Occupational status attainment in Liberia: The roles of achievement and ascription

https://doi.org/10.1016/0049-089X(89)90017-3Get rights and content

Abstract

Using a subsample of respondents from the 1974 Liberian census, this study examines occupational status attainment in Liberia. The study finds that education is the strongest determinant of occupational status for Americo-Liberians and non-Americo-Liberians, men and women, and never and ever married women. Although the process of occupational status attainment is generally similar for all groups, the status return to education is greater for women than it is for men. While Americo-Liberian women have the highest levels of educational and occupational attainment, women in general are relatively disadvantaged in terms of socioeconomic achievement. The findings also indicate an incipient pattern of occupational sex segregation in Liberia. In an extended model of female attainment, the findings provide minimal support for the human capital theory which implies that never married women would be more like men in their occupational distribution and attainment. The paper explores the implications of these findings.

References (66)

  • Monday B. Akpan

    Black imperialism: Americo-Liberian rule over the African people of Liberia, 1941–1964

    The Canadian Journal of African Studies

    (1973)
  • Monday B. Akpan

    African Resistance in Liberia: The Vai and the Gola-Bande

    Liberian Working Group Paper No. 2

    (1986)
  • Monday B. Akpan

    Resistance of the African peoples of Liberia

  • Igolima T.D. Amachree

    Social prestige and persistence in teaching in Liberia

    Liberian Studies Journal

    (1978–1979)
  • E.M. Beck et al.

    Social stratification in industrial society: Further evidence for a structural alternative

    American Sociological Review

    (1980)
  • Brigette Berger
  • Peter Blau et al.
  • Christine E. Bose
  • Raymond Boudon
  • H. Bridge
  • Sharon L. Camp
  • Donald T. Campbell

    Status attainment research: End of the beginning or beginning of the end?

    Sociology of Education

    (1983)
  • Martin Carnoy
  • Jeanette E. Carter
  • R. Clower
  • James D. Cowhig

    Early Occupational Status as Related to Education and Residence

    Rural Sociology

    (1962)
  • G. Currens
  • Janice Currie

    Family background, academic achievement and occupational status in Uganda

    Comparative Education Review

    (1977)
  • Warren D'Azevedo

    A tribal reaction to nationalism

    Liberian Studies Journal

    (1969)
  • Warren D'Azevedo

    A tribal reaction to nationalism

    Liberian Studies Journal

    (1970)
  • Warren D'Azevedo

    A tribal reaction to nationalism

    Liberian Studies Journal

    (1970–1971)
  • D.Elwood Dunn et al.
  • Merran Fraenkel
  • David O. Hansen et al.

    Status attainment of Costa Rican males: A cross-cultural test of a model

    Rural Sociology

    (1973)
  • Steven S. Hlope
  • Donald B. Holsinger

    Education and the occupational attainment process in Brazil

    Comparative Education Review

    (1975)
  • Patrick M. Horan

    Is status attainment research atheoretical?

    American Sociological Review

    (1978)
  • Paula Hudis

    Commitment to work and wages: Earning differences of black and white women

    Sociology of Work and Occupations

    (1977)
  • International Labor Office
  • S. Iutaka et al.

    Determinants of occupational status in Brazil

  • Christopher Jencks
  • Anne Kalleberg et al.

    Class, occupation, and inequality in job rewards

    American Journal of Sociology

    (1980)
  • Harold R. Kerbo
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text