4159.0.55.002 - General Social Survey: User Guide, Australia, 2010  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/12/2011   
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Contents >> Survey content >> Comparability with 2006 GSSS

COMPARABILITY WITH 2006 GSS

The following table summarises comparability and differences in content between the 2010 and 2006 GSS.

Topic 2010
2006
Main items available from 2010 Comments

Demographics   Yes
Yes
Age; Sex; Social marital status; Relationship in household; State/territory; Remoteness areas; Country of birth; Main language other than English spoken at home; etc.   Same content in 2010 as 2006.
Health Yes
Yes
Self assessed health status; Disability status; Disability type; Has education restriction; Has employment restriction; Healthcare delays. Same content in 2010 as 2006 with additional items: whether delayed seeing GP because could not afford it; Whether delayed buying prescribed medicines because could not afford it.  
Overall Life Satisfaction Yes
No
Perceived level of satisfaction with life overall. New item in 2010.
Housing Yes
Yes
Housing: Tenure type; Landlord type; Weekly rent and mortgage payments. Same content in 2010 as 2006.
Mobility Yes
Yes
Length of time in current dwelling; Number of times moved in last five years; Length of time in previous dwelling; Geographical area of previous dwelling; Tenure type of previous dwelling; All reasons and main reason for last move Same content in 2010 as 2006.
Education Yes
Yes
Highest educational attainment; Main field of highest educational attainment; Highest year of school completed; Level of highest non- school qualification; Full-time/part-time study; Type of educational institution.   Same content in 2010 as 2006 with additional items: Field and level of current study.
Work   Yes
Yes
Labour force status; Full-time/part-time status; Hours usually worked in all jobs; Occupation in main job; Expected future duration in current job; Leave entitlements in main job; Retirement status.   Same content in 2010 as 2006.
Income Yes
Yes
Gross weekly income; Sources of income; Type of government pension/allowance; Whether government support has been main source of income in last 2 years   Same content in 2010 as 2006.
Financial stress   Yes
Yes
Ability to raise emergency money; number and types of cash flow problems; number and types of dissaving actions Same content in 2010 as 2006.
Financial resilience and exclusion Yes
No
Type(s) of financially resilient actions taken in last 12 months; Number of different types of financially resilient actions taken in last 12 months; Type(s) of financial exclusions experienced in last 12 months; Number of different types of financial exclusions experienced in last 12 months New topic in 2010
Assets and liabilities   Yes
Yes
Value of dwelling; Equity in dwelling; Type of selected assets; Amount owing on mortgage; Consumer debt   Same content in 2010 as 2006.
Information technology Yes
Yes
Whether used computer at home; Frequency of internet access; Purpose of internet activity. Same content in 2010 as 2006.
Transport   Yes
Yes
Perceived level of difficulty with transport; Access to motor vehicles; Travel time to work each day. Same content in 2010 as 2006.
Family and community: Context   Yes
Yes
Types of personal stressors in last 12 months; Types of social activity in last 3 months.   Same content in 2010 as in 2006.
Family and community: Networks   Yes
Yes
Frequency of contact with family or friends; Source of support in time of crisis; Ability to ask for small favours.   Same content in 2010 as in 2006.
Family and community: Support for others Yes
Yes
Whether provide support for children 0-17 living outside the household; Number of children 0-17 supported; Whether provide support for children 18-24 living outside the household; Number of children 18-24 supported; Type of support for children outside the household; Reasons child(ren) living in another household; Whether provide support for other relatives outside the household; Type of support for other relatives. Same content in 2010 as in 2006.
Crime Yes
Yes
Victim of physical or threatened violence; Victim of actual or attempted break-in; Feelings of safety at home alone during day and at night. Same content in 2010 as in 2006.
Social disorder Yes
No
All types of problems experienced in local area in last 12 months; Main type of problem experienced in local area in last 12 months; Degree of severity of main type of problem in local area in last 12 months; Source of knowledge about main type of problem in local area in last 12 months; Location(s) personally seen or experienced main type of problem in local area in last 12 months. New topic in 2010
Experience of homelessness Yes
No
All situations ever experienced because did not have a permanent place to live; All reasons for ever being without a permanent place to live; whether selected person has ever experienced homelessness; Number of times experienced homelessness; Time since last without a permanent place to live; length of time of most recent experience without a permanent place to live; Whether sought assistance from service organisation(s) during most recent experience without a permanent place to live. New topic in 2010
Attendance at cultural venues Yes
Yes
Whether attended selected cultural venues and events in last 12 months; Types of venues attended; all reasons why didn't attend venue or event; main reason did not attend venue or event. Revised in 2010, additional items in 2010; all reasons and main reason why did not attend selected cultural venue or event.
Sports attendance Yes
Yes
Whether has attended any sports events in last 12 months. Same content in 2010 as in 2006.
Sports participation Yes
Yes
Whether has participated in sport or recreational physical activity in last 12 months. Question module changed since 2006 and an additional item collected: whether recreational or sporting activity was organised by a club, association or other organisation.
Social capital: Network qualities Yes
Yes
Level of generalised trust; Level of trust in qualities institutions - doctor, hospitals, police in local area, police outside local area; Feels able to have a real say with family/friends/within community on important issues; Active involvement in social groups/civic groups/community groups in the last 12 months; Type of civic activity engaged in; Has family members or friends can confide in; Number of family members or friends can confide in ; Acceptance of other cultures. Most content in 2010 same as in 2006. Acceptance of other cultures is a new topic.
Social capital: Network structure Yes
Yes
Frequency of face-to-face contact with family and structure friends living outside the household; Frequency of other forms of contact; Other forms of contact used with family and friends; Frequency of Internet or SMS contact; Type of participation in group activities as child/youth; Whether parent(s) did voluntary work; Whether knows of someone in organisation would feel comfortable. Same content in 2010 as in 2006.
Social capital: Network transactions Yes
Yes
Provision of unpaid assistance in past four weeks to ex-household persons; Provision of unpaid assistance, by recipient; Whether provided unpaid care, help or assistance in last 4 weeks to others because of a disability, a long-term illness or problems related to old age; Whether attended a community event in past six months; Whether ever been active in project to organise new service or activity, or preserve existing one in the local area. Same content in 2010 as in 2006.
Social capital: Network type Yes
Yes
Proportion of friends of similar age; Proportion of friends of same ethnic background; Proportion of friends with same level of education; Number of organisations where personally knows someone. Same content in 2010 as in 2006.
Voluntary work Yes
Yes
Whether did unpaid work in last 12 months; Number of organisations volunteered for; Expenses related to voluntary work; Type of organisation volunteered for. Less detailed information was collected in 2010, than in 2006.
Visa category Yes
Yes
Whether hold Australian citizenship; Visa category; Whether main applicant; Whether temporary resident before becoming permanent. Change to collection methodology so comparisons between 2010 and 2006 may not be possible.
Difficulty accessing service providers: episodic level Yes
Yes
Whether had difficulty accessing service providers; Type of service where difficulty was experienced, Type of difficulty experienced. Change to collection methodology. Sector (i.e. government, private or other non-profit organisation) of service provider no longer collected. The type of difficulties experienced are collected for up to three service types.









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