Maternal Occupations, Social Reproduction, Self Sufficiency

• In Event: 355 - Section on Economic Sociology Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Gender and the Economy

Abstract

The present study investigated mechanisms of maternal social reproduction for Job Corps eligible youth. Its
primary research question was, “How do mothers affect the work habitus of offspring.” Using data from the
National Job Corp Study (n=14,208), linear regression analyzed the relationship between maternal forms of capital
(cultural, economic, social) and weekly wages of offspring. Simply, put maternal occupations matter. Multiple
regression results are significant and positive for college-educated mothers, certain maternal occupations and
household incomes that exceed $12,000 per year. These results offer insight into Bourdieu’s theory on forms of
capital manifested through the lens of maternal social reproduction. They also support Wilson’s structural theory of
jobless poverty and provide information on how certain occupations mitigate against its effects. Maternal
education, occupations and household income are important mechanisms of maternal social reproduction. It
responds to President Obama's call for innovative, experimental programs that provide long terms self-sufficiency
for needy parents who depend on government benefits through collaborative sectoral employment. It calls for
testing of this strategy under Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
(PRWORA).

Author

• Olga Stain Taylor, University of Texas-Dallas