NATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE SURVEY 1987-1988: INEQUALITY

Copyright 1995, The Australian National University

Permission is given to copy material for which the Australian National University holds copyright, provided credit is given, and the copies are not intended for sale.

National Social Science Survey 1987-1988; Inequality

ISBN 0 7315 2081 5

1. National Social Science Survey 1987-1988: Inequality. 2. Computer files - Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Public opinion-Australia-Data processing -Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Kelley, Jonathan. II. Bean, Clive. III. Evans, M.D.R. IV. National Social Science Survey (Australia). V. Australian National University, Social Science Data Archives. (Series: ASSDA study; no. 627)

025.06303380994

ASSDA study Series (User's guide only) ISSN 0728-9766

National Social Science Survey 1987-1988: Inequality [computer file] / Principal investigators Jonathan Kelley, Clive Bean, M.D.R. Evans. Canberra: Australian Social Science Data Archive, The Australian National University [distributor], 1995
1 data file (1663 logical records) and accompanying user's guide.

Summary: This study is the third in the National Social Science Survey (NSSS) series and repeats many of the questions asked in the first survey conducted in 1984 (ASSDA Study No. 423, NSSS First Round 1984) and the second survey conducted in 1986-1987 (ASSDA Study No. 620, NSSS 1986-87: Role of Government). The survey also includes questions asked as part of the International Social Survey Programme. Comparative data from all countries in the Programme are processed and distributed by the Zentralarchiv fur Empirische Sozialforschung (ZA) at the University of Cologne (ZA Study 1680, Social Inequality 1987).

The data file contains a wide range of attitudinal questions. Sections cover religion and moral issues, attitudes to government policies, including feeling thermometer ratings of political leaders, groups and institutions, opinions on taxes and benefits, voting, trade unions, attitudes to work, supervision, decision making at work, satisfaction with job, general questions on life satisfaction, social mobility and social inequality.

The international component focuses on issues relating to social inequality. These issues include inequality of income and opportunity, the extent of inequality, the explanations for inequality, and the responsibility of the government to reduce inequality.

Background variables include respondent’s occupation, education, and qualifications, income and standard of living, membership of trade unions, birthplace, and ancestry. Questions on birthplace, education, political orientation and occupation were also asked about the respondent's spouse or partner, and information was recorded on the birthplace, occupation and education of parents, grandparents, children and children’s spouses.

The National Social Science Survey (NSSS) is an annual survey which has been conducted since 1984-85 by Jonathan Kelley (principal investigator), R.G. Cushing (1984-85), Bruce Headey (1984-85), Clive Bean, M.D.R. Evans and Krzysztof Zagorski. The principal sponsor is the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. The survey measures a wide range of variables of interest in the social sciences, particularly political science, labour economics and sociology, and typically includes some 35 pages of questions on attitudes and values and about 25 pages of detailed background and demographic questions. The data are representative of a non-institutionalised population aged 18 years and over in all States and Territories in Australia.

In addition, the NSSS is the Australian member of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), a major collaborative project by leading academic surveys in Europe and the United States. Since its inception in 1984, the ISSP has aimed to collect precisely comparable data which reveal similarities and differences between countries on social attitudes, values and politics. Each year, participating nations field a short self-completion surveys module. These modules are 15 minute supplements to regular national surveys (or special surveys if necessary) which add a cross national perspective to the individual, national studies. The same questions (i.e. to which responses are internationally comparable) are asked in all countries, with some omissions, and occasional variations in question wording and code categories due to language differences. Comparative data from all countries in the Programme are processed and distributed by the Zentralarchiv fur Empirische Sozialforschung (ZA) at the University of Cologne.

All manuscripts based in whole or in part on these data should:

(i) identify the data, original investigators and data distributors by including the bibliographic reference for the data file given below:

Back to the title page