Survey Methodology #2012-02 - New Relationship And Marital Questions: A Reflection Of Changes To The Social And Legal Recognition Of Same-Sex Couples In The U.s. - U.s. Census Bureau Page 27

There was sentiment among respondents that the same‐sex options in the relationship category should

be listed together. Same‐sex respondents were surprised, albeit pleasantly surprised, to see these

phrases included in the question. They thought that people might mark the first same‐sex category they

came to in the current sequence, and since the same‐ and opposite‐sex categories were alternated, they

might in some cases mark “same‐sex husband/wife/spouse” when they really should mark “same‐sex

unmarried partner.” The option of listing the two opposite‐sex categories before the two same‐sex

categories did not present a problem for anyone.

The changes made to the relationship question were perceived as potentially sensitive to some people.

This was observed particularly in the North Carolina interviews, which were chosen specifically to get a

reading of how the changes would play in more conservative parts of the country. The reactions were

not extreme, however; respondents did not think that, for themselves at least, the new categories on

the form would preclude their completing the form.

Many respondents, both same‐ and opposite‐sex, were unfamiliar with the concepts of domestic

partnership and civil union. There was geographic diversity in how well the meaning of these terms was

understood. Most respondents saw this option as a “gay thing,” although some respondents knew that

domestic partnerships can apply to both same‐ and opposite‐sex relationships.

The new cohabitation question worked well as a way of identifying people who live in relationships with

no legal status. The intent of the question was understood and the terminology used was acceptable to

all respondents.

These results have implications for choosing a single version of the relationship and marital status

questions to use in forthcoming large‐scale quantitative tests. For the relationship question, we

recommend the version that delineates same‐ and opposite‐sex categories. However, we do not

recommend the exact version we tested. We think the evidence provided in the interviews shows

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Parent category: Legal