University of Toronto. Data Library Service

Title: General social survey, cycle 20 - family transitions, 2006

Series title: General social surveys

Principal investigator(s): Statistics Canada. Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division

Producer: Statistics Canada. Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division (12M0020GPE)

Date of creation: 2008-02-27

Funding agency:

Collector:

Distributor: Ottawa, Ont.: Statistics Canada. Data Liberation Initiative

Date of distribution: 2008-04-08

Access conditions/restrictions: University of Toronto faculty, students and staff, for academic research and teaching purposes only. See DLI licence.

Summary: Cycle 20 of the General Social Survey (GSS) is the fourth cycle to collect detailed information on family life in Canada. The previous GSS cycles that collected family data were Cycles 5, 10 and 15. Topics include demographic characteristics such as age, sex, and marital status; family origin of parents; departure from the parental home; marriages of respondent; common-law unions of respondent; fertility and family intentions; birth and adoption; child custody; financial support agreement or arrangement for children and ex-spouse/partner; social networks; work-family balance and family functioning; work history and maternity and paternity leave. The GSS also gathered data on the respondent's main activity and other socio-demographic characteristics.

Geographic coverage: Canada and provinces

Time period:

Periodicity:

Date(s) of collection: 2006-06 to 2006-10

Universe: The target population for Cycle 20 of the GSS was all persons 15 years of age and older in Canada, excluding:

  1. residents of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut;
  2. full-time residents of institutions.

Data type: public use microdata file

Sample: For sampling, the target population was divided into geographic strata. Households were selected using a Random Digit Dialing method that gave each telephone number in a stratum an equal chance of being selected. One person aged 15 or older was randomly selected from each selected household to participate in the survey. Respondents were interviewed in the official language of their choice and interviews by proxy were not allowed.

Unit of observation: individual

Mode of data collection: computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)

Citation: Statistics Canada. General social survey, cycle 20 - family transitions, 2006 [computer file]. Ottawa, Ont.: Statistics Canada. Social and Aboriginal Statistics Division [producer]; Statistics Canada. Data Liberation Initiative [distributor], 2008-02 (12M0020GPE)

Extent of file: 1 data file (23,608 logical records varies) & accompanying documentation

Notes:

Bootstrap weights are included in public use microdata file.

Related data:

Other Canadian General social surveys Previous GSS cycles that collected family data were Cycles 5, 10, and 15.

Status:

Documentation & data:

Bibliography