Study on Gender Differences in Chinese Urban Occupational Status and Attainment——Effect of Parental Education and Occupation Background on Education and Occupational Attainment for Both Sexes

Based on the survey data of the Third National Status of Women,this paper uses path analysis model to analyze the different effect of parental education and occupation on education for both sexes and occupational attainment and its differences and their reasons in different historical periods. We have found that in the offspring's educational attainment,father's education and occupation have a stronger effect for men,while mother's education and occupational background having a stronger impact on women; in offspring's occupational status attainment,the total effect of father's education and occupational status of women and men are higher than the mother's influence. With the advance of market-oriented reforms,influence from family background has generally tended to decline for individual occupational status attainment.