CNEA 37-39 - 1982 Congregrational Survey Responses
CNEA 39-40 - Sisters Survey 1989 Corresp and Reports to Orders
CNEA 40/16 - "Notre Dame International Survey"
CNEA 41/10 - "Lists"
CNEA 41/58 - "Religious Order Reports"
CNEA 49-113 - Computer Printouts
This collection consists of the data, findings, and correspondence related to three studies which Neal conducted: the South African Catholic Education Study, the Jesuit Self-Study for the California and Oregon Provinces, and the Notre Dame International Survey. (A report on the Jesuit Study can be found in Volume III, Chapter 9, of the General Survey of the Society of Jesus, North American Assistancy, edited by Bruce F. Biever, SJ and Thomas M. Gannon, SJ, 1969, National Office of Pastoral Research.)
Papers of Sister Marie Augusta Neal, SND de Namur, a sociologist on faculty at Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts. She received a B.A. from Emmanuel College in 1942, an M.A. from Boston College in 1953, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1963. In her research and publications Neal has dealt with the renewal in religious life and life in the Church, and she has sought to integrate the discipline of sociology with the prophetic tradition of biblical religion.
Born Helen C. Neal, June 21, 1921, in Brighton, MA, Sr Marie Augusta Neal received an A.B. from Emmanuel College, an M.A. from Boston College, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Harvard University, 1963. She taught secondary school from 1946-53 before beginning her teaching and research career at Emmanuel College in Boston. Beside her teaching, her work in her order of the Sisters' of Notre Dame de Namur and for the Conference of Major Superiors of Women's Institutes, Sr Neal served on the Boston Archdiocesan Commission on Human Rights, and as an area chairperson for the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women in Massachusetts. In 1965, Sr Neal became director of the newly organized Research Committee of the Conference of Major Superiors of Women's Institutes (CMSW). In this capacity she directed a "systematic examination of the resources of Sisters in the U.S. for the work of the Church in the post-Conciliar era" (Notes on Plan of Research, August, 1966). Originally planned as a two stage study, the research developed into a many stage, multi-year project. The foundational stages were a 1966 survey of the personnel and resources of American women's religious orders, and a 1967 attitude survey of 139,000 American sisters in apostolic orders. These were followed by a survey of religious in contemplative orders in 1968, the development of an instrument to assess the populations served by religious in the same year, a content analysis of decrees from post-Conciliar renewal chapters in 1973, a partial retest of the 1967 Sisters' Survey in 1968, updates of this survey in 1979-1980 and 1989-1990, and an update of the 1966 congregational survey in 1982.
In addition to her work with the CMSW Research Committee, Sr. Neal also conducted or assisted in several related projects: a self- study by the Jesuits in the provinces of California and Oregon, a multi-national self-study by her own order, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, and a survey of Catholic Schools in South Africa.
At the heart of Sr Neal's research is the question of the readiness of religious for renewal and social activism in the direction envisioned by Vatican II. She attempts to determine factors which are conducive for change. She uses the data gathered in the surveys for comparitive studies of religious orders having varying levels of experimentation and displaying different degrees of willingness to change. Central to her research is the use of "scales," multi-item measures of attitude, to measure belief and willingness to change. Sr. Neal had begun to experiment with these scales in her doctoral dissertation.
What follows is a description of Sr. Neal's work in three parts:
I. Doctoral Dissertation and Use of Scales
II. CMSW Research Committee Studies
Following this description of Sr. Neal's research are a glossary of terms used in her work, a note on the computer tapes her research generated, and an annotated bibliography of her published writings.
I. Doctoral Dissertation and Use of Scales
A. 1961 Priests Study (no tape)
In this study Sr. Neal develops the study design used for her later surveys. She also develops what in later studies will be called the "Neal scale": a measure for assessing attitudes toward values and change. The methodology of the study is described in Sr. Marie Augusta Neal, "Methodology for the Examination of the Function of Values and Interests in the Process of Social Change," Sociological Analysis 25 (1964): 75-90.
Conducted in 1961 for Sr. Neal's doctoral dissertaion, published in 1965 as Values and Interest in Social Change (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall), this study attempts to test the significance of motivational orientation and attitudes toward change for predicting response to pressures for social change. Based on their responses to an attitude survey, priests from the Boston Archdiocese were categorized in four orientation categories according to whether they were motivated by philosophical values (value) or personal self-interest (interest), and according to their attitudes toward change (positive = change, negative = nonchange). The resulting categories were: value-change, value-nonchange, interest- change, interest-nonchange. The priests responses to stimuli for social change were then measured and correlated with the four categories.
The attitude survey was sent to a random sample of approximately 1/4 of the clergy in the Archdiocese of Boston, stratified according to age (+/- the mean of 46 years) and type of parish (urban/suburban). There was a 70% response (259 of 367). Background information on family, education, status and reading habits was also solicited. (The attitude survey may be found in Values and Interest in Social Change, pp. 168-72 (HM101.N342); the background survey is not available.)
Response to pressure for social change was measured through a follow-up taped interview with the top ten respondents in each orientation category. Interview questions included stimulus statements from Catholic writers urging change in the Church in five areas of interpersonal relations: command-obedience (father-child), social responsibility, independence training of children, respect for intellectual life, and motiviational awareness. These were followed by probing questions. The tapes were transcribed and the responses coded for assent-dissent patterns, definition of situations, style of responses, and defense mechanisms. (Neither taped interviews nor transcripts are available. Sample questions are provided in Sr. Marie Augusta Neal, "Methodology for the Examination of the Function of Values and Interests in the Process of Social Change," Sociological Analysis 25 (1964): 83.)
B. Use of Scales
Central to all of Sr Neal's work is the use of scales to measure attitude, though she did not yet use that term in the 1961 priests study. Attitude scales are a way of measuring strength or intensity of attitudes, from low to high, toward particular persons, situations or things, (in this case, toward change and philosophical values). Responses are collected to a number of statements which take, in equal numbers, positive and negative positions toward the object in question. Each statement offers a range of responses to show degree of agreement or disagreement. The assumption is made that a particular attitude will lead to consistency of response. The responses are combined into a single numerical score known as an index which allows the respondent to be placed on a continuum for purposes of comparison.
The priests study uses two continua: high interest motivation to high value motivation, and high nonchange to high change. 60 cliche- type statements were culled from periodicals and other attitude-measuring instruments. The statements were chosen on the basis of their power to discriminate between value-oriented and interest-oriented persons, and between those open to change and those who resist change. The discriminatory power of the statements was determined in test studies of persons with known attitudes based on assessment by peers. Fifteen statements for each variable were chosen. Answers were scored on a range of -3 to +3 based on six possible responses: strongly disagree, disagree, slightly disagree, slightly agree, agree, stongly agree. No response was scored as 0. Scored answers were summed for each variable. Respondents were scored on the two continua based on the absolute difference between their value and interest scores, and between their change and nonchange scores. They were then grouped into the four orientation categories: value-change, value-nonchange, interest-change, interest-nonchange.
II. CMSW Research Committee Studies
A. 1966 Congregational Survey (1 tape, not converted)
CNEA 2-11, 53-55
This was Part I of the original research plan. It consisted of a survey of major superiors of provinces and orders who were members of CMSW conducted in the summer of 1966 consisting of 133 items. The survey gathered information on demographics, entering trends, formation programs, distribution of personnel, property, education of the sisters, administration, governance and polity, trends in work, those leaving communities, and directions in and expectations for change in liturgy, formation programs, and consitutions. Questions were asked covering the years 1956-1965 to show changes over time. The questionnaire can be found in Appendix II of Sr Marie Augusta Neal, Catholic Sisters in Transition (Wilmington: Michael Glazier, 1984; BX4210.N434 1984 and in CNEA 40/15), and in CNEA 40/12.
Each province and order was assigned a number for reporting purposes, and so that the information could be correlated with the later population survey. This was originally the same code given to congregations for the CMSW Sister Formation Survey. Soon, however, each province, order, or congregation was also given a three digit code based on the Kennedy "Catholic Directory" listing of religious institutes. These codes would remain consistent throughout the many stages of the study. Province/order codes can be found in CNEA 13/"Participants".
415 responses were received. The completed questionnaires, organized by community numerical code, are found in CNEA 5-11.
The responses were processed in two parts. Part IA gives frequencies and percentages to numerically measured items. Part IB gives crosstabulations of the national data. Computer printouts of Part IA, given by order, are found in CNEA 53/01-02, 54/01, 55/01. Computer printouts of Part IB are found in CNEA 54-55.
Each participating community was given the results from its own survey of those items which could be tabulated numenrically, as well as national totals for comparison. The report of national totals can be found in CNEA 40/13. Results of this survey were reported in the 1967 Proceedings of the Annual Assembly of CMSW (in CLCW 10/12), and in Sr Marie Augusta Neal, Catholic Sisters in Transition (Wilmington: Michael Glazier, 1984), which compares the data with those gathered in a 1982 follow-up survey (BX4210.N434 1984 and in CLCW 40/15).
B. 1967 Sisters' Survey (12 tapes: full population - 7 tapes; random stratified sample of 5000 - 1 tape; random sample of 37,000 - 1 tape; black sisters - 1 tape; The 20 (see below, 1980) - 1 tape; Enterprise Group (see below, 1980) - 1 tape)
CNEA 1-2 (Correspondence), 12-16, 56-94
Part II of the original research plan, this was a population attitude survey of sisters in the orders surveyed in Part I. Of the original 415 orders, 39 did not participate in Part II. 22 new groups joined the survey. 157,917 surveys were mailed out in April 1967. 139,691 responses were eventually received. Most of the analysis, however, was conducted on the first 135,106 responses received by June 1967.
For purposes of preserving anonymity, each sister was assigned a nine-digit number, which can be broken down as follows: first three - order, second three - house, last three - sister in house. The numbers for the sisters in each house begin with 101.
The questionnaire (found in CNEA 40/12) consisted of 649 items. These were divided into twelve sections:
I. Statements about Beliefs - 60 items II. Vows and Apostolate - 40 items III. Structural Changes Introduced - 15 items IV. Attitudes - 65 items
V. Census Data and Community - 241 items VI. Current Conditions: Community & Communication - 36 items VII. General Opinions - 83 items VIII. Opinions for Future Plans - 38 items IX. Social Assessment - 16 items
X. Assessment of Structure - 16 items XI. Proposals on Structure - 31 items XII. Conclusions - 8 items
Sections I, II, and IV consist of statements designed to elicit reactions useful for developing scales to assess belief and attitude orientations of sisters. The method used for developing these scales is similar to that used by Sr. Neal in her earlier study of Boston priests (see above).
Section I items are intended to discriminate between two belief orientations: Pre-Vatican II and Post-Vatican II (developed by Sr. Elena Malits, CSC, for this study). Theological statements culled from theological writings and selected through pre- tests were coded as either Theology Pre or Theology Post. There were 30 statements in each category covering beliefs about God, the Church, Christ, sacraments, and eschatology. To each statement there were five possible responses: 1) Yes, 2) No, 3) Undecided or Uncertain, 4) The topic is irrelevant or meaningless in this form, and 4) The statement is so annoying to me that I cannot answer. The responses were weighted as follows: 1) +4, 2) -4, 3) +2, 4) -1, 5) - 1. The response scores in each category (Theology Pre and Theology Post) were summed.
Section II items are intended to discrimate between Pre- and Post-Vatican II orientations in four areas related to religious life: for the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience; and the apostolate. For each area there were five statements in each category (Pre- and Post-Vatican II). The same possible responses and weightings as in section I were used.
Section IV contains statements for 5 sociological scales:
-the F (authoritarian personality) scale developed by T. Adorno (also referred to in Sr Neal's papers as the Indirect Measure of Prejudice, or the Indirect Measure of Rejection of Others): 12 items,
-a Direct Measure of Prejudice (Rejection of Others): 8 items,
-an Anomie scale: 9 items taken from Herbert McClosky and John H. Schaar, "Psychological Dimension of Anomy," American Sociological Review 30 (1965): 23,
-a Political Pessimism Scale: 4 items reported by Gertrude Selznick at the American Sociological Association convention in 1966,
-the Neal Scale developed by Sr. Neal for the study of Boston Priests: 5 items for each of four variables: value, interest, change, nonchange.
There are 12 items not otherwise described, but which appear to attempt a measure of religious prejudice--e.g., 141: "Jewish businessmen are about as honest as other businessmen."; or 147: "Most Protestants are inclined to discriminate against Catholics." These items are: 141, 144, 147, 150, 153, 156, 159, 162, 165, 168, 171, 174. There are five possible responses to the statements in this section: 1) Disagree very much, 2) Disagree somewhat, 3) Neither agree nor disagree, 4) Agree somewhat, 5) Agree very much. These are weighted from +1 to +5 for scoring.
Sr Neal developed other scales in later analyses. Information on all the scales can be found in CNEA 14-15, 36-37, and in a file marked "Summer 79 SS" in CNEA 34. "Summer 79 SS" also contains a table showing how each of the 1967 survey questions was used in subsequent analyses.
The remaining sections of the questionnaire solicited background and census data on the sisters and the sisters evaluation of the structure, organization, community life and activities of their congregations, as well as their assessment of changes in their orders. A breakdown of survey items by target category (e.g., "Structural Changes Introduced," "Community," "Personal Fulfillment," "Government," "Rule") for sections III and V-XII can be found in CNEA 15 in a folder marked "Part II - Items in Categories."
The frequencies and percentages for each order were reported to that order, along with the national totals for comparison. These frequency books, arranged by clusters of provinces and orders, identified by numerical code, are found in CNEA 56-74. The clusters are of two types: orders with multiple provinces, and orders grouped by rule (e.g. Franciscan, Dominican, etc.) or national origin and type of work. The national totals of frequencies and percentages can be found in CNEA 40/13.
National frequencies and percentages were reported for the whole population. Cross tabulations were only done on random samples taken from the population data. The samples were stratified by order. The largest sample was 37,000, using approximately one hundred respondents from each order. The Archives has data tapes for samples of 37,000 and 5,000. Information on how the samples were drawn can be found in CNEA 15 in folders marked "Population - Sample" and "Sample of 5000 + 3000."