Life styles of educated adult women

The major purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine factors that influenced the life patterns of highly educated women. The study focused primarily on the role of work in the women's lives. Data were collected in two waves: first from 1961 to 1963, and in 1974.

The first wave of data collection consisted of a mailed questionnaire sent to all women who received graduate fellowships or scholarships in the arts and sciences, as well as some other graduate professional schools at Columbia, between 1945 and 1951. Usable questionnaires were received from 311 women in the first wave (73 in 1961, 283 in 1963). The questionnaire focused on the role of work in the lives of the respondents, eduational and employment histories, problems combining career and family, present and past activities, satisfactions derived from present life situations, family background, and present home life.

In the second wave, questionnaires were sent to all of the original respondents who could be reached. A total of 226 usable questionnaires were returned. This self-administered questionnaire emphasized work-related experiences and the extent to which the women were able to realize their goals. There were both precoded and open-ended items concerning employment history, current work schedule, sex discrimination in employment, achievements, educational history, marital status, and children's employment.

All paper and computer-accessible data from both waves are available.