50 pagesDuring the academic year 1980-81, Jeanne McGee, an
assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at the
University of Oregon, gathered data in the Springfield
school district on the occupational and educational
attitudes and aspirations of fourth grade students and their
mothers. Information was gathered through an hour long
interview with each child, a questionnaire given to the
children in their classrooms, and a questionnaire mailed to
each mother. In addition, information was taken from
district records on the child’s attendance and achievement
in various areas, and an essay the children had written on
their occupational choices was examined.
Six hundred and fifty fourth graders participated in the
study, about 85% of the students enrolled. Three hundred
seventy mothers completed the mailed questionnaire
