Higher Occupational Status Research Articles

Chinese students’ willingness to study abroad: The personal and familial influencing factors

Background: Studying abroad is no longer a new phenomenon. The popularity of Chinese students studying abroad is well known and the enthusiasm for studying abroad among students has been consistently strong for many years, especially with the continuous development of the Chinese economy. Aims: This paper will examine personal and family factors which influence the willingness to study abroad among Chinese university students. The application of these influencing factors can potentially have an impact in the formulation of government-related policies, the establishment and development of study abroad agencies, and the decision process among students when choosing to study abroad. Methods: The current study utilized a self-report approach to examine the potential impact of several personal and family factors on the willingness to study abroad. Results: Utilizing multivariate analysis and statistical analysis modeling, it was found that willingness to study abroad is greatest among female students with moderate to high grades, who are from urban areas and non-agricultural households, with fathers in high status occupations, mothers with higher levels of education, and higher family income. These factors embody the intergenerational transmission of benefits associated with family capital.

Variation mellan kort- och långstavighet i finlandssvenskt talspråk

The feature kortstavighet, i.e. a short vowel followed by a short consonant (VC) in two-syllable words, is one of the most salient patterns distinguishing Swedish spoken in Finland from Swedish spoken in Sweden. The VC feature is a common phenomenon both in the spoken standard language and the dialects in Finland Swedish. There is, however, still a lack of studies exploring VC in spontaneous speech by speakers from different regions. Based on sociolinguistic variation research, the study aims to investigate the VVC/VCC and VC variations in two-syllable words. The data consists of recordings from a total of 80 speakers across five different cities (Turku, Helsinki, Vaasa, Porvoo and Tammisaari). The speakers are of different genders and ages and have different social backgrounds in terms of level of education and occupational status. The results show large individual differences. The variation partly correlates with education level and occupational status as well as with regional background, while gender and age do not seem to be as significant. Regardless of their regional background, those with higher levels of education and higher occupational status use the variants in a similar way, i.e. more long vowel variants and fewer short vowel variants. This applies both to the frequency of different variants and to the type of words occurring in different variants. Those with lower levels of education and lower occupational status use more short vowel variants and fewer long vowel variants. However, there are some regional differences among these speakers in terms of the type of words occurring in different variants.

Associative Status Elevation Dynamics Between Women in Lower and Higher Status Occupations

Associative Status Elevation Dynamics Between Women in Lower and Higher Status Occupations

Combining Statistical and Machine Learning Methods to Identify Predictors of Brazilian Students’ Proficiency in PISA 2018

Brazil’s education system lags behind international standards, with two-fifths of students scoring below the minimum level of proficiency in mathematics, science, and reading. Thus, this study combined machine learning with traditional statistics to identify the most important predictors and to interpret their effects on proficiency in the PISA 2018 mathematics, science, and reading tests. Predictors encompassed a wide range of variables, sociodemographic characteristics, teaching and learning processes, and non-cognitive skills. The outcome of the present study was proficiency in mathematics, science, and reading. PISA proficiency levels were grouped into “low proficiency” and “proficient” categories, using a classification system commonly employed in PISA reports. Using random forest analysis, a machine learning method, I compared the importance of predictors for proficiency in mathematics, science, and reading. I then adjusted multilevel logistic regression analyses to investigate the relationship between the top predictors and the outcomes. Among the top predictors for the three outcomes identified, annual household income, parents’ highest occupational status, and early childhood education and care were positively associated with proficiency in mathematics, science, and reading, while grade repetition and additional instruction were negatively associated with these outcomes. These findings urge Brazilian policymakers and educators to prioritize initiatives that strengthen early childhood programs, minimize grade repetition, and promote effective learning strategies.

Health-related resources and social support as enablers of digital device use among older Finns

Abstract Aim Older adults show considerable diversity in their use of digital devices, e.g., computers, tablets, and smart phones: some are non-users, some are learning to use them, and some use them fluently. The factors contributing to older adults’ digital device use are likely to differ between learners and fluent users. This paper examines whether different socioeconomic and health-related factors are associated with different levels of digital device use among older Finnish men and women. Subject and methods Data from 750 community-dwelling men and women were collected with face-to-face interviews and postal questionnaires and analyzed using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results Younger age, presence of social support, and being partnered were associated with being a learner in digital device use, and higher education, a higher occupational status in working age, and higher health literacy were associated with being a fluent digital device user. Poor self-rated health was negatively associated with being a fluent user. Conclusions Fluent digital device users have personal resources, such as higher education, good health, and high health literacy, that contribute to their digital skills. Social resources are important enablers for those learning to use digital devices.

The Class Ceiling in the United States: Class-Origin Pay Penalties in Higher Professional and Managerial Occupations

Abstract Gender and racial pay penalties are well-known: women (of all races) and people of color (of all genders) earn less, on average, even when they gain access to occupations historically reserved for White men. Studies of social mobility show that people from working-class backgrounds in the US have also been excluded from top professional and managerial occupations. But do working-class-origin people who attain top US jobs face a class-origin pay penalty? Despite evidence of class-origin pay gaps in higher professional and managerial occupations elsewhere, we might expect that the central role of race and racism in US stratification processes, along with the relatively low salience of class identities, would render class origins irrelevant to earnings in exclusive occupations, at least within racial groups. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to link childhood class position to adult occupation and earnings, we describe the racial and class-origin composition of different high-status occupations and the earnings of people within them. We show that when people who are from working-class backgrounds are upwardly mobile into high-status occupations, they earn almost $20,000 per year less, on average, than individuals who are themselves from privileged backgrounds. The difference is partly explained by the upwardly mobile being less likely to have college degrees, but it remains substantial (around $11,700) even after accounting for education, race and other important predictors of earnings. The gap is largest among White people; there is a class-origin penalty in top US occupations that is distinct from the racial pay gap.

“My Anxiety Was Through the Roof”: The Gendered Nature of Financial Stress and Its Impact on Mental Health and Well-Being for Women When Undertaking Social Work Placements

Social work practice is not a highly paid or high-status occupation. The historical roots of social work lie in charity work directed toward social needs and poverty, with much of this work previously women's unpaid work. This set the stage for a norm of unpaid labor in the predominantly female occupation. Women who are mature-aged, lone parents, carers and on low income have continuously been the numerical majority within social work. As such, the unpaid field placement disproportionately affects women. This article provides a gendered analysis of qualitative data obtained from women participants in a national survey of social work students from five Australian universities ( n = 409) following 1000 h of field education placement. Open-ended questions aimed to explore the experiences of financial stress from lengthy unpaid placements on the mental health and well-being of social work students. The findings contribute to a growing body of feminist literature critiquing the current field education model and argue for significant reflection, flexibility, and change. To meet the collective social work goals of social justice and dismantling systemic oppression, a new placement model is needed that is both inclusive and sustainable.

Stability in health behavior patterns in middle adulthood: a 19-year follow-up study

Objective: This study investigated subgroups of adults with particular health behavior patterns, their stability over 19 years, and the role of sociodemographic and personality characteristics in these. Methods and Measures: Data on smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity were collected at ages 42, 50, and 61 in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development (n = 205–302). Latent class, latent transition, and logistic regression analyses were used. Results: Four similar classes of health behaviors were identified at each age. A class named low alcohol consumption (AC)–high physical activity (PA) included individuals with the lowest levels of alcohol consumption and the highest levels of physical activity, and a class named high AC–low PA vice versa. Classes between these extremes of alcohol consumption and physical activity levels were nonsmokers with the lowest proportion of smokers, and smokers vice versa. Although transitions emerged, class memberships were relatively stable. Women, those who were married, held a degree, had higher occupational status, and certain personality traits at age 42 were more likely to belong continuously to healthier classes compared to a stable membership in high AC–low PA. Conclusion: Health behaviors exist in patterns, are relatively stable across adulthood, and associated with sociodemographic and personality characteristics.

Social capital and the intergenerational transmission of cultural capital: How parents’ social networks influence children's accumulation of cultural capital

How does families’ social networks influence the transmission of cultural capital to their children? Earlier research on this process has mainly focused on within-family mechanisms, and the role of social capital as conceptualized by Pierre Bourdieu has here received little attention. This article explores this question through a study of parents’ social ties and parents’ and children's cultural, leisurely, and athletic practices, using Geometric Data Analysis and regression analysis of data on children (N = 4754) and their parents in the city of Bergen, Norway. The analysis finds that parents with social ties to higher status occupations have children that are more often exposed to traditional legitimate forms of culture, also when other familial resources are controlled for. When ties composition is heterogeneous, composed of both working class and elite ties, elite ties shape cultural consumption. The study finds evidence of Bourdieu's multiplier hypothesis, that returns from other capitals is multiplied by social capital, also that high volumes of social capital can compensate somewhat for having no cultural capital. Within-family characteristics are key to understanding the intergenerational transmission of cultural capital, but significant support for this process may be found in parents’ social networks.

Myopia, what causes it and can it be avoided?

Myopia (short‐sightedness or near‐sightedness) is a condition of refraction where vision to distant is impaired. Axial elongation of the eye is the main anatomical cause of myopia.The prevalence of myopia has increased alarmingly fast globally. The estimation of WHO report was that in 2020 27% of world's population would be myopic, and if there will be no changes in the trend then by 2050 there would be 2.56 billion myopic people worldwide. Highest prevalence of myopia has been reported in many South and East Asian countries, where about 80% of the school leavers are myopic. Parental myopia increases the risks of myopia in their children, two myopic parents more than one. Genetic studies have been able to explain only small part of myopia, nor have been able to explain the differences in the prevalence between populations. Myopia relates to higher education, near work and higher occupational status and is mare rare in urban environment and in occupations where people work outdoors. In children myopia usually develop after they had begun attending school and is associated with more time spent on reading and near work and less time on outdoor activities.The major public health concerns connected with myopia are related to its complications. Myopia has become one of the main causes of vision loss due to complications, such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration and haemorrhage, choroidal neovascularization, and open angle glaucoma. The higher myopia is the higher is the risk of these complications. In countries where myopia is common, it is already a significant cause of low vision and blindness.In a Finnish study prevalence of myopia in 7‐ and 11‐year‐olds, was 0.5% and 3.3%, respectively, if daily near work did not exceed 1 h. Multiple regression model adjusted by sex, parental myopia and time spent outdoors, showed that 1 h increase in near work increased the risk of myopia 47% (95% CI 1.099–1.984, P = 0.010) and 35% (CI 1.170–1.548, P < 0.001), in 7‐ and 11‐year‐olds, respectively. Each hour spent outdoors adjusted by sex, parental myopia and time spent outdoors decreased their same risk by 24% (95% CI 0.533–1050, P = 0.096 and 0.648–0.000, P = 0.001, respectively). Higher prevalence of myopia in girls could mainly be explained by their more time spent in near work and less time outdoors.Plenty of long‐term near viewing, and short viewing distance, combined with low amount of time outdoors are risk factors for myopia. Avoiding these factors is more important the younger the child is. It is recommended that the daily time spent outdoors in children should be at least equal to near work time. Early school starting age, increases the risk of myopia and high myopia, and consequently risk for myopia related complications. Great educational stress in young children should be avoided.

Occupation, Retirement Age, and 20-Year Cognitive Decline: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study

Introduction: We examined the association of both midlife occupation and age at retirement with cognitive decline in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) biracial community-based cohort. Methods: Current or most recent occupation at ARIC baseline (1987–1989; aged 45–64 years) was categorized based on 1980 US Census major occupation groups and tertiles of the Nam-Powers-Boyd occupational status score (n = 14,090). Retirement status via annual follow-up questionnaires administered ascertained in 1999–2007 was classified as occurring before or after age 70 (n = 7,503). Generalized estimating equation models were used to examine associations of occupation and age at retirement with trajectories of global cognitive factor scores, assessed from visit 2 (1990–1992) to visit 5 (2011–2013). Models were a priori stratified by race and sex and adjusted for demographics and comorbidities. Results: Low occupational status and blue-collar occupations were associated with low baseline cognitive scores in all race-sex strata. Low occupational status and homemaker status were associated with faster decline in white women but slower decline in black women compared to high occupational status. Retirement before age 70 was associated with slower cognitive decline in white men and women and in black men. Results did not change substantially after accounting for attrition. Conclusion: Low occupational status was associated with cognitive decline in women but not in men. Earlier retirement was associated with a slower cognitive decline in white participants and in black men. Further research should explore reasons for the observed associations and race-sex differences.

Interested and employed? A national study of gender differences in basic interests and employment

Research on vocational interests has played an important role in understanding workforce gender disparities. However, current understanding about gender differences in interests is primarily limited to broad RIASEC interest categories that average together differences in narrower interest scales. This study took a refined approach to examine gender differences in 30 basic vocational interests (e.g., medical science, management, social science) using a very large and diverse U.S. sample (N = 1,283,110). Results revealed that gender differences in basic interests are more complex than what can be captured using broad interests alone. There was meaningful variability in the pattern of mean gender differences across basic interests, even those related to the same RIASEC category. Turning to the labor market, we found that gender differences in basic interests showed high convergence with men and women's employment rates in corresponding occupations (r = 0.66). Despite this convergence, there were also discrepancies such that women's actual employment fell short of interest-based predictions in many high-status occupations and in jobs that involve working with tools and machinery. In contrast, fewer men were employed in prosocial occupations than predicted based on their interests. Finally, we examined how gender differences in basic interests varied across intersecting age, ethnicity, and education subgroups. The most striking finding was that gender differences in interests were considerably larger at lower education levels, pointing to specific educational tracks where applied initiatives might have the greatest impact in improving gender representation in the workforce.

The effect of occupational status on health: Putting the social in socioeconomic status

High status occupations support positive health outcomes through providing access to both material and psychosocial resources. However, common measures of occupational status such as occupational prestige scores fail to capture cultural esteem that certain occupations can provide because they are primarily associated with the material dimensions of status, like income. Drawing on Weberian conceptions of status and a body of social psychological research on the measurement of cultural meaning, we argue that measuring people's ratings of their occupations on three dimensions—evaluation (good/bad), potency (powerful/weak), and activity (active/inactive)—provides an occupational status indicator that more fully captures psychosocial resources like esteem that are associated with health than more commonly used occupational prestige scores. Using a nationally representative longitudinal health and wellbeing survey of 940 American law enforcement officers collected between 2020 and 2022, we evaluate the predictive ability of evaluation, potency, and activity (EPA) ratings across thirteen measures of health and wellbeing. We find that EPA ratings were significant and positive predictors of eleven of thirteen outcomes with stronger effects for mental health outcomes compared to physical health outcomes. EPA ratings were more predictive than more commonly used occupational prestige scores. We conclude that EPA ratings are better predictors of health outcomes than occupational prestige scores and so may allow health researchers to better understand the relationship between occupational status and health.

Women and Culture of Violence and Abuse in Yoruba Land in the Context of Luke 13:8-16

In most of the cultures in the world, women are considered to be inferior to men. African culture, Yoruba in particular, though diverse, is not an exception. Women are wives and mothers. They do the cooking, the mending, the sewing and the washing. They take care of the men and are subordinate to male authority. They are largely excluded from high status occupations and from positions of power. The most basic division of labour appears to be founded on sex or gender. Clearly women are biologically different from men; but gender roles in most societies are a product of culture rather than biology. The division of labour on the basis of sex supported and justified by a value system which gender roles as normal, natural, right and proper. In every society, a higher value is placed on culture than on nature. This paper is aimed at identifying gender violence and abuse, social cultural factors which continue to act against the principles of social justice and equality despite all the national and international initiatives on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. The paper adopted Black feminism as it affects the female in general. It then suggests that man and woman are created in the image of God and no one is inferior to the other. The work concludes by showing the world that violence, abuse and marginalizing women in the society is a crime against humanity and both male and female should rise up to fight it as a crime against gender or violence against women.

Long COVID Prevalence and the Impact of the Third SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Dose: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the Third Follow-Up of the Borriana Cohort, Valencia, Spain (2020-2022).

In March 2020, a COVID-19 outbreak linked to mass gathering dinners at the Falles Festival in Borriana, Spain, resulted in an estimated attack rate of 42.6% among attendees. In June 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional follow-up study of 473 adults aged 18 to 64 who attended the dinners at the Falles Festival in 2020, examining the cumulative experience after SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination responses. Data included demographic details, lifestyle habits, medical history, infection records, and vaccinations from a population-based vaccine registry. Blood samples were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and cellular immunity. We employed a doubly robust inverse-probability weighting analysis to estimate the booster vaccine dose's impact on long COVID prevalence and symptom count. A total of 28.1% of participants met the WHO criteria for long COVID, with older individuals showing higher rates. Long COVID diagnosis was less likely with factors including O blood group, higher occupational status, physical activity, three vaccine doses, strong SARS-CoV-2-S-reactive IFNγ-producing-CD8+ response, and infection during the Omicron period. Increased age, high or low social activity, underlying health conditions, a severe initial COVID episode, and reinfection were associated with higher long COVID likelihood. A booster dose, compared to one or two doses, reduced long COVID risk by 74% (95% CI: 56% to 92%) and symptom count by 55% (95% CI: 32% to 79%). Long COVID was prevalent in a significant portion of those who contracted COVID-19, underscoring the need for sustained follow-up and therapeutic strategies. Vaccinations, notably the booster dose, had a substantial beneficial effect on long-term infection outcomes, affirming the vaccination's role in mitigating SARS-CoV-2 infection consequences.

“Can We Get an Ideal Job?”: The Distribution and Influencing Factors of the Occupational Stratum of Chinese College Graduates

In recent years, Chinese college graduates have faced a challenging employment situation, calling for an analysis of the social stratification function of higher education. This paper used linear regression to analyze factors influencing the occupational status attainment of college graduates. The social stratification function of higher education was found to be significant. Educational factors were essential for occupational status attainment. Nevertheless, new graduates’ occupational status could also be affected by individual and family factors. On the whole, college graduates achieved stratum promotion. Men had higher occupational status and longer mobility distance than women, and rural graduates had higher occupational status and longer mobility distance than urban graduates.

Agriculture and Population: Occupation and Burials in the Extramural Area of Margidunum on the Fosse Way in Nottinghamshire

AbstractThis paper presents the results of an excavation that uncovered c. 390 m of roadside plots within the ribbon development alongside the Fosse Way on the south-west periphery of the walled small town of Margidunum in Nottinghamshire. The roadside plots appear to have been used for a combination of domestic occupation and agricultural activity, and to the rear lay 54 inhumation burials in 52 graves (including two double burials) and a single urned cremation burial, whose skeletons bore evidence for the tough working lives of the individuals. These are interpreted as the remains of peasant farmers and as evidence for the agricultural focus of the settlement, and of ‘small towns’ more generally. A contrast is drawn between the apparent poverty of this community and the apparently more high-status occupation within the defended core of the town.

Public stigma toward fatigue-do social characteristics of affected persons matter? Results from the SOMA.SOC study.

Although public stigma imposes a great burden on those affected with manifold negative consequence there is not much known about public stigma related to fatigue. Therefore, this study addresses the following research questions: (1) What is the magnitude of public stigma toward individuals with fatigue? (2) Are there differences in public stigma depending on the social characteristics of the affected person (sex, occupation, and migration)? Analyses are based on a national telephone survey in Germany (N = 1,209). A vignette describing a person with symptoms of fatigue was presented to the respondents. Vignettes were varied according to sex, occupational status, and migration status. Stigma toward the person presented in the vignette was measured by stereotypes and negative emotional reactions (anger). Of the stereotypes under study, "hypersensitive" was most frequently endorsed by the respondents (35.7%), followed by "weak will" (27.2%). About 15-20% of the respondents agreed that they react with anger, annoyance or incomprehension. There were considerable differences in fatigue stigma according to the social characteristics of the affected person. In two social groups public stigma was particularly pronounced: (1) male persons with a low occupational status and a migration background; (2) female persons with a high occupational status and without a migration status. In contrast, women with a low occupational status and a migration background were less stigmatized. Individuals suffering from fatigue symptoms are confronted with stereotypes and negative emotional reactions by the public. Magnitude of public stigma considerably varies according to social characteristics of the afflicted person. Future studies should consider applying an intersectional approach to identify groups that are at risk of multiple stigma.

Does medical education reform change who is selected? A national cross-sectional survey from China

ObjectivesApproximately 10 years ago, China introduced an education plan to improve the overall quality of medical education and to better serve the population’s health needs. Many medical schools were then...

Health and aging before and after retirement

We investigate occupation-specific aging patterns before and after retirement and test the level and rate effects of occupation predicted by the health capital model and the health deficit model. We use five waves of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and construct a frailty index for elderly men and women from 10 European countries. Occupational groups are classified according to low vs. high education, blue vs. white collar, and high vs. low physical or psychosocial job burden. Controlling for individual fixed effects, we find that, regardless of the classification used, workers from the first (low-status) group display more health deficits at any age and accumulate health deficits faster than workers from the second (high-status) group. We instrument retirement by statutory retirement ages (“normal” and “early”) and find that the health of workers in low-status occupations benefits greatly from retirement, whereas retirement effects for workers in high-status occupations are small and frequently insignificant. In support of the health deficit model, we find that the health status of individuals from low- and high-status groups diverges before and after retirement.