Summary Profile-Female Heads of Household (N=33)
The majority of FHH's are urban dwellers (60.6%)i only 39.4% live in
rural areas. More than half began their present job after 1970 (66.7%) and
there is an approximately equal one-third split among the three factories.
Slightly less than half (45.5%) own their own homes; the rest rent (54.5%).
Households tend to be small to moderate in size--45.5% have 1-3 persons in
the home; 51.5% have 4-6 persons and only 3% have 7 or more people living in
their home. Although slightly more than half of the households are of mod-
erate size, the number of persons who work is quite small-- 51.5% have only
one wage-earner; 45.5%.have two wageearners, and only 3% have 4 workers.
FHH's tend to be both at the high and low ends of the educational scale--
42.4% have an 8th grade education or less; 26.7% have less than a high school
diploma, and32.4% have their high school diploma.
FHH"S tend to be more isolated .than_.thhether two groups of women. Only
69.7% have their parents nearby; exactly three-fourths have the immediate family
nearby, and less than half (44.4%) have the extended family living nearby.
Approximately three-fourths see the immediate and extended family every day.
Also, more than half (60.6%) of the FHH's almost never see neighbors. Only
21.2% see their neighbors on a daily basis.
ses Ego Husb. I Both Kids Ps;Os, Ego, E,Ss, Whhole
3.1
3.2
6.3
3.1
3.6
5.9
17.4
8.0
9.1
most
in-laws Kids Os,
9.4 3.1 3..
9.7 3.2
12.5 3.1
6.3 3.1
3.6 3.6
5.9 5.9
0 0
0 4.0
0 0 4
of the expense burden.
Ps
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
,5
Family
0
0
0
3.1
3.6
0
0
0
0
Food 65.6 9.3 6.3
Housing 67.7 12.9 3.2
Electricity 62.5 12.5 3.1
Furniture 65.6 12.5 6.3
Medical 71.4 7.1 7.1
Life Ins. 64.7 5.9 11.8
Kids' Educ 65.2 8.7 8.7
Entertain 72.0 8.0 8.0
Car 68.2 9.1 9.1
Summary Note: FHH's carry
37,-
N=32
N=31
N=32
N=32
N=28
N=17
N=23
N=25
N=22
Expense
FHH's-p.2
Exactly three-fouths of the FHH's say that their families could not support
themselves without their iJan es. Slightly more than half (54.5%) have no
savings; only 12.1% have savings of over $1,000 and 33.3% have savings of less
than $1,000. Debts are high, but not as high as they are for the wives' group.
Only slightly less than one-fouth of the women(21.2% have no monthly debts;
36.4% owe under $99 per month, 30.3% owe between $100-199 and 12.1 have monthly
debts.over $200.
Income
5-7,999
8-9,999
10-11,999
12-13,999
Over 14,000
% N
42.4 14
15.2 -5
6.1 2
12.1 4
24.3 8
100. 33
Summary Note: In addition to carrying the expense
burden, FHH"s have the lowest incomes.
I
About half (48.5%) receive no t-h income than wage income; 9.1% receive
social security, 27.3%get food stamps, and 15.2% say they receive income from
other sources. Over half favor the food stamp program (66.7%)
Possessions
Telephone
Car
Washing Machine
TV
Stereo
Have
39.4
60.6
90.9
100.0
60.6
Do not Have
60.6
39.4
9.1
0
39.4
FHH's-p.3
The modal age for beginning work for FHH's was under 18 (39.4%); 30.3%
began work between the ages of 18-20; 18.2% were between 21-25, and 12.1%
were over the age of 25. Two-thirds of them have worked elsewhere in the
past. Beginning salaries at the present job covered the entire range.
scale. Almost half (42.4%) believe that working conditions in the factory
have gotten worse; only 27.3% say they've improved and 30.3% say there has
been no change. Slightly more than half (54.5%) see fellow workers outside the
-i
factory and have family members working in the same factory (45.5%).
Given a choice, the majority would prefer staying home (57.6%) to
working (42.4%), but only by a slight margin. Few believe (27.3%) that a
married woman with kids should work and slightly less than half (46.7%)
believe an abandoned woman with kids should work.CJ L .',, ': ~- L. -
The majority believe that men are fired first (41.9%); 29% say women
are fired first and 29% say there is no difference. Sixty percent believe
that the-unian_ has improved working conditions for women. Half (50%) blame
industry for unemployment, 46.7% blame government for inflation, and 67.7%
blame industry for the flight of industry.
The majority of respondents classify themselvesas working class; 24.2%
say they are middle class and only 9.1% consider themselves poor. The majority,
however, classify..their.-parents as poor (48.5%); 21.2% say middle and 30.3%
say poor. Exactly half say it is easy to advance in P.R. and half say it is
easier now than.,Lit.. .was.f-ive years ago., Three-fourths (75.8%) believe it is
easier for them than it was for their parents.
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