Thanks Melissa. Yes, I need to be able to place them into larger economic categories and determine low and high-status occupations as you suggest. I'll track down the Thernstrom reference which sounds like it might be very helpful.
Kent
Meli Diamanti <[log in to unmask]> wrote: If you are looking at the occupations listed in census records, you
might be interested in a study that sorted them into larger economic
categories, such as skilled or unskilled blue collar workers, or low or
high-status white collar workers. See Thernstrom, referenced below.
The classification of occupations into socio-economic ranks that
Thernstrom developed was also used by V. Cowin in her study of
Pittsburgh and to by M. Weber is his study of Parren, Pennsylvania. I
have found it useful in my on-going study of historic communities around
Pittsburgh. but I found that not all the occupations I find were
included in Thernstrom's original classification, so I have had to make
some guesses of my own about where additional occupations would fit into
his ranking system.
In my case, I included "gentleman" with "none," "retired," and blank
entires for occupation, in an "Other" category and did not try to rank it.
References:
Stephen Thernstrom, The Other Bostonians: Poverty and Progress in the
Maerican Metropolis 1880-1970. Harvard University Press, 1973.
Verna L. Cowin, Pittsburgh Archaeological Resources & National Register
Survey. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission, and Pittsburgh Department of City Planning. Report
on file at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission,
Harrisburg, PA.
Michael P. Wber, Social Change in an Industrial Town: Patterns of
Progress in Warren, Pennsylvania, from Civil War to World War I.
Pennsylvania State University Press, Univeristy Park, PA.
Melissa Diamanti
Archaeological & Historical Consultants, Inc.
Kent Taylor wrote:
>In looking through censuses, directories, and other historic documents, I
>sometimes come across types of occupations that are not easily defined by
>our modern standards. Does anyone have a list of occupations for the entire
>historic period and exactly how they were defined during their period of
>use? For example, the occupation of "gentleman." How was that defined?
>Was he a retired person?
>Thanks in advance,
>Kent Taylor
>
Kent C. Taylor, M.A., RPA
Project Archaeologist
Commonwealth Cultural Resources Group, Inc.
Phone (248) 362-3038
Fax (248) 362-3038
E-Mail [log in to unmask]
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