Note: the following is the questionnaire that was used to obtain the data in this booklet. Thank you for taking part in a national survey of Baby Boomers (adults born between 1946 - 1964) being conducted by Dr. Richard H. Gentzler, Jr. and Dr. Craig Kennet Miller (both staff of the General Board of Discipleship). Please answer each question honestly and carefully. Questions? Call 615-340-7173 or e-mail rgentzler@gbod.org. When completed, fold and seal your questionnaire and send it by Dec. 1, 1997 to: Office of Adult Ministries, GeneralBoard of Discipleship, P.O. Box 840, Nashville, TN 37202. First name: Age: Year of birth: City: State: Sex:  Female      Male Occupation: Place of Birth: United Methodist? Yes      No 1. Are you:  Single (never married) Married (never divorced) Divorced Widowed Married Again  Living with someone 2. Are you:  A parent  A grandparent  Not a parent 3. What is your ethnic group? Euro American (White) Hispanic/Latino Multiethnic African American (Black) Asian American Native American  Pacific Islander 4. How much education have you completed? (pick one) Some high school High school graduate Some college College graduate Some graduate school Graduate school 5. Do you consider yourself:  Liberal,  Moderate,  Conservative,  None of these 6. In terms of religious beliefs, are you:  Atheist,  Agnostic,  Seeker,  Believer 7. Which of the following have you experienced? (check all that apply) Marriage  Death of a spouse Divorce  Remarriage Parent in a blended family  Chronic illness (arthritis, hearing loss, etc.) Acute illness (cancer, stroke, etc.) Parent(s) living with you Caring for aging parent(s) Death of a parent  Death of a child  Abortion  Military Service  Tried illegal drugs Job loss Career Change  Physical or sexual abuse Religious experience or conversion "Born Again"  First one in your family to graduate from college 8. Which one of the above has had the greatest impact on your life? 9. Why? 10. What is your annual household income? (pick one) Under $20,000  $20,000 - $34,999  $35,000 - $49,999 $50,000 - $74,999  $75,000 - $100,000  Above $100,000 11. With (1) as the highest, rank from 1-6 the following groupings where you learned your core values: Church: Select a rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 Co-Workers: Select a rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 Family:  Select a rank 1 2 3 4 5 6  Friends: Select a rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 Media: Select a rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 School: Select a rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 12. Which do you believe? (check all that apply) God is the Creator In Karma God is an energy force All people will go to heaven  Only good people will go to heaven  Only those saved will go to heaven In Angels Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior  In Prayer There is no hell  There is no heaven  In Dreams I can find faith myself  The church is the best place to grow in faith 13. Are you active in any of the following religions? (pick one) Buddhism Islam  Mormon  Hinduism  Judaism  New Age  Catholic Christianity Protestant Christianity  Other 14. How often do you attend religious services? (pick one) Weekly Twice a month Monthly Quarterly  Yearly Never 15. What gives you the most meaning in life? (pick one) Community Service Family Friendships/Relationships Religion/Spirituality Work Other, please be specific: 16. How would you describe your generation, the Baby Boomer Generation? (pick one) Giving and caring Greedy and selfish Hypocritical Matured by experience and ready to lead Other, please be specific: 17. What values do you wish to pass on to your children and/or future generations? 18. Which is your most important concern as you raise your children? (pick one) Helping them develop a positive self-identity Modeling healthy relationships Spending enough time with them Teaching them core values Other, please be specific: 19. When you think about the next 10 years, how do you feel? (pick one) Hopeful Confident Apathetic Anxious Fearful 20. What do you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years? 21. As you think about the next 10 years, which of the following will be society's greatest economic concern? (pick one) Paying for Social Security and Medicare Balancing the federal budget Health care costs for a growing older adult population Growing gap between the rich and the poor Other, please be specific: 22. As you think about the next 10 years, which of the following will be society's greatest social concern? (pick one) Fighting racism, sexism, and ageism Stopping the violence related to crime and drugs Caring for the homeless and mentally ill Raising a generation of fatherless children Other, please be specific: 23. As you think about the next 10 years, what is your greatest personal financial concern? (pick one) Paying for my child's college education Saving for retirement Supporting my aging parent's needs Paying off my mortgage Paying for the cost of my divorce Other, be specific: 24. How satisfied are you with your life? Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 25. Do you regularly exercise (at least 3 times a week) and eat nutritious meals? Always  Usually  Rarely  Never 26. How do you view your own aging? (pick one) I plan to fight growing older I plan to deny I am growing older I plan to relax and not worry about my aging I plan to reinvent my life during my retirement years I plan to grow older gracefully Other, please be specific: 27. Although aging is a natural process of life, as we grow older and reach our retirement years, how do you want to be identified? (pick one) Elder  Mature adult  Older adult  Senior citizen  Adult Other, please be specific: 28. What are your two greatest fears about growing older? Not having enough money to live on Dying Losing my sense of purpose in life Failing health Being a burden to my family Death of spouse Not leaving my children an inheritance Losing my independence Living in a nursing home Memory loss Other, please be specific: 29. Do you plan to retire?  Yes  No 30. If Yes, at what age do you plan to retire? 31. When I retire, I plan to: (check all that apply) Travel  Spend more time with my family Learn new skills Continue working even during my retirement years Start a new career  Move to another climate for my health Move closer to my family  Perform community service Grow spiritually  Other, please be specific: 32. Do you agree (Yes) or disagree (No) with the following? Yes  No I will receive Social Security benefits when I retire Yes  No I will have a pension when I retire Yes  No I am personally saving for my retirement Yes  No My parents are/were better off financially than I Yes  No Organized religion is in touch with my needs Yes  No Organized religion is "big business" and money Yes  No The government is doing a good job running this country Yes  No The government should end Affirmative Action Yes  No There is more violence in my community than 3 years ago Yes  No My family enjoys a close relationship Yes  No I am committed to having a long-term relationship with my spouse Yes  No I am satisfied with my career Yes  No I am satisfied with my faith Yes  No The criminal justice system is fair Yes  No I believe in capital punishment Yes  No I approve of living together outside of marriage Yes  No Homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle Yes  No Abortion can be an appropriate means of birth control Yes  No When I am too old to care for myself, I will live in a nursing home Yes  No Physician assisted suicide should be permitted by law 33. Which event of the 60's and 70's had more impact in shaping your life? (pick one) President Kennedy's assassination  Astronauts walking on the moon Rock and Roll  Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination The Civil Rights Movement  The Vietnam War Women's Liberation Movement  The Pill and the Sexual Revolution President Nixon's resignation  Other, please be specific: 34. Why?