Two models of social stratification: From a classification scheme to a typology

Fachelli, Sandra

A model for analyzing social stratification should take into account the occupation of all members of the family. Although this statement is not new at all, the empirical operationalization of this concept has been slightly used because of the complexity involved in the procedure. Synthetic indicators, as occupational position of male breadwinner, have been considered as effective as the most complex ones.

The classification of social stratification, based on the occupational position, used on the well-known book by Erikson and Goldthorpe, entitled “The Constant Flux” has been considered the mainstream of social mobility analysis for the last 20 years.

The aim of this paper is to compare our model of stratification with that of Erikson and Golthorpe. The model proposed takes into account the household as a unit of analysis. In addition to highest occupational position of every adult member of the household, the model includes educational, housing and income. It uses a multivariate approach, combining Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Cluster Analysis in order to obtain social strata.

We contrast both models in order to indicate its potentialities and its limitations for social stratification analysis, and we use the same data source: the Labor Force Survey of Argentina. This country experienced between December 2001 and February 2002, a deep economic and institutional crisis, installed in the international collective consciousness because of the default debt. The periods selected for analysis reflect two different socioeconomic growth stages: a pre-crisis period (1997) and a post-crisis stage (2010).

171.3 Two models of social stratification: From a classification scheme to a typology