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Historically, U.S. sociologists employed outside the professoriate had lower status and were less likely to be considered professionals than those inside. Academic restructuring may result in a closing of the status gap. This article, based on the responses of 600 PhD sociologists employed in applied, research, and policy positions, focuses on whether historically agreed upon professional characteristics, such as use of specialized knowledge, autonomy, ethical norms, and basic research, are related to overall job satisfaction and satisfaction with economic security. We expected that professional characteristics were significantly related to overall satisfaction, but not to satisfaction with economic security. Our expectations were generally met. Respondents used sociological theories, methods, and concepts to analyze social issues, design interventions, and evaluate solutions. Professional job characteristics result in higher job satisfaction, when other factors are held constant. In contrast, professional characteristics do not significantly increase satisfaction with economic security; rather sector; occupation, and age cohort appear to do so.

A nationally representative stratified sample of women who received AFDC (Aid for Families with Dependent children) for at least 2-4 months over a 2-year period was drawn from the Bureau of Census survey of incoming program participation designed to determine whether work will pay & whether such women can move their families out of poverty under conditions of time-limited welfare benefits, increased Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC), & food stamps -- all proposals of the Clinton administration or Congress. Findings show that about 43% of AFDC recipients worked 34 hours per week in food or maintenance services at an average of 1.7 jobs. Effectiveness of either EIC or unemployment insurance as a substitute for AFDC is estimated. It is concluded that these women cannot escape poverty without other sources of income support under the conditions tested. Rather, it is cheaper & better to raise the minimum wage, institute pay equity & unionization, & enforce antidiscrimination policies to enable these women to earn higher wages. 6 Tables, 1 Figure. V. Wagener

This paper applies a feminist analysis to the measurement of living standards during the 1970s. It suggests that widely made assumptions of homogeneous pooling and redistribution of income, labor, and expenditures within families mask inequalities and uneven changes in the living standards of wage-working husbands and wives. Two waves of the Panel Study of Income dynamics are used to create two rough indicators, that is, reproduction pay and surplus, to test for inequalities and uneven changes in 1968 and again in 1979. In general, the findings show differential living standards between husbands and wives when assumptions of homogeneous pooling and redistribution are not made. The paper concludes that the suggested rough indicators are useful for the measurement of living standards.

Students major in sociology because they want to understand social life and social change, but does wanting a meaningful career equal a large salary? As it turns out, while sociology graduates do not earn top dollars in their first year out of undergraduate school, their salaries do increase and usually double by ten years out.

First-generation immigrants studying as sociology majors see excellent employment outcomes.

The authors provide context for the three articles in the special section of this issue of Teaching Sociology on the topic of assessment. They provide a brief discussion of assessment in higher education today, supported by research conducted by the American Sociological Association from a survey of department chairs. These data indicate that most sociology departments are in fact conducting some form of assessment, although faculty members often are critical of these activities. The authors argue that sociologists are well situated to play a major role in carrying out assessment plans by virtue of their disciplinary training and skills in analyzing data. Further, the authors appeal to readers of Teaching Sociology that assessment and the scholarship of teaching and learning are inextricably linked and that it requires only a small step from conducting research on the scholarship of teaching and learning to doing assessment.

With the support of the National Science Foundation, the American Sociological Association conducted a longitudinal survey of sociology majors from the class of 2005, following them from senior year into careers or graduate school. The first part of this article provides a context for the results from the What Can I Do with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology? study and a summary of its key findings. Wave I data demonstrate strong student interest in sociological concepts, perceived mastery of some research skills but not others, and general satisfaction with the major. Sociology majors are both idealists and careerists. The majority expects to enter the job market after graduation but is not satisfied with the career advising they receive. Key findings from Wave II demonstrate that more respondents go directly into the job market than expected, job search strategies are important in finding a job that matches what students learned in their sociology programs, and those who find such jobs are more satisfied with the major. The second part discusses how the survey findings can be used to enhance curriculum, advising, and assessment without vocationalizing the curriculum and without adding extra burdens to faculty members' already heavy schedules. Finally, the article discusses how the data can be used as a baseline for department assessment.