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.