Study title

Living Conditions of Social Assistance Recipients and Social Work 1987

Dataset ID Number

FSD1320

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD1320
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd1320

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Ritakallio, Veli-Matti (University of Turku. Department of Social Policy)
• Salavuo, Kari (University of Turku. Department of Social Policy)

Abstract

The survey charted living conditions, experiences of life and client relationship of social assistance recipients and social work. Firstly, respondents were asked about previous contacts with social services office, previous occupation and job and length of and reason for unemployment. They were also asked to state different illnesses and ailments they had suffered from in the past twelve months. The survey also studied respondents' accommodation (e.g. type, size, way of heating, standard of equipment, number of rooms) and relations with neighbours.

Possession of consumer durables (e.g. telephone, colour television, washing machine and newspaper subscription) was examined. Respondents were asked whether their financial circumstances prevent them from using public transport, buying convenience goods, nutritious food, etc. Leisure activities, membership in a voluntary organisation and voting behaviour in the last parliamentary elections were also charted.

Respondents were asked to assess their childhood and childhood home, for example, who looked after them mostly, how many times they have moved and were there serious conflicts or drinking problems in the family. They also rated their family ties and friendships. Social service clients analysed events that had happened to them in the past five years. They evaluated their standard of living and satisfaction with their situation in life at the time of the survey and five years prior. Social assistance recipients also weighed the most important things in their life. Finally, respondents' views on being social service clients were probed by asking, for example, what was their first visit to social services office like, how does it feel to tell social workers about personal problems and should there be groups representing clients in social services.

Social workers completed information on the client relationship: source of income and combined net income of household, measures taken at meetings (e.g. income calculation, discussion, counselling on child care and welfare or house call). They specified contributory factors in household's income difficulties and reasons for need of help. Social workers assessed how effective social welfare measures are in helping clients.

Background variables included gender, marital status, type and structure of household, basic and vocational education, main activity, spouse's education and main activity.

Keywords

childhood; customers; family influence; health; housing; income; interpersonal relations; life events; living conditions; social security; social security benefits; social services; unemployment; well-being (health)

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Specific social services: use and availability (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Social welfare policy (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Individual datasets

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• Ritakallio, Veli-Matti (University of Turku. Department of Social Policy)
• Salavuo, Kari (University of Turku. Department of Social Policy)

Time Period Covered

1987

Collection Dates

1987-10-15 – 1987-12-15

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland, Kiuruvesi, Rauma, Turku, Varissuo

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Household

Universe

Social assistance recipients in Finland at the time of the survey

Time Method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Probability: Multistage

In the first stage, appropriate localities for the study were chosen. In the second stage, sampling procedure in Kiuruvesi was a total study, in Rauma and Turku systematic sampling.

The data representing social assistance recipients in Kiuruvesi cover all the client households (105) at the time of the survey. Respondents represent about one-third of clients in the region during one year. The sample in Rauma included 152 households, out of which 143 were interviewed. These represent about one-third of all the clients at the time of the survey. The sample in Turku included 297 households, 62 of them were not interviewed. There were 235 interviews conducted in the social service centre of the Turku city centre and 41 in Varissuo social service centre. There were 6945 social assistance recipients in Turku in 1986. Social workers conducted the interviews in social services offices in the localities of the survey. They filled in the first ten questions of section I before the interview and section III afterwards. The household member, who happened to visit social services office at the time, was interviewed. Welfare deprivation was approached from the viewpoint of the whole household as far as it was possible.

Collection Mode

Face-to-face interview

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

85,50

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

2.0

Related Datasets

FSD1321 Living Conditions of Social Assistance Recipients and Social Work 1996

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

Variables in section I of the questionnaire have been changed to start with aq1, in section II with bq and in section III with cq. The numbering of variables corresponds with that of the original questionnaire.

Variables identifying year of birth, occupation and social services office have been removed from the data. Variables of questions 15, 21_1, 21_2, 27 and 5b in section I of the questionnaire are missing. Answers to open-ended categories of variables aq7, aq10, aq10b, aq11_1, aq11_2, aq11b, aq20, aq32, aq38, aq45, aq54, bq1, bq2_16, bq03, bq05, bq06, bq13, cq5, cq11, cq15 are missing.

Weighting

There is a weight variable which allows the data to be weighed by locality.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Ritakallio, Veli-Matti (University of Turku) & Salavuo, Kari (University of Turku): Living Conditions of Social Assistance Recipients and Social Work 1987 [dataset]. Version 2.0 (2018-07-13). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD1320

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Salavuo, Kari & Ritakallio, Veli-Matti (1986). Toimeentulotukiasiakkaat Varissuon sosiaaliasemalla: raportti Turun kaupungille. Turku: Turun yliopisto. Turun yliopisto, Sosiaalipolitiikan julkaisuja. Sarja A; 21.

Salavuo, Kari (1988). Asiakkaat, sosiaalityöntekijät ja toimeentulohuolto. Turku: Turun yliopisto. Turun yliopisto, Sosiaalipolitiikan julkaisuja. Sarja A; 24.

Ritakallio, Veli-Matti & Salavuo, Kari (1988). Toimeentulotukiasiakkaat teollisuuskeskuksessa. Turku: Turun yliopisto. Turun yliopisto, Sosiaalipolitiikan julkaisuja. Sarja A; 23.

Ritakallio, Veli-Matti & Salavuo, Kari (1989). Hyvinvointiongelmat ja sosiaalihuolto maaseutukeskuksessa: tutkimus Kiuruveden rakennepiirteistä, toimeentulotukiasiakkaiden elinoloista ja asiakkuudesta sekä sosiaalityöntekijöiden arvioista toimeentulohuollosta. Turku: Turun yliopisto. Turun yliopisto, Sosiaalipolitiikan julkaisuja. Sarja A; 28.

Ritakallio, Veli-Matti (1991). Köyhyys ei tule yksin: tutkimus hyvinvointipuutteiden kasautumisesta toimeentulotukiasiakkailla. Helsinki: Sosiaali- ja terveyshallitus. Sosiaali- ja terveyshallitus. Tutkimuksia; 11.

Ritakallio, Veli-Matti (1997). Toimeentulotukiasiakkaat ja sosiaalityö. Teoksessa: "Tehdä itsensä tarpeettomaksi?": sosiaalityö 1990-luvulla (toim. Riitta Viialainen & Maisa Maaniittu), 67-83. Helsinki: Stakes. Sosiaali- ja terveysalan tutkimus- ja kehittämiskeskus, Raportteja; 213.