A Comparative Study of the Goals of Middle-Aged Student and Non-Student Homemakers

This study compared the goals of middle-aged student and non-student homemakers. Achieved, current and future goals were investigated. The student sample was composed of twenty-five married, female, full-time students between the ages of thirty and fifty enrolled at Utah State University and was matched with a non-student sample as closely as possible. At least one full year of college had been attained by all subjects before marriage. Data were collected through interviews conducted by the researcher during fall quarter, 1973. A non-directional t test was used to analyze the differences between the number of goals identified by both samples. Three hypotheses were tested. Analysis of the results failed to prove their validity, therefore, they could not be accepted. When the goals of the two groups of women were compared, few differences were found. Family goals were unanimously ranked as most important by both samples for all areas studied. Throughout this study the non-student sample seemed to have more goals, although not a significant difference, and to hold more conventional attitudes regarding the goals and roles of women than the student sample.