General Social Surveys

(ICPSR Studies 2685, 6217, 6492, and others)

The General Social Survey has been conducted by the National Opinion
Research Center annually since 1972 except for the years 1979, 1981, and
1992. Each year the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research prepares a
cumulative dataset that merges previous years of the General Social Survey 
into a single file, with each year or survey constituting a subfile. The
content of each year's survey changes slightly as some items are added to
or deleted from the interview schedule. Main areas covered in the GSS 
include socioeconomic status, social mobility, social control, the family, 
race relations, sex relations, civil liberties, and morals. Topical modules 
designed to investigate new issues or to expand the coverage of an existing
subject have been part of the GSS since 1977. The 1993 topical module
concerned cultural issues. Other topics covered have included work 
organizations (1991); role of government (1990); work orientation (1989); 
religious socialization, behaviors, and beliefs (1988); sociopolitical 
participation (1987); the feminization of poverty (1986); social networks 
(1985); and the role of the military (1982 and 1984). The GSS also added a 
cross-national component in 1985 through participation in a multinational 
collaborative group called the International Social Survey Program (ISSP),
which includes Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Austria. Topics addressed 
are role of government (1985 and 1990); social support (1986); social 
inequality (1987); the impact on the family of the changing labor force
participation of women (1988); work orientation (1989); the impact of 
religious background, behavior, and beliefs on social and political 
preferences (1991); and environmental issues (1993). The universe for the GSS
is English-speaking persons 18 years of age or over, living in 
noninstitutional arrangements within the United States. A National Opinion 
Research Center national probability sample is employed. Block quota sampling
was used in 1972-1974 and for half of the 1975 and 1976 surveys. Full 
probability sampling was employed in the other half of the 1975 and 1976 
surveys and for the surveys thereafter.