The theoretical and empirical literature assumes stability of important attitudes and values. Accordingly, this study examined the hypothesis that the structure of the meaning of work will remain stable over time. This hypothesis was tested on two independent samples of the Israeli labour force. The first ( n = 407) was a group of individuals who were interviewed twice, once in 1981 and again in 1993. The second was a new representative sample ( n = 942) of the labour force, assembled in 1993, to serve as a comparison with the first sample. The findings generally support the hypothesis regarding the stability over time of the structure of the meaning of work concept.

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An attempt was made to ascertain the meaning of work variables affecting work centrality in Germany, Israel, Japan, and the United States. Expressive orientation and the societal norms of obligation were found to affect work centrality consistently. Females in these countries assigned less importance to work centrality than did males; educational level also contributed negatively to work central ity. The remaining variables were less consistent yet strong predic tors of work centrality. Interpersonal relations had a negative impact on work centrality in Japan and the United States but were not significant in Germany and Israel. Instrumental orientation was a negative predictor in three countries, Germany being the exception, as was entitlement, with the exception of Israel. Finally, actual income had a positive influence on work centrality in Japan and Israel, a negative one in Germany, and none in the United States. Various cultural dimensions are presented to account for these findings.

Two recent trends in marriage imply different consequences for the degree of heterogeneity in American society: Increasing racial intermarriage indicates higher levels of social integration, while continued educational homogamy potentially enlarges socioeconomic inequality. This article analyzes census 5 percent Public Use Micro Samples data from 1980 to 2000 and examines the two trends simultaneously. Results suggest that racial homogamy has gradually declined but remains as the strongest pattern. Educational homogamy shows a diverse pattern of change, with an overall flat or slightly declining trend, and the best educated and the least educated are both more homogamous than those who have intermediate levels of education. Those who intermarry by race tend to have higher levels of education, and there is a modest positive relationship between racial and educational heterogamy.

Inter-racial marriages are often reported as less stable and less happy than intra-racial marriages, but the effect of race and culture is difficult to separate. This paper examines self-reported marital happiness among a sample of married couples in a multi-racial, multi-cultural but homoreligious community. Findings suggest that even after controlling religion and many other demographic variables, inter-racially married individuals report lower happiness than those in intraracial unions, especially women. When couples are used as unit of analysis and husband and wife’s responses are controlled for each other, wives’ happiness is significantly affected by interracial marriage. Husbands’ happiness is not related to their type of marriage.