Analyzes mobility rates for black and white men using life-history data on intra-generational mobility. A stochastic model of mobility is derived from a simple model for the occupational achievement process. The proposed model is said to describe observed changes in mobility over time reasonably well. (Author/AM)

In this paper, a theory of the academic achievement process of learning is proposed. Learning is seen as the outcome of the utilization of learning opportunities created in the teaching process by students themselves. These students are characterized by a certain level of ability and effort. The theory is first formulated in a single equation…

Makes a case for the formulation of models of status attainment processes that not only model the outcomes of such processes, but also attempt to directly mirror the mechanisms that produce observed outcomes. Presents an evaluation of Boudon's contribution toward constructing such a model of the attainment processes. (Author/JM)

The deliberate assignment of students to groups, generally grades and classrooms, is an integral part of education in schools; in addition, tracks, streams, and ability groups are created in many educational systems. The resulting partitioning of students is referred to here as the organizational differentiation of students. The purpose of this…

To further understanding of the process through which occupational careers are formed, this study analyzed life histories to determine job-shifts undertaken by a cohort of men 30-39 years of age. It was proposed that individuals will decide to leave a job when they perceive that a gain in achievement is possible. The analysis of the outcome of job…

This paper analyzes the properties of the process of social and economic attainments in two contrasting situations: (1) when the process of attainment generates the distribution of attainments, and (2) when the structure of attainments is seen as exogenously determined. It is argued that the neoclassical economic theory of earnings determination…

This paper proposes a theory of the status attainment process, and specifies it in a mathematical model. The theory justifies a transformation of the conventional status scores to a metric that produces a exponential distribution of attainments, and a transformation of educational attainments to a metric that reflects the competitive advantage…

This paper applies a theory of growth in academic achievement to the study of the effects of ability grouping on reading achievement. The theory sees students' ability and effort determining how they utilize opportunities for learning provided by instruction. (Author/JAZ)

This paper suggests a model for occupational careers based on the outcome of job shifts. This outcome may be described by a difference equation, where the gain is a function of the prestige and income of the job left and a person's level of resources. The career model is obtained as a solution to this difference equation. The resulting age profile…

This paper proposes a model for the process of attaining occupational status and income, where change in attainment is generated by the creation of vacant positions in social structure. The distribution of attainments, or the structure of inequality, is assumed fixed and described by a simple exponential or geometric distribution function,…

This paper examines differences in patterns of career mobility between women and men over a five year period (1965-1970). First, it analyzes the career mobility of the sample in order to determine to what extent differences in mobility patterns are caused by differences in the occupational distribution of men and women, rather than by sex related…

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conception of the learning process and to suggest its mathematical form. In this framework, the characteristics of the schools children attend are emphasized. The objective is to suggest a framework for the evaluation of research on school effects and a point of departure for new research on the impact of…