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A computerized occupational sorting task was completed by 119 subjects, partially supporting the Theory of Compromise and Circumscription. Those with low degree of career compromise ranked interests before prestige, then sex-type. In moderate and high compromise conditions, there were no significant differences between prestige and sex-type although both were ranked higher than interests. (Contains 16 references.) (SK)

Examines the economic behavior of academic research libraries, arguing that academic research libraries seek to maximize universities' utility by expanding library collections. Findings are consistent with those from a previous study using a different ranking system and sample data and reconfirm that library collections contribute significantly to prestige of universities. (Author/AEF)

A study of 335 German 10th graders who applied for apprenticeships showed that they adjusted their aspirations from "dream job" to "a job I am interested in" as deadlines approached. They matched their school performance to the prestige of the apprenticeships they applied for. (Contains 47 references.) (SK)

Examines how adult, monolingual foreign language learners' oral performance is affected by the degree to which they associate prestige with classmates and teacher disapproval. Explores relationships among learners' views of their own and their peers' pronunciation skills; values associated with native-like speech; beliefs about social conditions favorable to target-like speech; and 4) accuracy of learners' perceptions of desirable pronunciation patterns. (Author/VWL)

Examines patterns of academic drift (a drift toward the structure and norms typical of more prestigious universities) in multiple higher education systems and tests the concept of "isomorphism in organizational fields" as discussed in institutional theory. Argues that the theoretical framework provided by institutional theory presents a useful lens through which to examine and explain why academic drift occurs in higher education systems. (EV)

Used colonialism and dual labor market theories to interpret race, gender, and educational class distributions of occupational prestige. Data from all high school graduates and higher in the Census Bureau Integrated Public Use Microdata indicated that there were significant differences in the distribution of occupational prestige, and race, gender, and educational class were important in the distribution of occupational prestige. (SM)

Uses "U.S. News and World Report" Web site data to investigate sources of education school prestige, examining rank of the college or university in which it is located, education school rank, and rank of different programs within the education school. Results highlight the strong relationship between status of the social/philosophical foundations program and overall status of its education school. (SM)

Discusses the potential for online business education. Highlights include a background of distance education for higher education; the interest of corporate America in distance education; and results of a survey of Internet users that focused on potential customers for online business education and considered demographics, service expectations, tuition, prestige, and value. (LRW)

The need to recruit and retain teachers and improve morale has focused attention on the status of teaching as a profession. The generic term "status" has three relatively independent components: prestige, official status, and esteem. Enhancing teachers' professional status could improve their esteem without affecting their public prestige. (Contains 43 references.) (MLH)

Gender is strongly related to career outcomes among Chicago lawyers. Men and women begin their careers in difference practice contexts, and the differences grow over time. Individual preferences do not fully account for the gender gap. Law school prestige and class rank influence career paths but do not explain the gender gap. (Contains 85 references.) (Author/SV)

Examination of the role of teacher educators at one small college in England finds teaching staff are labeled as either academics or non-academics (educationalists). Argues that educationalists are excluded (and exclude themselves) from participation in the academy and inhabit another world which more accurately mirrors the school room than the lecture hall. (DB)

Review of national (United Kingdom) and international university league tables published in 1998 in major British newspapers finds that these efforts to rank institutions by using weighted combinations of performance indicators do not provide most potential students with the critical information needed to choose a school. (DB)

Survey responses of college-bound high school seniors (n=198) found most respondents viewed successful postgraduate careers as very important to the perception of an institution's academic reputation. Three factors described student perception of academic reputation: academic concerns, campus ethos, and practical value. Also, three factors were associated with very good academic reputation: curricular concerns, exclusivity, and career preparation. (Author/DB)

Trends in occupational mobility for U.S. males, 1972-90, were analyzed using three occupational scales providing different indicators of occupational status and social stratification. Results indicate stable or increasing rigidity in U.S. occupational stratification, with a decline in education's importance, both as key to achieving high rank and as mediator of rank persistence across generations. (Contains 41 references.) (SV)

Examines the association between departmental prestige and faculty scholarship for the discipline of sociology using evaluative ratings from three national studies and objective data on publications. Scholarship was far less important in determining current prestige ratings than either the past reputations of departments or those of their affiliated universities. Contains 57 references. (Author/SV)

A study assessed 62 female and 51 male young adults in 1980 and 1990. Men were far more likely to be in higher prestige majors/occupations. Similar proportions of men and women were in "Investigative" (I) occupations. When "Realistic" (R) or "Social" (S) was first in the Holland code there were gender differences, but not when R or S was second or third. (SK)

Contributes to scholarship on values and ideologies in the media by analyzing five years of ABC's "Person of the Week" segments to identify prominent types of people and values endorsed by mainstream news media. Finds that individuals most frequently selected for ABC's honor lived in the United States; worked in politics and entertainment; and were white, male, and famous. (SR)

Studied stereotyped reactions to English accents and cultures among Danish secondary school students in Denmark. In choice of preference of Received Pronunciation (RP), Scottish English, Australian English, Cockney English, and Standard American English, RP was found to be unsurpassed prestige variety in this Danish context. It was rated favorably on all status and competence dimensions and seen as most efficient, beautiful, and correct English accent. (Author/JL)

Examines the impact of occupational prestige on sex-typing of occupations in Israel based on gender and age group (366 adolescents, 532 university students, and 148 teachers). Overall, university students had the most liberal attitudes and young adolescents, the least. Suggestions are given for reducing stereotyping among adolescents. (SLD)

Looks at the phenomenon of teachers' status in light of frequent claims that it has declined sharply. Finds that although a loss of prestige has occurred in comparison with other professions, the status issue is not as clear as is sometimes implied. Discusses confounding indicators and the contemporary image of teachers. (DSK)

Administered an occupational choice questionnaire to 316 students to find out why some college courses are particularly attractive to ethnic-minority school-leavers. Results indicate that entering a "respected" profession and working with others who share similar beliefs were of greater importance to Asian subjects than to those of United Kingdom origin. (RJM)

Describes a study of the scholarly literature of sociology that examined whether citation rankings derived exclusively from references appended to journal articles produce a skewed picture of scholarly impact, and whether the inclusion of references from monographs would uncover a different group of influential authors. (Author/LRW)

A study examined the percentages of freshmen and seniors enrolled in high-prestige majors at James Madison University (Virginia), using a prestige ranking for 30 majors based on student body ratings. Contrary to expectation, there was not a higher percentage of male than female seniors enrolled in high-prestige majors. (Author/MSE)

The relationship between status categories and extracurricular activities in a suburban, middle-class, junior high school is examined. An account is given of what happens when a "burnout" girl (someone at the bottom of the prestige hierarchy) is selected as cheerleader, thus violating the assumptions in American culture that serve as the basis for prestige and privilege. (MMU)