A large-scale survey to obtain detailed information about how family living and formation are related to religious living and activity will be conducted jointly by Brandeis University and the University of Illinois, it was announced here today. The survey, which will begin early this year, will comprise some 3, 000 personal interviews at the homes of Protestants, Catholics and Jews throughout the State of Illinois.
The director of the project, Dr. Bernard Lazerwitz, currently on leave of absence from the University of Illinois and now associate professor of research at Brandeis’ Florence Heller Graduate School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare, said the purpose of the project is to gain a detailed picture of religious life and trends in Illinois. The survey, he said, will also illustrate how religious outlook influences family stability and growth, careers and the handling of various social problems.
Among the topics that will be covered in the interviews are: observance of the Sabbath and religious festivals; the amount and types of religious education received by children; activity in voluntary associations; religiousness of parental homes; and data about age, education and occupation. The project has been endorsed by Dr. Franklin Rector, the Illinois Council of Churches’ director of research and church planning; the Church Federation of Greater Chicago; the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago; the Chicago Board of Rabbis; the National Jewish Welfare Board; and the Chicago Jewish Community Centers.
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