Transcript Chapter 16

Chapter 16
The Interplay between
Education and Occupation
Chapter Outline
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Occupational Prestige
The Transformation of Work
The Transformation of the Labor Force
The Transformation of Education
Do Schools Really Matter?
High School Today
Homeschooling
Does Education Pay?
Education and Occupation
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The more education people have, the
higher their occupational status.
If we know people’s education and
occupation, we can deduce other things
about them:
– how they vote
– what kind of TV shows they watch
– what kind of neighborhood they live in
Occupational Prestige Scores
Score Occupation
Score Occupation
94
U.S. Supreme Court
justice
89
Chemist
93
Physician
89
U.S. Foreign Service
diplomat
92
Nuclear physicist
89
Lawyer
92
Scientist
88
Architect
91
Government scientist
88
County judge
91
State governor
88
Dentist
90
Cabinet member
87
Mayor of a large city
90
College professor
87
Board member of a
large corporation
90
Member, U.S. Congress
87
Minister
Occupational Prestige Scores
Score Occupation
Score Occupation
87
Psychologist
81
Accountant for large
business
86
Airline pilot
81
Public school teacher
86
Civil engineer
80
Building contractor
86
State government
department head
80
Owner of a factory that
employs about 100 people
86
Priest
78
Artist with work in galleries
85
Banker
78
Novelist
85
Biologist
78
Economist
83
Sociologist
78
Symphony musician
82
U.S. Army captain
77
International labor union
official
Occupational Prestige Scores
Score Occupation
Score Occupation
76
County agricultural
agent
72
Policeman
76
Electrician
71
AVERAGE
76
Railroad engineer
71
Newspaper Reporter
75
Owner-operator of a
printing shop
70
Bookkeeper
75
Trained machinist
70
Radio announcer
74
Farm owner and
operator
69
Insurance agent
74
Undertaker
69
Tenant farmer
74
City welfare worker
67
Local labor union official
73
Newspaper columnist
67
Manager of small store
Occupational Prestige Scores
Score
Occupation
Score Occupation
66
Mail carrier
62
Garage mechanic
66
Railroad conductor
59
Truck driver
66
Traveling salesman
58
Fisherman with his own
boat
65
Plumber
56
Clerk in a store
63
Barber
56
Milk route man
63
Machine operator
in a factory
56
Streetcar motorman
63
Owner-operator of
a lunch stand
55
Lumberjack
63
Playground director
55
Restaurant cook
62
U.S. Army corporal
54
Nightclub singer
Occupational Prestige Scores
Score
Occupation
Score
Occupation
50
Coal miner
48
Janitor
50
Dock worker
45
Clothes presser in a laundry
50
Night watchman
44
Soda fountain clerk
50
Railroad section
head
42
Sharecropper with no
livestock or equipment and
does not manage farm
49
Restaurant waiter
39
Garbage collector
49
Taxi driver
36
Street sweeper
48
Bartender
34
Shoe shiner
48
Farmhand
Why People Rate Occupations
High or Low
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People rate a job by its importance.
The more training an occupation
requires and the more pay it offers, the
greater its public prestige.
They assume society will not pay high
salaries to get people to do unimportant
work.
Occupational Opportunities
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Education is the primary factor determining
our occupational opportunities.
 Children receive socialization appropriate to
certain occupations.
 Children who don’t show academic aptitude
tend to be placed in educational tracks that
lead to manual occupations.
 Academically talented children are groomed
for technical and professional occupations.
The Transformation of Work
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In 1900, fewer than 20% of North
Americans had white-collar jobs.
Today, there are more white-collar than
blue-collar workers.
Fewer jobs involving manual labor are
available each year.
The Transformation Of The
Labor Force
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In 1870 about 40% of North Americans over
age sixteen were in the labor force.
 In 2000, nearly 2/3 were in the labor force.
 Now most North Americans finish high school
or college before entering the labor force, and
most people must retire by age 70.
 In 1870, few went to high school or college,
and most started work young; people rarely
retired as long as they could work.
Female Labor Force
Participation Selected Nations)
Nation
% Women
15–64 in the
labor force
Iceland
83.1%
South
Korea
53.1%
Norway
76.3%
Greece
49.0%
Denmark
75.8%
Spain
48.9%
Sweden
74.6%
Italy
46.0%
United States
71.7%
Mexico
42.1%
Canada
69.6%
Iraq
9.0%
Japan
63.8%
Saudi
Arabia
5.1%
Nation
% women
15–64 in the
labor force
Women in the Labor Force
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In 1900, few women in North America or
anywhere else were employed outside
the home.
Today, about 7 of 10 American and
Canadian women are full-time members
of the labor force.
Reasons for Expansion of
Women in the Labor Force
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Unfavorable sex ratio forced many
women to support themselves.
Reduced fertility freed women from
long years of pregnancy and child
rearing.
Increased freedom from housework.
Change in the kinds of work available.
Money.
Gender Composition of
Selected Occupations
% female
Total Labor Force
46.5
All professional and managerial occupations
49.8
Selected occupations from this category:
Physicians
27.9
Lawyers
29.6
Engineers
9.9
Registered nurses
92.8
College professors
43.7
Psychologists
64.6
Editors and Reporters
55.8
Gender Composition of
Selected Occupations
Total Labor Force
Some other occupations:
Police officers
% female
46.5
49.8
16.5
Firefighters
Bank tellers
Truck drivers
3.4
90.0
4.7
Farm workers
18.7
Chronic Unemployment
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Concentrated in certain areas, such as the
Appalachia region of the United States or the
Atlantic provinces of Canada.
 More common in certain segments of the
population, especially minority groups.
 Unemployment afflicts a higher proportion of
African Americans than whites.
Education
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In 1647, the Puritans of the Massachusetts
Colony enacted a law that all children should
attend school.
 In 1920, fewer than half of those of high
school age were still in school.
 The class of 1948 included 52.9% of its age
group.
 The class of 1999 included more than 70%
of its age group.
Academic Achievement of 15 Year
-Olds in Selected Nations
Mean proficiency test scores
Nation
Combined
average
Reading
Science
Math
Japan
543
522
550
557
Great Britain
528
523
532
529
International
Mean
500
499
502
498
United States
499
504
499
493
Germany
487
484
487
490
Russia
467
462
460
478
Mexico
410
422
422
387
The Effects of Homework
Hours spent on
homework each week
None
Less
than 1
Percent with an A
average
1
4
6
10
16
27
Percent with an
average of D or
lower
46
24
16
9
5
5
Percent who
dropped out before
senior year
28
17
12
9
6
6
1–3 3–5 5–10
Over
10
Studying and Dropping Out by
Race and Ethnicity
% of sophomores who
do an hour or more of
homework every day
% who dropped out
before senior year
Whites
27
11
African
Americans
24
14
Hispanic
Americans
20
19
Native
Americans
24
18
Asian
Americans
52
5
Effects of Different Kinds of
Schools on Sophomores
% of sophomores who
do an hour or more of
homework every day
% who dropped out
before senior year
Public
26
18
Catholic
47
2
Elite
Private
94
0
Other
Private
50
9
Effects of Different Kinds of
Schools on Sophomores
“To what extent are the following disciplinary matters
problems in your school?”
Students Students get % who expect
cut classes into fights
to attend
(% “often”) (% “often”)
college
Public
26
18
59
Catholic
47
2
78
Elite Private
94
0
95
Other Private
24
18
76
Education and Mean Annual
Income, Persons Age 45–55
Education
Mean annual income
Not a high school graduate
$19,865
High school graduate
27,133
Some college
34,141
College graduate
44,523
Master’s degree
56,022
Doctorate
75,426
Professional
115,498