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

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