University Students' Values, Vocations, and Political Orientations: Mexico, 1962

Respondents' educational backgrounds were explored through extensive questions about their secondary school attendance and the level of education attained by their parents and grandparents. The value that students placed on education and on the university in general was examined in variables probing the importance of completing a degree, the main functions of an academic institution, and the respondents' professional prospects and expectations after graduation. Other questions elicited the respondents' views on faculty and student involvement in politics. A major portion of the study assessed the students' perspectives on national and international affairs. Respondents gave their opinions about specific issues affecting their country, such as agrarian reform, the role of the national government, the benefits of foreign capital, and the advantages of joining the Latin American Free Trade Association. Further variables explored the students' views on international issues, such as the Cuban Revolution and aspects of the social, economic, and cultural development of several world powers. Finally, several questions probed the respondents' perspectives on life, social relations and family ties, and moral and religious matters, as well as their tendencies toward progressive political thinking. Demographic variables include age, sex, marital status, number of siblings, religion, and occupation, if applicable.