This dissertation is a study of occupational prestige/status with the purpose of
describing and interpreting perceptions of occupational prestige. The analytical
focus is the relationship between occupational prestige and gender. Three
methods have been used in the study: a survey, focus group interviews and an
analysis of public descriptions of occupations. The survey was conducted in 2002
and questionnaires were distributed to 3032 respondents. The response rate was
61 percent. Four focus group interviews were conducted where participants were
asked to rank order 20 occupations. The Swedish national labour market board’s
(AMS) occupational descriptions were analysed to find out to what extent these
reproduced stereotyped images concerning gender and class.
The ranking order of occupations is similar to those found in earlier studies.
Occupational prestige may be perceived as a stable phenomenon in society. There
is a strong agreement on the status of different occupations between different
subgroups in society. The ranking orders constructed by the focus groups were
also equivalent to the survey ranking order. Levels of income, educational
requirements, levels of influence and a positive reputation have a positive
influence on occupational prestige. The share of women within an occupation has
a negative effect on occupational prestige but only in occupations found on the
top of the occupational ranking order. Educational requirements were stronger
criteria for occupational status in some occupations, while income was stronger in
others. It also seems as if different factors have varying significance for
occupational prestige, depending on the occupation being discussed. In addition,
several of these criteria of prestige have also in other studies been associated with
masculinity.
The public descriptions of occupations that were analysed did not reproduce
images of gender. However, class seems to be a factor affecting the occupational
descriptions, since prestigious occupations are described with a more advanced
language and with a frequent use of titles
