following lives from birth and through the adult years Work Attitudes in the Cohort Studies Prof. Shirley Dex Centre for Longitudinal Studies 12 th October 2007

following lives from birth and through the adult years British Birth Cohort Studies  Fully representative samples of the British population  Based on one week’s births - approximately 17,000 babies  Followed up from birth into adulthood  Four British Birth Cohort Studies  1946 : National Survey of Health and Development (MRC funded)  1958 : National Child Development Study  1970 : British Cohort Study 1970  2000/1: Millennium Cohort Study Housed at CLS

following lives from birth and through the adult years Birth Cohort Study  Sample of over 17,000 infants born in March 1958  Not initially planned as a longitudinal study  Sample followed at ages 7, 11, 16, 23, 33, 42, 46 (prospective study)  Retrospective life history data collected at age 23, 33, 42, 46  For example  work history  partnership history  fertility history  housing history  Approximately 12,000 individuals are still participating  Information on individuals can be linked from birth and childhood through into adult life  Now funded by ESRC with data collected every four years

following lives from birth and through the adult years NCDS follow-ups and sources of information

following lives from birth and through the adult years NCDS – 2004 Sweep (Age 46) – Telephone interview  Housing  Relationships  Pregnancies and births  Periods of lone parenthood  Absent children  Children and the wider family  Family income  Employment  Qualifications achieved  Courses attended  Computer access and usage  Basic skills  General health  Smoking, drinking and exercise  Experience of crime  Social participation

following lives from birth and through the adult years Hypothetical life history x Born st Child nd Child 1987 Age 7 Age Age Age 46 Age 16 Age Age 33 Gets married Parents’ social class Parental interest in school work Free school meals Mother smoking Parental divorce Maths and reading tests Teachers’ assessment of child’s behaviour Exam results Job 1Job 2Job 3 Voting behaviour Psychological well being Working hours preferences Savings Domestic division of labour Union membership Training and skills

following lives from birth and through the adult years BCS70: 1970 Birth Cohort Study  Representative sample of over 16,000 infants born in 1970  Sample followed at ages 5, 10, 16, 26, 30, 34  Approximately 12,000 individuals are still participating  Now funded by ESRC with data collected every four years  Co-ordination with NCDS facilitates cross cohort comparisons

following lives from birth and through the adult years BCS70 Follow-ups & information sources

following lives from birth and through the adult years BCS70 – 2004 Sweep CORE: All CMs Interview (CAPI) - updating social, economic, health info Self-completion (CASI) - attitudes, family life, drinking, skills, well-being, crime Adult assessments (CAPI/CASI/Paper) - functional literacy, numeracy, dyslexia PARENT & CHILD: CMs with resident natural/adopted child aged <17 Parent Interview (CAPI) - age specific (0<17) childcare, health & schooling, etc Parent Self-completion (Paper) - age specific questions on development, relationships, behaviour, discipline, school absence/exclusion, reading & schoolwork Child assessments (CAPI/Paper) - age specific (3<17) assessments of naming, copying, reading, spelling, number Child (10<17) self-completion (Paper) - leisure, relationships, school, the future drugs, crime, self-esteem In a 1 in 2 sample

following lives from birth and through the adult years BCS Sweep (Age 34) CORE: All Cohort Members Interview (CAPI): Housing Partnerships – current and former Births and other pregnancies Periods of lone parenthood Children and the wider family Family income Employment status/employment history Academic education Vocational training Access to and use of computers Basic skills General health Diet and exercise Height and weight Family activities, social participation, social support

following lives from birth and through the adult years Summary of employment questions (BCS70, age 34)  Full employment histories  Job title  SOC90 and SOC2000 coding  NSSEC; social class; and socio economic group  Hours of work & when works (e.g. weekends/shifts etc)  Security of employment  Membership of pension schemes  Travel to work time  Job satisfaction  If unemployed, reason for unemployment  If unemployed, whether wants employment  Reasons for not working if out of the labour market

following lives from birth and through the adult years Cohort Comparisons Life cycle effects

following lives from birth and through the adult years Attitudes to work - five key areas

following lives from birth and through the adult years Overall job satisfaction “All things considered, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your present job overall? Please choose your answer from this card”. 1. Very satisfied 2. Satisfied 3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 4. Dissatisfied 5. Very dissatisfied NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT), 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2004 – Age 46 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT) BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT), 2004 – Age 34 (INT), 2008 – Age 38 (INT)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Overall job satisfaction – men vs women

following lives from birth and through the adult years Overall job satisfaction – employees vs self- employed

following lives from birth and through the adult years Job satisfaction continued “I am going to read out some things which affect how people feel about their job. Can you tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied with each one in your present job? Please use one of the answers from this card.” 1. Very satisfied 2. Satisfied 3. Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied 4. Dissatisfied 5. Very dissatisfied NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Job satisfaction (continued) a) Your usual take home pay b) Your prospects c) The people you work with d) Your physical working conditions e) The way your firm or organisation is run f) The way your abilities are used g) The interest and skill involved in your job NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Job satisfaction (continued)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Work-life balance “Do you think the demands of your work interfere with the demands of home and family life?” Yes / No NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT) BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Work-life balance

following lives from birth and through the adult years Work-life balance – demands of work Two more questions: “Do you find that in physical terms your work demands... 1) a lot of you.. 2) a moderate amount or 3) very little?” “Do you find that mentally or emotionally your work demands… 1) a lot of you.. 2) a moderate amount or 3) very little?” NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT) BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Work-life balance - demands of work

following lives from birth and through the adult years Work-life balance – Hours of work “Assuming that you would be paid the same amount per hour, would you prefer to work fewer hours than you do now, work more hours than you do now, or carry on working the same number of hours?” 1) Work fewer hours than you do now, 2) work more hours than you do now 3) or carry on working the same number of hours? NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT) BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Work-life balance – hours of work

following lives from birth and through the adult years Work-life balance – new question for NCDS 2008 “In general, how well do your working hours fit in with your family or social commitments outside work?” 1) Very well 2) Well 3) Not very well 4) Not at all well (Taken from European Working Conditions Survey) NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Commitment to current employer “In a year from now do you expect to be…. 1) Working for the same employer, 2) working for a different employer 3) or not working at all?” NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT), 2000 – Age 42 (INT), 2008 – Age 50 (INT) BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (INT), 2004 – Age 34 (INT)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Commitment to current employer

following lives from birth and through the adult years Kanungo’s scale of job involvement “We would now like to ask you a few questions about how you feel about your current employment. Please read the following statements and record how much you agree or disagree with each. 1) The most important things that happen to me involve my present job 2) To me, my job is only a small part of who I am. 3) I am very much involved personally in my job. 4) I live, eat and breathe my job.” NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Kanungo’s scale of job involvement (contd.) 5) Most of my interests are centred around my job. 6) I have very strong ties with my present job which would be very difficult to break 7) Usually I feel detached from my job. 8) Most of my personal life goals are job-oriented. 9) I consider my job to be very central to my existence. 10) I like to be absorbed in my job most of the time. NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Kanungo’s scale of job involvement (contd.) Six-point scale: 1) Strongly agree 2) Agree 3) Somewhat agree 4) Somewhat disagree 5) Disagree 6) Strongly disagree NCDS: 2008 – Age 50 (SC)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Work ethic – agreement with 3 statements “Having (almost) any job is better than being unemployed.” NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT), 1991 – Age 33 (SC), 2000 – Age 42 (SC), 2008 – Age 50 (SC) BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC), 2000 – Age 30 (SC) “If I didn’t like a job I’d pack it in, even if there was no other job to go to.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC), 2000 – Age 42 (SC), 2008 – Age 50 (SC) BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC), 2000 – Age 30 (SC) “Once you’ve got a job it’s important to hang on to it even if you don’t really like it.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC), 2000 – Age 42 (SC), 2008 – Age 50 (SC) BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (SC) (5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Work - ethic Note: Agreement defined as those who either reported that they ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ with statement.

following lives from birth and through the adult years Gender roles I am going to read out some statements that people sometimes make about work. Thinking about your own experience and feelings can you please tell me how much you agree with each statement in turn…. “If a woman wants to she can get ahead as easily as a man”. NCDS: 1981 – Age 23 (INT) (5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Gender roles (continued) “There should be more women bosses in important jobs in business and industry.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC) BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC) “Women who do not have a job are dull.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC) “If a child is ill and both parents are working it should usually be the mother who takes time off to look after the child.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC) BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC) (5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Gender roles (continued) “Being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC) “I would not want a woman to be my boss.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC) “It is less important for a woman to go out to work than it is for a man.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC) BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC) (5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Gender roles (continued) “Women should have the same chance as men to get some training or have a career.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC) “Wives who don’t have to work should not do so.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC) “Men and women should all have the chance to do the same kind of work.” NCDS: 1991 – Age 33 (SC) BCS: 1996 – Age 26 (SC) (5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Gender roles (continued) “A mother and her family will be happier if she goes out to work.” NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (SC) BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (SC) “All in all, family life suffers when the mother has a full time job.” NCDS: 2000 – Age 42 (SC) BCS: 2000 – Age 30 (SC) (5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Gender roles (continued) Note: Agreement defined as those who either reported that they ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ with statement.

following lives from birth and through the adult years Gender roles (continued) Note: Agreement defined as those who either reported that they ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ with statement.

following lives from birth and through the adult years Other questions NCDS 1981 – Age 23:  Work is the most important thing in life  People think you are a nobody, if you are unemployed  Having an enjoyable social life is more important than having an enjoyable job  Having a job gives people a sense of purpose  Most jobs are dull and boring  The only reason for going out to work is the money (5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)

following lives from birth and through the adult years Other questions  NCDS 1991 – Age 33  A person must have a job to feel a full member of society (SC)  A person can get satisfaction out of life without having a job (SC)  BCS 2004 – Age 34  Everyone should work to provide for themselves (SC) (5 point scale – Strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree)

following lives from birth and through the adult years CLS Birth Cohort Studies: Web Resources Resources available via CLS website: (  Annotated Questionnaires and CAPI Documentation  Technical Reports – e.g. on sampling, instrument development and fieldwork of MCS  Data Dictionaries  Cohort Studies Data Notes

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