Skip to main content

Using Secondary Survey Data to Study Community Sentiment: An Example Examining Sentiment Toward Income Based on Family Needs and Income

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
  • 706 Accesses

Abstract

Surveys and secondary survey data can be extremely useful tools for researchers and practitioners examining community sentiment. In this chapter, we discuss survey methodology and provide a detailed, step-by-step example of how to conduct secondary data analysis. We first introduce survey methodology and discuss the pros and cons of survey data. We then proceed with an example that uses secondary survey data to examine community sentiment on the question of if/how family needs should be a factor in deciding how much employees ought to be paid. We conclude by discussing how our example sheds light on the utility of survey data in community sentiment research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/landing.jsp

  2. 2.

    http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/

  3. 3.

    http://www.issp.org/

  4. 4.

    http://info1.gesis.org/dbksearch19/Docs.asp?no=5400

  5. 5.

    More details on the regression results and their interpretation are available on the web supplement at www.international-survey.org

References

  • Allison, P. D. (1999). Multiple linear regression: A primer. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Austen, S. (2002). An international comparison of attitudes to inequality. International Journal of Social Economics, 29, 218–237. doi:10.1108/03068290210417106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brislin, R. W. (1970). Back-translation for cross-cultural research. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1, 185–216. doi:10.1177/135910457000100301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, M. D. R., & Kelley, J. (2004a). Keeping the faith? In M. D. R. Evans & J. Kelley (Eds.), Australian economy and society 2002: Religion, morality, and public policy in international perspective (pp. 45–53). Sydney, Australia: Federation Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, M. D. R., & Kelley, J. (2004b). Data, methods, and measurement. In M. D. R. Evans & J. Kelley (Eds.), Australian economy and society 2002: Religion, morality, and public policy in international perspective (pp. 317–336). Sydney, Australia: Federation Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, M. D. R., Kelley, J., & Peoples, C. D. (2010). Justifications of inequality: The normative basis of pay differentials in 31 nations. Social Science Quarterly, 91, 1405–1431. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6237.2010.00738.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox, J. (1997). Applied regression analysis, linear models, and related methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gijsberts, M. (2002). The legitimation of income inequality in state-socialist and market societies. Acta Sociologica, 45, 269–285. doi:10.1177/000169930204500402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hadler, M. (2005). Why do people accept different income ratios? Acta Sociologica, 48, 131–154. doi:10.1177/0001699305053768.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalmijn, W. M., Arends, L. R., & Veenhoven, R. (2011). Happiness scale interval study: Methodological considerations. Social Indicators Research, 102, 497–515. doi:10.1007/s11205-010-9688-2.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kelley, J., & Evans, M. D. R. (1993). The legitimation of inequality. American Journal of Sociology, 99, 75–125. doi:0002-9602/94/9901-0003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kluegel, J. R., Mason, D. S., & Wegener, B. (1995). Social justice and political change. New York, NY: Aldine de Gruyter.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Lester, W. (1998). “Dewey Defeats Truman” disaster haunts pollsters. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1998/nov/01/news/mn-38174

  • O’Brien, R. M., & Homer, P. (1987). Corrections for coarsely categorized measures. Quality and Quantity, 21, 349–360. doi:10.1007/BF00172562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Treiman, D. J. (2009). Quantitative data analysis: Doing social research to test ideas. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Clayton D. Peoples Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Evans, M.D.R., Peoples, C.D., Kelley, J. (2015). Using Secondary Survey Data to Study Community Sentiment: An Example Examining Sentiment Toward Income Based on Family Needs and Income. In: Miller, M., Blumenthal, J., Chamberlain, J. (eds) Handbook of Community Sentiment. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1899-7_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics