Occupational Rank and Attitudes Toward Immigrants

Abstract

Individuals, because of variations in age, sex, education, personality characteristics, social roles, and statuses, may have different attitudes toward a particular person, group, or social event. Individual differences in attitudes may also result when similar variations exist among the objects of attitudes-that is, one person may hold different attitudes toward the young as compared to the old, to those of high as compared to low status, and so on. Indeed, systematic examination might reveal that certain configurations of personal and social characteristics of those holding attitudes and of the objects of these attitudes will lead to extremes in attitudes. In industrial societies, where occupational roles are basic determinants of social class and identity, the occupational roles of both natives and immigrants can be expected to contribute to variations in the attitudes natives hold toward immigrants. In a previous paper we reported that Canadians employed in higher-prestige occupations held more favorable attitudes toward immigrants than did Canadians employed in lower-prestige occupations.' In this paper, using data from the same research, we describe variations in attitudes of native Canadians at different levels of occupational prestige toward immigrants at different levels of occupational prestige. Although the data reflect the attitudes of the residents of a relatively small community, they illustrate how a person's occupation