Identities, Opportunities and Challenges
First conducted in 2015 3,000 adults whose characteristics mirror those of the general population Fielded online by YouGov Core of questions about the health of American families Modules about specific issues and trends differ each year
Evaluations of Marriage Your Marriage Marriages Generally 100 75 Marriage People remain optimistic Percentage 50 46 44 50 49 42 42 52 40 40 42 39 41 41 37 37 Status Weaker About the Same Stronger about their own 25 marriages, but less so about marriages 0 8 6 7 6 8 7 8 6 generally. 2015 2016 2017 2018 2015 2016 2017 2018 Year
Marriage and Trump
Identity Commitment 100 Identity Political scientists obsess over identity, typically partisan identities, but what we find is that Percentage Saying `Extremely' or 'Very' Important 75 50 25 70 71 43 29 28 37 30 family relationships are the more important identities. 0 Spouse Parent Religion Race Political Party Career or Job Community
Identity and Race Spouse and Parent Identity by Race 100 Percentage Saying `Extremely Important' 75 50 25 37 46 45 42 61 52 46 18 Respondent White Black Hispanic 9 0 Spouse Identity Parent Identity Race Identity
Most Important 100 Vote Choice and the Most Important Issues Facing Families 90 Issues by 75 78 72 68 82 Party Democrats focus on Percentage 50 59 35 39 49 Partisanship Democrats Independents Republicans economic issues, while 25 Republicans prioritize culture. Both emphasize 0 the need for increased discipline of children. Economics Culture Family Structure Type of Issue
Economic Stresses Among those without children, the cost of raising a child was the most frequently cited factor in decisions about whether to have children.
2017 Modules Relationship Sequence Teens and Technology Sexual Harassment and Consent Immigration Policy / Taxes?
Relationship Sequence Child 3.37 3.75 Relationship Sequence Differences between actual and ideal, on Relationship Milestones Marriage Cohabit 2.15 2.12 2.33 2.51 a a Actual Ideal average 2.11 Sex 1.74 1 2 3 4 Mean Order
Relationship Sequence by Party and Race Republicans White Democrats Black Democrats Relationship Sequence Black Democrats are more similar to Republicans than to Relationship Milestones Child Marriage Cohabit Sex 1.79 2.36 2.25 2.35 2.26 1.82 3.46 3.79 2.53 2.68 2.05 2.22 1.72 1.43 3.53 3.82 1.91 2.47 2.11 2.47 2.42 1.74 3.07 3.73 white Democrats in their ideal relationship sequences 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 a Mean Order Actual a Ideal
Table 16: Most Important Issues Facing Teens Overall Fathers Mothers Teens and Technology Parents views of the most important issues facing teens Overuse of technology 53 55 51 Bullying 45 38 51 Mental health issues 36 34 37 Family breakdown/divorce 35 43 29 Pressure to use drugs or alcohol 34 35 33 Poor quality schools 23 21 24 Making decisions about sexual activity 20 20 20 Difficult relationships with family members 15 15 15 Dating and relationships 14 15 14 Pressure to get good grades 14 14 14 Widespread availability of pornography 12 14 11 Safety in their communities 11 9 13 Not enough meaningful work opportunities 10 12 9 Navigating sexual identity 10 11 9 Sexual abuse 9 8 10 Other 2 2 2
Technology Use Parents estimate their teen sons spend 24 hours/week on video games and their teen daughters spend 24 hours/week on social media
Sexual Harassment 43 percent of all respondents have experienced something inappropriate. 28 percent of men 58 percent of women 23 percent at work 15 percent from an authority figure at school or work More often from college educated
Attitudes about Sexual Harassment Asking to Go for Lunch 3 5 Asking to Go for a Drink 5 9 Sexual Commenting on Appearance 8 11 Harassment Sexual Jokes Placing a Hand on Back 17 20 27 29 Gender Male Female People do distinguish Looking at Private Parts 40 66 between different activities, but women Asking for Sexual Favors 49 71 have more stringent Persisting in Unwanted Attention 62 77 standards than do men 0 25 50 75 100 Percentage Responding the Activity `Always' counts as Harassment as to what counts.
Consistency in Attitudes about Sexual Harassment Male Female 100 An Experiment People are more concerned about `Always' counts as Harassment 75 50 25 67 57 59 39 47 33 78 76 76 66 70 61 Treatment Man to Woman Woman to Man behavior that men commit towards women 0 than they are about the Persisting in Unwanted Attention Asking for Sexual Favors Looking at Private Parts Persisting in Unwanted Attention Asking for Sexual Favors Looking at Private Parts reverse.
Consent: Verbal and 100 Consent and Gender Differences Having Sex Intimate Touching 75 73 Non-Verbal 61 63 Percentage 50 50 Gender Male Female Women are more likely 37 to believe that consent 25 27 27 must be verbal though 18 all groups favor the idea 0 of some form of consent Yes, Must Be Verbal Yes, but Could Be Non-verbal Yes, Must Be Verbal Yes, but Could Be Non-verbal for the most serious forms of contact.
Family Immigration Support Immigration 100 84 Policy and 75 79 78 Family The Groups Everyone Percentage Favoring 50 69 63 50 66 30 62 44 45 42 PID Democrat Republican wants to Admit: 25 26 Children, Spouses, 12 12 12 Parents 0 Child Spouse Parent Sibling Grandparent Aunt/Uncle Niece/Nephew Cousin Controversial Groups: Family Member Extended Family
Asylum Preferred Immigration Policy on Family Separation Requests and Family Together: in the Country 46 Separation Together: Held in a Detention Facility 37 Only 1 in 10 want separated families and children in detention Separated: Children with Relatives or Foster Care 6 facilities. There is more controversy over how intact families should report for asylum hearings. Separated: Children in a Detention Facility 11 0 25 50 75 100
Table 26: Beliefs about whom the recent tax cut would help Groups Overall Average Taxes Large Corporations 68 Wealthy Individuals 63 People of all stripes tend not to believe that recent tax cuts would help their Small Businesses 49 Middle-Income Individuals 43 Low-Income Individuals 37 Your Family 35 family. Only 30 percent of women believed this.
Percentage Choosing Roads over Schools 100 75 Policy We underestimate how 50 42 54 59 42 39 Status Single Without Kids Married With Kids 34 much family matters for policies especially 25 27 21 local policies. 0 Democrat Republican
Discussion Everybody remains happy with their own families, but express concern about the state of the American family. The growing worry for people is economic instability. Family identity matters a lot. Norms about the proper sequence of relationship milestones differ by both party and race. Women experience sexual harassment much more often and, perhaps consequently, have more stringent standards for conduct between the sexes, although everyone is more concerned about men s behavior toward women. Continued attention to public opinion about the family and family policy is our goal.