Patterns of Intergenerational Occupational Movements: A Smallest-Space Analysis

Using the smallest-space analysis technique to investigate the relationships between fathers' occupations and male college students' career choices, three dimensions of work were found to be relevant to the interpretation of the space: autonomy, rewards, and functional foci. Further examination of the data indicated a strong pattern of occupational inheritance. When sons did not inherit their fathers' occupations, they still tended to choose work offering their fathers' vocational experiences. These findings support the hypothesis that distinctive attributes of fathers' occupations are related to values which are transmitted to sons and reflected in their vocational decisions.