SOCIAL INDICATORS, 1976, STRESSES THE MONITORING AND REPORTING OF SOCIAL CHANGE AND EMPHASIZES CONCEPTUAL AND METHODOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL INDICATOR MODELS AND SOCIAL REPORTING. A PAPER ON INCOME AND CONSUMPTION STUDIES THE SOCIAL INDICATORS WHICH SEEM TO SUGGEST THAT FAMILY INCOMES ARE GROWING, CONSUMPTION PATTERNS ARE SHIFTING, AND THAT INCOME DIFFERENCES HAVE DECREASED. FERTILITY CHANGES AS MARKED BY SOCIAL INDICATORS ARE DISCUSSED ALONG WITH SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CAUSES OF THESE CHANGES AND STATISTICS ON THE FAMILY, RECORDING A STEADY INCREASE IN THE DIVORCE RATE, A DECLINE IN MARRIAGE AND BIRTH RATES, AND A RISING PROPORTION OF PREMARITAL BIRTHS, ARE EXAMINED IN RELATION TO AN INCREASING NUMBER OF SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES. A 25-YEAR REVIEW OF WORK-LIFE PATTERN CHANGES INDICATES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES IN THE PROPORTION OF POPULATION ENGAGED IN THE JOB MARKET AND IN THE AGE AND SEX COMPOSITION OF THE WORK FORCE. A PAPER DISCUSSING HOUSING AND LIVING ENVIRONMENTS CONCLUDES THAT HOUSING HAS IMPROVED GREATLY FOR ALL INCOME CLASSES AND FOR ALL RACES, BUT THAT A LARGE DISPARITY REMAINS BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR. SOCIAL SECURITY AND SOCIAL WELFARE DATA ARE CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO SOCIAL POLICY, AND TRENDS IN HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE ARE DISCUSSED. FLUCTUATIONS IN SCHOOL AND TRAINING PROGRAM POPULATIONS ARE DISCUSSED, AND DATA ON BLACK AMERICANS IS EXAMINED FOR EVIDENCE OF DISCRIMINATION AND NEGLECT. DATA ON CULTURE AND LEISURE INDICATE A TREND TOWARD MASS CULTURE AND INCREASED ATTENDANCE AT SPORTS EVENTS AND PERFORMING ARTS. AN ARTICLE EXAMINES OCCUPATIONAL AND MOBILE MOBILITY, VOTING, VOLUNTEER WORK, PARTICIPATION, AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. SOCIAL INDICATORS, 1976 IS THEN COMPARED WITH ITS CANADIAN COUNTERPART AS TO ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND OBJECTIVES, AND THE FINAL CHAPTER EXAMINES CONGRESSIONAL NEED FOR INFORMATION. EACH SECTION CONTAINS GRAPHS AND OTHER STATISTICAL DATA, AND A BOOK REVIEW SECTION CONCLUDES THE TEXT. AN INDEX IS PROVIDED. (DAG)