Robert M Blackburn
Biographic Data
| ID | 3590763 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Robert M Blackburn |
| GIVEN NAMES | Robert M |
| FAMILY NAME | Blackburn |
| SIGNATURE | BLACKBURN R M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Cambridge |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 28 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 267 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 22 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 6 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1991 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| H-INDEX | 10 |
Understanding gender inequality in employment and retirement
The paper is concerned with the occupation-based inequalities of women and men in economically developed societies. The inequalities in their working lives lead to inequalities in retirement, and particularly the greater poverty endured by women. Occupational gender segregation, the tendency for women and men to work in different occupations, results in gender inequalities. The inequalities are measured by pay and class-status. The extent of the …
The Dimensions of Occupational Gender Segregation in Industrial Countries
It is well known that women and men tend to work in different occupations, and generally held that this disadvantages women. In order to understand how far this occupational segregation entails gender inequality it is necessary to examine the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the segregation. The horizontal dimension measures difference without inequality while the vertical dimension measures the extent of the occupational inequality. Two mea…
The measurement of occupational segregation and its component dimensions
The paper reviews different approaches to, and current knowledge of the measurement of occupational segregation, using the case of gender segregation. It shows that most popular segregation ‘indices’ are actually statistics of association in a 2x2 table, often with distorting weightings. The dimensions of segregation comprise a vertical dimension measuring inequality and an orthogonal horizontal one measuring difference without inequality. Togeth…
Modelling socioeconomic trajectories
Purpose The aim of this paper is to describe the use of sequence analysis to model trajectories of life‐course economic activity status, within a broader research agenda aimed at improving understanding of the relationship between socioeconomic position and health. Design/methodology/approach The analysis used data on 288 participants of the Boyd Orr Stratified Sub‐Sample, comprising a combination of prospective and retrospective information on e…
Business services and the knowledge economy in Malaysia
Purpose This paper aims to argue that the World Bank‐sanctioned strategy of investing in knowledge economy infrastructure will not make a developing country competitive in the highest value activities such as research, design and innovation. Design/methodology/approach The paper examines Malaysia's efforts to increase its national income and change its position from a “middle‐income” country to one with a standard of living equivalent to a develo…
Work and social stratification
A new indicator of technical complexity at work
Purpose This paper aims to conceptualise and measure the technical aspects of the division of labour (DoL) with a new survey indicator of technical complexity (ITC) at work. Design/methodology/approach Two technical criteria skills and functions are used to distinguish positions in the DoL and to cluster and rank them into a 28‐category ordinal survey ITC. The indicator's construct‐validity is tested by assessing the correlation between these cri…
Intergenerational transfer of occupational status in nineteenth century Zeeland, The Netherlands
Purpose This paper seeks to study the influence of industrialisation, urbanisation and means of communication on the association between father's and son's occupational status in all 117 municipalities in the province of Zeeland, The Netherlands from 1811 to 1890. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses from both the logic of industrialism thesis and reproduction theory are tested with multi‐level analyses on data on the individual as well as the …
What is social inequality
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain the difference between social inequality and identity. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a conceptual view. Findings The paper notes that the concepts are often confused, as in arguments that equality is impossible because everyone is different. It is pointed out that equality and inequality are not opposites; that equality is simply the zero point on the infinite range of inequality. T…
The importance of specificity in occupation‐based social classifications
Purpose This paper aims to present reasons why social classifications which use occupations should seek to adopt “specific” approaches which are tailored to the country, time period and gender of the subjects under study. Design/methodology/approach The relative motivations for adopting a specific approach to social classifications are discussed and theoretical perspectives on specificity and empirical evidence on the contribution of specific app…
Minority ethnic men in British labour market (1972‐2005)
Purpose This paper seeks to investigate ethnic disadvantages in the UK labour market in the last three decades. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on data from the most authoritative government surveys, the gross and net differences in employment status and class position between minority ethnic and White British men covering 34 years (1972‐2005) are analysed. Findings White British and White Other men were generally advantaged in employment a…
Gendered Occupations
While the existence of occupational gender segregation is well known, it has been usual to see it as a reflection of women's disadvantage. However, cross-national data show that the greater the segregation, the less tends to be women's disadvantage. The solution to this puzzle entails the introduction of the two orthogonal dimensions of segregation, where only the vertical dimension measures inequality while the horizontal dimension measures diff…
Occupational Gender Segregation in Canada, 1981–1996
Cet article examine les changements survenus entre 1981 et 1996 dans la ségrégation hommes‐femmes. Le niveau de ségrégation dans son ensemble a faiblement baissé, suivant en cela la tendance observée depuis les années soixante. La diminution se traduit par une décroissance de 41% de la ségrégation verticale (équité salariale) mais par une augmentation de la ségrégation horizontale (différences autres que cette équité). Les femmes ont renforcé leu…
Explaining gender segregation
Occupational gender segregation - the tendency for women and men to work in different occupations - is an important feature of all societies, and particularly the wealthy industrialized ones. To understand this segregation, and to explain its significance, we need to distinguish between vertical segregation entailing inequality and horizontal segregation representing difference without inequality, with overall segregation being the resultant of t…
The Vertical Dimension of Occupational Segregation
This article presents a new approach to measuring the most important dimension of gender segregation - the vertical dimension-in quantitative survey data. This, in turn, allows for a reassessment of the view that high levels of gender segregation are synonymous with high levels of social inequality. In order to do this, the article also draws upon significant conceptual developments. `Segregation' as it is commonly understood is named as `overall…
Gender Differences at Work
Despite the prominence of discussions of gender segregation in explanations of labour market inequalities, there have been relatively few cross-national studies due to a lack of suitably detailed data. A recent ILO initiative obtained suitable data for cross-national analysis of 38 countries, with a much greater number of occupational categories than has usually been available. This paper reports findings from the analysis of these data. The prob…
Understanding social inequality
Introduces the different types of inequality. Argues the distinction between inequality and differences. Asks if social inequality is important or a mistaken ideal? Briefly looks at the different forms inequality takes
The viscious circle of competitive unemployment
Investigates the possible social causes of unemployment; focuses on how competition among employers can increase and perpetuate already high levels of unemployment. Starts from the premise that, despite divergent attitudes, most industrialized nations make some collective provision for the unemployed, with firms ultimately bearing the costs. Describes how, although a firm may reduce its labour force to save money, it is ultimately, albeit collect…
Is housework unpaid work
Looks at the historical positioning of housework as unpaid and questions the correctness of this idea. States that there is a fundamental theoretical error in defining housework as unpaid as market concepts are being applied to non‐market work. Continues to distinguish between the two markets considering the features of both, outlining the gender differences and the recent changes in the twentieth century
A New System of Classes
The case presented by O'Reilly and Rose for a new scheme of social classes is clearly and persuasively argued; one might almost be convinced of the need for a system of classes. This is not the final word on the new scheme, but the basic ideas seem clear so we may consider its characteristics. The remarks that follow are deliberately critical, focussing on weaknesses of what may be expected to be an important and influential scheme
The Reproduction of Social Inequality
Ideological assumptions of equality and economic individualism have permeated the traditional analysis of social mobility. This is shown most clearly in the use of perfect mobility as the theoretical model that underlies most of the empirical analyses. A major consequence is that these analyses have offered a poor conceptualisation of the nature of the structure within which movement occurs, and have tended to ignore the question of relative dist…
Putting Men and Women into Classes
Evans's (1996) claim in the May issue, like his earlier one (Evans, 1992), is to have provided a validation of the Goldthorpe class schema, here in relation to women as well as to men. His thoughtful discussion of these issues is welcome, but it has, nevertheless to be treated with considerable scepticism. In this note we shall demonstrate, first, that he misunderstands what the validation of such a schema entails; second, that the nature of the …
A Reply to Lampard
A Reply to Lampard
Two important issues concerning the measurement of segregation are raised by Richard Lampard. He shows the relationship between the Gini coefficient (G) and the marginal matching measure (MM), and he suggests that G may have a particular advantage as a measure of segregation in that it retains more information than MM. It is worth developing these points further, and seeing whether G really does have an advantage. We shall demonstrate that MM ret…
A Reply to Watts
Explaining gender segregation
Occupational gender segregation - the tendency for women and men to work in different occupations - is an important feature of all societies, and particularly the wealthy industrialized ones. To understand this segregation, and to explain its significance, we need to distinguish between vertical segregation entailing inequality and horizontal segregation representing difference without inequality, with overall segregation being the resultant of t…
The Vertical Dimension of Occupational Segregation
This article presents a new approach to measuring the most important dimension of gender segregation - the vertical dimension-in quantitative survey data. This, in turn, allows for a reassessment of the view that high levels of gender segregation are synonymous with high levels of social inequality. In order to do this, the article also draws upon significant conceptual developments. `Segregation' as it is commonly understood is named as `overall…
The Analysis of Occupational Gender Segregation over Time and Place
Despite the importance of occupational segregation as an area of investigation concerned with understanding women's employment status, pay levels, and promotional prospects during the last 20 years, there has been relatively little attention paid to the problems of trying to measure segregation levels in quantitative data. This paper argues that there are serious measurement problems which it illustrates by showing that two of the principal indic…
Gendered Occupations
While the existence of occupational gender segregation is well known, it has been usual to see it as a reflection of women's disadvantage. However, cross-national data show that the greater the segregation, the less tends to be women's disadvantage. The solution to this puzzle entails the introduction of the two orthogonal dimensions of segregation, where only the vertical dimension measures inequality while the horizontal dimension measures diff…
Minority ethnic men in British labour market (1972‐2005)
Purpose This paper seeks to investigate ethnic disadvantages in the UK labour market in the last three decades. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on data from the most authoritative government surveys, the gross and net differences in employment status and class position between minority ethnic and White British men covering 34 years (1972‐2005) are analysed. Findings White British and White Other men were generally advantaged in employment a…
Education and Social Class
Trends in class inequality in attendance at selective schools are hard to interpret, since the number of places at these schools and the distribution of children by class also change over time. Reanalysing data from the Nuffield Mobility Study, it is shown that interpretation of the trends depends on which measure of association is used. By viewing stratification as a continuous hierarchy which is then sliced up into « classes » of differing size…
The Dimensions of Occupational Gender Segregation in Industrial Countries
It is well known that women and men tend to work in different occupations, and generally held that this disadvantages women. In order to understand how far this occupational segregation entails gender inequality it is necessary to examine the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the segregation. The horizontal dimension measures difference without inequality while the vertical dimension measures the extent of the occupational inequality. Two mea…
A New System of Classes
The case presented by O'Reilly and Rose for a new scheme of social classes is clearly and persuasively argued; one might almost be convinced of the need for a system of classes. This is not the final word on the new scheme, but the basic ideas seem clear so we may consider its characteristics. The remarks that follow are deliberately critical, focussing on weaknesses of what may be expected to be an important and influential scheme
The Reproduction of Social Inequality
Ideological assumptions of equality and economic individualism have permeated the traditional analysis of social mobility. This is shown most clearly in the use of perfect mobility as the theoretical model that underlies most of the empirical analyses. A major consequence is that these analyses have offered a poor conceptualisation of the nature of the structure within which movement occurs, and have tended to ignore the question of relative dist…
Putting Men and Women into Classes
Evans's (1996) claim in the May issue, like his earlier one (Evans, 1992), is to have provided a validation of the Goldthorpe class schema, here in relation to women as well as to men. His thoughtful discussion of these issues is welcome, but it has, nevertheless to be treated with considerable scepticism. In this note we shall demonstrate, first, that he misunderstands what the validation of such a schema entails; second, that the nature of the …
Occupational Gender Segregation in Canada, 1981–1996
Cet article examine les changements survenus entre 1981 et 1996 dans la ségrégation hommes‐femmes. Le niveau de ségrégation dans son ensemble a faiblement baissé, suivant en cela la tendance observée depuis les années soixante. La diminution se traduit par une décroissance de 41% de la ségrégation verticale (équité salariale) mais par une augmentation de la ségrégation horizontale (différences autres que cette équité). Les femmes ont renforcé leu…
The importance of specificity in occupation‐based social classifications
Purpose This paper aims to present reasons why social classifications which use occupations should seek to adopt “specific” approaches which are tailored to the country, time period and gender of the subjects under study. Design/methodology/approach The relative motivations for adopting a specific approach to social classifications are discussed and theoretical perspectives on specificity and empirical evidence on the contribution of specific app…
Intergenerational transfer of occupational status in nineteenth century Zeeland, The Netherlands
Purpose This paper seeks to study the influence of industrialisation, urbanisation and means of communication on the association between father's and son's occupational status in all 117 municipalities in the province of Zeeland, The Netherlands from 1811 to 1890. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses from both the logic of industrialism thesis and reproduction theory are tested with multi‐level analyses on data on the individual as well as the …
A Reply to Lampard
Two important issues concerning the measurement of segregation are raised by Richard Lampard. He shows the relationship between the Gini coefficient (G) and the marginal matching measure (MM), and he suggests that G may have a particular advantage as a measure of segregation in that it retains more information than MM. It is worth developing these points further, and seeing whether G really does have an advantage. We shall demonstrate that MM ret…
Understanding gender inequality in employment and retirement
The paper is concerned with the occupation-based inequalities of women and men in economically developed societies. The inequalities in their working lives lead to inequalities in retirement, and particularly the greater poverty endured by women. Occupational gender segregation, the tendency for women and men to work in different occupations, results in gender inequalities. The inequalities are measured by pay and class-status. The extent of the …
Gender Differences at Work
Despite the prominence of discussions of gender segregation in explanations of labour market inequalities, there have been relatively few cross-national studies due to a lack of suitably detailed data. A recent ILO initiative obtained suitable data for cross-national analysis of 38 countries, with a much greater number of occupational categories than has usually been available. This paper reports findings from the analysis of these data. The prob…
Is housework unpaid work
Looks at the historical positioning of housework as unpaid and questions the correctness of this idea. States that there is a fundamental theoretical error in defining housework as unpaid as market concepts are being applied to non‐market work. Continues to distinguish between the two markets considering the features of both, outlining the gender differences and the recent changes in the twentieth century
The measurement of occupational segregation and its component dimensions
The paper reviews different approaches to, and current knowledge of the measurement of occupational segregation, using the case of gender segregation. It shows that most popular segregation ‘indices’ are actually statistics of association in a 2x2 table, often with distorting weightings. The dimensions of segregation comprise a vertical dimension measuring inequality and an orthogonal horizontal one measuring difference without inequality. Togeth…
What is social inequality
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain the difference between social inequality and identity. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a conceptual view. Findings The paper notes that the concepts are often confused, as in arguments that equality is impossible because everyone is different. It is pointed out that equality and inequality are not opposites; that equality is simply the zero point on the infinite range of inequality. T…
A Reply to Lampard
A Reply to Watts
Education and Social Class
Trends in class inequality in attendance at selective schools are hard to interpret, since the number of places at these schools and the distribution of children by class also change over time. Reanalysing data from the Nuffield Mobility Study, it is shown that interpretation of the trends depends on which measure of association is used. By viewing stratification as a continuous hierarchy which is then sliced up into « classes » of differing size…
The Analysis of Occupational Gender Segregation over Time and Place
Despite the importance of occupational segregation as an area of investigation concerned with understanding women's employment status, pay levels, and promotional prospects during the last 20 years, there has been relatively little attention paid to the problems of trying to measure segregation levels in quantitative data. This paper argues that there are serious measurement problems which it illustrates by showing that two of the principal indic…
A Reply to Lampard
A Reply to Lampard
Two important issues concerning the measurement of segregation are raised by Richard Lampard. He shows the relationship between the Gini coefficient (G) and the marginal matching measure (MM), and he suggests that G may have a particular advantage as a measure of segregation in that it retains more information than MM. It is worth developing these points further, and seeing whether G really does have an advantage. We shall demonstrate that MM ret…
A Reply to Watts
A Reply to Watts
The Reproduction of Social Inequality
Ideological assumptions of equality and economic individualism have permeated the traditional analysis of social mobility. This is shown most clearly in the use of perfect mobility as the theoretical model that underlies most of the empirical analyses. A major consequence is that these analyses have offered a poor conceptualisation of the nature of the structure within which movement occurs, and have tended to ignore the question of relative dist…
Putting Men and Women into Classes
Evans's (1996) claim in the May issue, like his earlier one (Evans, 1992), is to have provided a validation of the Goldthorpe class schema, here in relation to women as well as to men. His thoughtful discussion of these issues is welcome, but it has, nevertheless to be treated with considerable scepticism. In this note we shall demonstrate, first, that he misunderstands what the validation of such a schema entails; second, that the nature of the …
A New System of Classes
The case presented by O'Reilly and Rose for a new scheme of social classes is clearly and persuasively argued; one might almost be convinced of the need for a system of classes. This is not the final word on the new scheme, but the basic ideas seem clear so we may consider its characteristics. The remarks that follow are deliberately critical, focussing on weaknesses of what may be expected to be an important and influential scheme
Gender Differences at Work
Despite the prominence of discussions of gender segregation in explanations of labour market inequalities, there have been relatively few cross-national studies due to a lack of suitably detailed data. A recent ILO initiative obtained suitable data for cross-national analysis of 38 countries, with a much greater number of occupational categories than has usually been available. This paper reports findings from the analysis of these data. The prob…
Understanding social inequality
Introduces the different types of inequality. Argues the distinction between inequality and differences. Asks if social inequality is important or a mistaken ideal? Briefly looks at the different forms inequality takes
The viscious circle of competitive unemployment
Investigates the possible social causes of unemployment; focuses on how competition among employers can increase and perpetuate already high levels of unemployment. Starts from the premise that, despite divergent attitudes, most industrialized nations make some collective provision for the unemployed, with firms ultimately bearing the costs. Describes how, although a firm may reduce its labour force to save money, it is ultimately, albeit collect…
Is housework unpaid work
Looks at the historical positioning of housework as unpaid and questions the correctness of this idea. States that there is a fundamental theoretical error in defining housework as unpaid as market concepts are being applied to non‐market work. Continues to distinguish between the two markets considering the features of both, outlining the gender differences and the recent changes in the twentieth century
The Vertical Dimension of Occupational Segregation
This article presents a new approach to measuring the most important dimension of gender segregation - the vertical dimension-in quantitative survey data. This, in turn, allows for a reassessment of the view that high levels of gender segregation are synonymous with high levels of social inequality. In order to do this, the article also draws upon significant conceptual developments. `Segregation' as it is commonly understood is named as `overall…
Explaining gender segregation
Occupational gender segregation - the tendency for women and men to work in different occupations - is an important feature of all societies, and particularly the wealthy industrialized ones. To understand this segregation, and to explain its significance, we need to distinguish between vertical segregation entailing inequality and horizontal segregation representing difference without inequality, with overall segregation being the resultant of t…
Occupational Gender Segregation in Canada, 1981–1996
Cet article examine les changements survenus entre 1981 et 1996 dans la ségrégation hommes‐femmes. Le niveau de ségrégation dans son ensemble a faiblement baissé, suivant en cela la tendance observée depuis les années soixante. La diminution se traduit par une décroissance de 41% de la ségrégation verticale (équité salariale) mais par une augmentation de la ségrégation horizontale (différences autres que cette équité). Les femmes ont renforcé leu…
Gendered Occupations
While the existence of occupational gender segregation is well known, it has been usual to see it as a reflection of women's disadvantage. However, cross-national data show that the greater the segregation, the less tends to be women's disadvantage. The solution to this puzzle entails the introduction of the two orthogonal dimensions of segregation, where only the vertical dimension measures inequality while the horizontal dimension measures diff…
Modelling socioeconomic trajectories
Purpose The aim of this paper is to describe the use of sequence analysis to model trajectories of life‐course economic activity status, within a broader research agenda aimed at improving understanding of the relationship between socioeconomic position and health. Design/methodology/approach The analysis used data on 288 participants of the Boyd Orr Stratified Sub‐Sample, comprising a combination of prospective and retrospective information on e…
Business services and the knowledge economy in Malaysia
Purpose This paper aims to argue that the World Bank‐sanctioned strategy of investing in knowledge economy infrastructure will not make a developing country competitive in the highest value activities such as research, design and innovation. Design/methodology/approach The paper examines Malaysia's efforts to increase its national income and change its position from a “middle‐income” country to one with a standard of living equivalent to a develo…
Work and social stratification
A new indicator of technical complexity at work
Purpose This paper aims to conceptualise and measure the technical aspects of the division of labour (DoL) with a new survey indicator of technical complexity (ITC) at work. Design/methodology/approach Two technical criteria skills and functions are used to distinguish positions in the DoL and to cluster and rank them into a 28‐category ordinal survey ITC. The indicator's construct‐validity is tested by assessing the correlation between these cri…
Intergenerational transfer of occupational status in nineteenth century Zeeland, The Netherlands
Purpose This paper seeks to study the influence of industrialisation, urbanisation and means of communication on the association between father's and son's occupational status in all 117 municipalities in the province of Zeeland, The Netherlands from 1811 to 1890. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses from both the logic of industrialism thesis and reproduction theory are tested with multi‐level analyses on data on the individual as well as the …
What is social inequality
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain the difference between social inequality and identity. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a conceptual view. Findings The paper notes that the concepts are often confused, as in arguments that equality is impossible because everyone is different. It is pointed out that equality and inequality are not opposites; that equality is simply the zero point on the infinite range of inequality. T…
The importance of specificity in occupation‐based social classifications
Purpose This paper aims to present reasons why social classifications which use occupations should seek to adopt “specific” approaches which are tailored to the country, time period and gender of the subjects under study. Design/methodology/approach The relative motivations for adopting a specific approach to social classifications are discussed and theoretical perspectives on specificity and empirical evidence on the contribution of specific app…
Minority ethnic men in British labour market (1972‐2005)
Purpose This paper seeks to investigate ethnic disadvantages in the UK labour market in the last three decades. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on data from the most authoritative government surveys, the gross and net differences in employment status and class position between minority ethnic and White British men covering 34 years (1972‐2005) are analysed. Findings White British and White Other men were generally advantaged in employment a…
Sociology (20 works) · Economics (19 works) · Mathematics (13 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Political science (11 works) · Demographic economics (10 works) · Inequality (10 works) · Labour economics (10 works) · Social science (8 works) · Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies (8 works)