Chapter 16 The Interplay between Education and Occupation

Chapter Outline  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  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 ScoreOccupationScoreOccupation 94 U.S. Supreme Court justice 89Chemist 93Physician89 U.S. Foreign Service diplomat 92Nuclear physicist89Lawyer 92Scientist88Architect 91Government scientist88County judge 91State governor88Dentist 90Cabinet member87Mayor of a large city 90College professor87 Board member of a large corporation 90Member, U.S. Congress87Minister

Occupational Prestige Scores ScoreOccupationScoreOccupation 87Psychologist81Accountant for large business 86Airline pilot81Public school teacher 86Civil engineer80Building contractor 86State government department head 80Owner of a factory that employs about 100 people 86Priest78Artist with work in galleries 85Banker78Novelist 85Biologist78Economist 83Sociologist78Symphony musician 82U.S. Army captain77International labor union official

Occupational Prestige Scores ScoreOccupationScoreOccupation 76County agricultural agent 72Policeman 76Electrician71AVERAGE 76Railroad engineer71Newspaper Reporter 75Owner-operator of a printing shop 70Bookkeeper 75Trained machinist70Radio announcer 74Farm owner and operator 69Insurance agent 74Undertaker69Tenant farmer 74City welfare worker67Local labor union official 73Newspaper columnist67Manager of small store

Occupational Prestige Scores ScoreOccupationScoreOccupation 66Mail carrier62Garage mechanic 66Railroad conductor59Truck driver 66Traveling salesman58Fisherman with his own boat 65Plumber56Clerk in a store 63Barber56Milk route man 63Machine operator in a factory 56Streetcar motorman 63Owner-operator of a lunch stand 55Lumberjack 63Playground director55Restaurant cook 62U.S. Army corporal54Nightclub singer

Occupational Prestige Scores ScoreOccupation Score Occupation 50Coal miner 48 Janitor 50Dock worker 45 Clothes presser in a laundry 50Night watchman 44 Soda fountain clerk 50Railroad section head 42 Sharecropper with no livestock or equipment and does not manage farm 49Restaurant waiter 39 Garbage collector 49Taxi driver 36 Street sweeper 48Bartender 34 Shoe shiner 48Farmhand

Why People Rate Occupations High or Low  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  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  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  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 Nation % women 15–64 in the labor force Iceland83.1%South Korea 53.1% Norway76.3%Greece49.0% Denmark75.8%Spain48.9% Sweden74.6%Italy46.0% United States71.7%Mexico42.1% Canada69.6%Iraq9.0% Japan63.8%Saudi Arabia 5.1%

Women in the Labor Force  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. Unfavorable sex ratio forced many women to support themselves. 2. Reduced fertility freed women from long years of pregnancy and child rearing. 3. Increased freedom from housework. 4. Change in the kinds of work available. 5. Money.

Gender Composition of Selected Occupations % female Total Labor Force46.5 All professional and managerial occupations49.8 Selected occupations from this category: Physicians27.9 Lawyers29.6 Engineers9.9 Registered nurses92.8 College professors43.7 Psychologists64.6 Editors and Reporters55.8

Gender Composition of Selected Occupations % female Total Labor Force46.5 Some other occupations:49.8 Police officers16.5 Firefighters3.4 Bank tellers90.0 Truck drivers4.7 Farm workers18.7

Chronic Unemployment  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  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 averageReadingScienceMath Japan Great Britain International Mean United States Germany Russia Mexico

The Effects of Homework Hours spent on homework each week None Less than 11–33–55–10 Over 10 Percent with an A average Percent with an average of D or lower Percent who dropped out before senior year

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 Whites2711 African Americans 2414 Hispanic Americans 2019 Native Americans 2418 Asian Americans 525

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 Public2618 Catholic472 Elite Private 940 Other Private 509

Effects of Different Kinds of Schools on Sophomores “To what extent are the following disciplinary matters problems in your school?” Students cut classes (% “often”) Students get into fights (% “often”) % who expect to attend college Public Catholic47278 Elite Private94095 Other Private241876

Education and Mean Annual Income, Persons Age 45–55 EducationMean annual income Not a high school graduate$19,865 High school graduate27,133 Some college34,141 College graduate44,523 Master’s degree56,022 Doctorate75,426 Professional115,498