Surveys investigate everything
It is amazing what people will tell a complete stranger. In response to questions from survey researchers, people are willing to reveal everything from their favorite food to how often they have sex. The wealth of data generated by these surveys is a treasure trove for anyone interested in the social fabric of life.
Charting activities
The daily routine of Americans has been thoroughly examined—how long they sleep, who does the cooking, how they spend their leisure time.
Periodic activities like drinking, smoking, using drugs, going to church, or getting together with friends or relatives have come under scrutiny. There are volumes of information about who does what and how often.
Assessing the present
Polls ask Americans to evaluate their lives in many different ways. Are they pleased with their jobs? Would they choose a different profession if they had it to do over again?
Asked to assess their friends and neighborhood, most people express approval. And no matter where they live, nearly all Americans say they are pleased with the city or town they have decided to call home.
Questions about the way nuclear and extended families conduct themselves provide useful insights into family life.
Looking to the future
Expectations have a powerful impact on the way we conduct ourselves. What we do today often depends on what we think the future holds in store.
On one hand there are aspirations—what people hope will happen—and on the other, there are expectations—what people expect may actually happen. Surveys explore both.
The list of subjects examined is long. It includes questions about individuals and their families in the near-term and the long run. What are their fondest hopes and their most dreaded fears? Going farther, polls ask about the outlook for the future of the entire world
Setting the limits
Surveys are invaluable for learning what people do and do not find acceptable. With regard to the larger issues facing society, people speak out on what they consider to be the appropriate roles of various institutions such as the family, the church, and the government.
At the other end of the spectrum, people describe what they would encourage or are willing to tolerate in the behavior of individuals. And when they do, pollsters hear about it.
Social Behavior
