Changes in the Socioeconomic Stratification of the Races, 1962-73

The occupational socioeconomic status of men in the experienced civilian labor force (ECLF) rose between 1962 and 1973, and black men gained more than whites. Although the racial gap narrowed over the decade, black men in 1973 had not matched the occupational standing of white men in 1962. Intercohort changes in schooling and, to a lesser degree, changes in family background account for some of the shifts. Changes in the effects of schooling and of social background have occurred, and these differ between the races. Among white men in the ECLF, family factors are less important in occupational allocation than they were a decade ago; schooling has increased in importance relative to family background; both the effect of schooling on occupational standing and educational level of occupational incumbents have increased. In contrast, among black men in the ECLF, family factors were more tightly linked with occupational achievement in 1973 than in 1962, and black men with the same socioeconomic background and schooling held higher-status jobs in 1973 than in 1962. Among young workers, patterns of socioeconomic stratification do not differ by race as much as they did in previous years. Still, socioeconomic discrimination by race is prevalent, especially among workers with established work histories. We suggest that race and class have become less important in the processes which allocate men from families to schooling and subsequently to positions in the occupational hierarchy.