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Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs
Publication Date
12-21-1977
Abstract
This study analyzed the relationship of several variables assumed to be significant in producing anomia, a variant of alienation. The variables analyzed were socioeconomic status, occupational aspiration, and ethnicity.
Freshmen and sophomore high school students were identified by ethnic group (Mexican-American and Anglo-American), socioeconomic status (high, middle, and low), and occupational aspiration (high, middle, and low). In order to investigate a commonly presumed characteristic of ethnicity, students were also classified as to the degree of acceptance of the open class ideology (high, middle, and low).
Analysis of covariance and t-tests were utilized to test the differences among different levels of socioeconomic status and anomia. There were found to be statistically significant differences in anomia among all levels of socioeconomic status, with an inverse relationship existing between socioeconomic status and anomia. This relationship existed for both ethnic groups, but the relationship was more pronounced for the Anglo-American group.
A t-test showed that the Mexican-American group had a significantly higher anomia mean score than the Anglo American group. Analysis of covariance and t-tests were used to test the differences among different levels of occupational aspiration and anomia. When the two ethnic groups were considered together, there was no significant difference in anomia between any two levels of occupational aspiration. However, level of occupational aspiration was found to be inversely related to the anemia of the Anglo American group but not to the Mexican-American group. Disjunction between high idealistic occupational aspiration and realistic occupational aspiration in the low socioeconomic status group was not found to be related to anomia. (It should be noted that there were no Anglo-Americans in the low socioeconomic status group who had high idealistic occupational aspirations and at the same time low realistic occupational aspirations.)
Using multiple regression analysis, the proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained by the independent variables was found to be approximately six percent. Socioeconomic status alone explained approximately five percent.
These findings suggest that while linear relationships exist between the dependent variable and the independent variables, these variables account for only a small portion of the variance. Therefore, research dealing with anomia needs to investigate other variables that would account for more of the variance. These variables may very well be found in the quality of life that society imposes on the low socioeconomic status group.
Document Type
Dissertation
Language
English
Degree Name
Educational Leadership
Level of Degree
Doctoral
Department Name
Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy
First Committee Member (Chair)
Richard Lee Holemon
Second Committee Member
Paul Arnold Pohland
Third Committee Member
Wayne Paul Moellenberg
Recommended Citation
Perez, Alejandro. "The Relationship Of Socioeconomic Status, Occupational Aspiration, And Ethnicity To The Anomia of High School Freshmen And Sophomores." (1977). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/educ_teelp_etds/301
Included in
Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons