The Occupational Status Attainment Processes of Males and Females

The NORC General Social Surveys of 1972-1974 are utilized to compare white working males and females with respect to the process of occupational status attainment. The occupational status of each sex is quite similar, although males are somewhat more likely to have high and low status jobs. The process of status attainment is also the same for males and females. Education is the strongest determinant of status for each sex, with family background characteristics showing only a small direct influence on status. The determinants of educational attainment are also much the same for white working males and females, although number of siblings has a significantly stronger effect for males. There is no evidence that the education of the like-sexed parent is a stronger influence on educational attainment than that of the opposite-sexed parent. An extended model of occupational status attainment is also estimated for females. Although full-time workers and married women have slightly higher status than part-time workers and unmarried women, respectively, the number of children at home has no effect on the occupational status of working women.