The NYTimes published a few charts from the 2006 General Social Survey. I want to comment on a several.
The ones that are the least interesting show little meaningful change. The more interesting ones are on the next blog (tomorrow).
The
level of "trust of other people" in America seems to have declined from
45% to 35% over 34 years. I doubt this is all that has happened. While
the population that grew up in the 1950s has been displaced by those who grew
up in the 1970s, I suspect we have two factors at work. One is that the
1950s people who joined organizations and lived in a more class
stratified society had a greater faith in the fellow members of their
cohorts. But equally important, I think the meaning of the word
"trust" is what has changed from an abstract attitude toward society to
a more specific one about people in one's own life.
The frequency
with which people say they pray has not changed in 34 years. About an
equal number of people pray daily compared to those who don't pray at
all. The same proportion of people, over the past 34 years, 70%, still believe
in an afterlife. In spite of claims about increasing religiousity in
America, the data rejects that proposition. There has been no change.
However, confidence in religious institutions has seen a steady decline for 34
years, which I have written about. Religious people moved out of the
political Lefty mainstream churches into the non-political stand-alone
evangelical churches.
The same proportion of people today consider their "life exciting" as did 34 years ago with no change in between. Similar data shows up in worker surveys. The stability of this measure is rather stunning and, I believe, a sign that we have a very stable society, that elected Ronald Reagan because he was upbeat and will continue to elect Presidents who appear upbeat.
There
has been a decline in fear of being out at night from 45% to 30% since
the mid-1990s which reflects an accurate appraisal of risk as crime has
decline significantly from the peak in 1991
(I know its going up again). 
Acceptance of
homosexuality has shown a steady increase in acceptability, suggesting
a potential for movement on this issue up to the point that marriage
entered the fray. Acceptance of homosexual teachers above the high
school level increased from 50% to 80% over 34 years, the largest
single change in the General Survey.
No perceived changes in social class over 34
years. 5% still call themselves "lower", 3% call themselves "upper."
The proportion who call themselves "working" has declined slightly, 45%
to 40% which is less than the real change in the work force from 24%
union to 11% in the same period. "Class" is a vague idea for Americans,
it is more of a political view.