Paths to Success: Beating the Odds in American Society. (Book Notes).Charles C. Harrington and Susan K. Boardman, Paths to Success: Beating the Odds in American Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press The Harvard University Press is a publishing house, a division of Harvard University, that is highly respected in academic publishing. It was established on January 13, 1913. In 2005, it published 220 new titles. , 2000. $19.95 papercover. Social scientists have studies social stratification Noun 1. social stratification - the condition of being arranged in social strata or classes within a group stratification condition - a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing; "the human condition" in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. for decades and a huge literature on the subject is now available. Much of this research has examined overall mobility trends and the impediments IMPEDIMENTS, contracts. Legal objections to the making of a contract. Impediments which relate to the person are those of minority, want of reason, coverture, and the like; they are sometimes called disabilities. Vide Incapacity. 2. to moving up the occupational ladder. However, much of it has been optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op in tone, suggesting that American society affords many opportunities for people to achieve success. Criticizing this research for its limited focus, Harrington and Boardman approach the issue of mobility from a different perspective. They pay attention to those individuals who come from very disadvantages backgrounds but who, nevertheless, have been successful in their careers. Described as `pathmakers' by the authors, they include people from poor families who did not complete high school but who were rated by an expert panel as having achieved high levels of occupational success. Life history interviews were undertaken with 60 pathmakers and a control group of 40 respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. who came from educated and higher income families. The interviews studied schooling, employment history, family and community factors, health and the psychological characteristics of the respondents. Racial and gender factors were also considered. The authors conclude that psychological factors play a very important role in overcoming disadvantage. The pathmakers had a strong achievement orientation and an internal locus of control locus of control n. A theoretical construct designed to assess a person's perceived control over his or her own behavior. The classification internal locus indicates that the person feels in control of events; external locus . However, sociological factors such as social support networks and significant role models were also important. The study found that religious activity was a relevant factor in accounting for success as was the influence of school teachers and the support of family members. This interesting study is exploratory in nature but it sheds important light on why some people from disadvantaged families and communities succeed while others do not. By examining the way the pathmakers, as positive outlyers, faced their challenges, the authors have provided valuable information about the role of psychological and sociological factors in social mobility in American society. |
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