Prestige and Social Standing of Growth Occupations, 1982–1995

Abstract

This study helped to determine whether applicants for assistance from the state employment office view fast‐ and large‐growth occupations with a hierarchy similar to that cited in the professional literature. Findings revealed that professions were in the top ranks, skilled and crafts occupations in the middle ranks, and service‐oriented occupations in the low ranks. Growth occupation information did not seem to influence or affect job applicants' ratings.

Information on Projected‐Growth Occupations: Its Effect on Individuals' Prestige Ratings

“…25 clerks), descending to the 52nd rank (delivery and route workers) or 49% of the 55 occupations In the NORC list, this range of' scores involved the lower 41 of the 90 occupations or 45%. In Parker and Chan (1986), employment service applicants rated 55% of the occupations in this score range. Analysis of responses from the sample revealed prestige score similarities with other sources-for example, auto mechanics (sample = 65.3; NORC = 64) and carpenters (sample = 68.5; NORC = 68).…”

“…Using magnitude of prestige score, the top eight occupations were identified as SOCS Group 1 or Managerial Professional Specialty Occupations (MPSO). For the college student sample, physicians were ranked lst, as in Parker and Chan (1986). In NORC (Reiss, 1961), the physicians were ranked 2nd.…”

“…Beginning with Counts ( 1925), various investigations have established that occupational prestige was quite stable and hierarchies of rank were predictable (Braun & Bayer, 1973;Fossum & Moore, 1975;Hakel, Hollman, & Dunnette, 1968;Hodge, Siegel, & Rossi, 1964;Parker & Chan, 1986;Plata, 1975;and Thomas & O'Brien, 1984). Trieman ( 1977) summarized the research by concluding that prestige rating and hierarchical ranking of occupations remain remarkably similar and stable across complex societies.…”

“…These examples show that specific research on the prestige of work represents a source of new information regardless of Trieman's (1977) summary. Only one study treated occupational growth information as a variable in career or employment entry (Parker & Chan, 1986).…”

Functional Vocational Cognition: Dimensions of Real‐World Accuracy

“…deep, rich, articulated knowledge structure within a domain facilitates information encoding, retrieval, and application (Craik & Lockhart, 1972). Thinking about occupations and associated dimensions such as training time, opportunity, earnings, physical demands, mental requirements, prestige, and personal liking (e.g., Chartrand, Dohm, Dawis, & Lofquist, 1987; Howell, Frese, & Sollie, 1984; Parker & Chan, 1986; Saltiel, 1988; Subich, Cooper, Barrett, & Arthur, 1986; Thomas & O'Brien, 1984) is rooted in what the person knows or has experienced. As people hear about, read of, and experience aspects of the world of work, schemas (frames) form and change to constrain and guide vocational thinking.…”