economic situation: possession of durable economic goods; income;
savings; travels.

7. Politics and religion: sympathy scale for the parties; behavior at
the polls; party membership of parents; memberships and functions in
organizations; political participation; interest in politics in
parental home; religious upbringing; religious affiliation.

8. Also encoded were: number of contact attempts; number and length of
presence of other persons during interview; interventions of other
persons in the course of the interview; reliability of respondent
answers; length of interview; date of interview; identification of
interviewer.