Occupational career attainment during modernization. A study of Dutch men in 841 municipalities between 1865 and 1928

Bibliographic Data

ID2301062
AuthorsWiebke Schulz (0000-0001-9335-3187, Bielefeld University, Germany DIW - German Institute for Economic Research, Germany, corresponding author), Ineke Maas (0000-0001-5041-7347, Utrecht University, The Netherlands VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Marco Hd Van Leeuwen (Utrecht University, the Netherlands)
Year2015
Volume58
Issue1
Pages5-24
Publication date2015-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueActa Sociologica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0001-6993 • E-ISSN: 1502-3869
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0001699314565795
OpenAlexW1981387941
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited32

This paper addresses the effects of modernization processes on occupational career attainment. We ask whether modernization processes increased the success of occupational careers, and whether the effect of social background varies by regional level of modernization. We analyse a unique data set with information about the careers of around 7000 men who were active in the labour market in the Netherlands between 1865 and 1928. Modernization processes are measured at the municipality level (e.g. presence of post office and train station, educational expansion). The results of cross-classified multilevel growth models show that in municipalities with more advanced modernization, men enjoy higher social status at the beginning of their career, but that their status grows more slowly over the course of their career. The effect of social background hardly varies in response to modernization processes. Our results indicate that regional modernization processes have had restricted impact on individual mobility outcomes

Career Pathways · Demographic economics · Economic growth · Economics · Educational attainment · Modernization theory · Occupational mobility · Occupational prestige · Operations management · Political science · Population · Social mobility · Social science · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Status attainment · Demography · Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies · Labor market dynamics and wage inequality · Social Policy and Reform Studies