Occupational Structure in Industrialized Societies: Some Notes on the Convergence Thesis in the Light of Soviet Experience

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Abstract
Critics of the convergence thesis have not seriously challenged the notion that occupational structure is technologically determined and a relatively invariable feature of industrialized societies. This paper discusses some of the conceptual problems raised by the account of the transformation of occupational structure to be found in the convergence literature. The issues are examined with reference to some distinctive features of the Soviet occupational structure which have resulted from policies pursued in accordance with ideological considerations and deliberate growth strategies. The evidence shows that the state of technology cannot be viewed as an autonomous variable and that policies which counteract or reinforce the workings of market forces are of crucial importance. Some of the implications of variations in occupational structure for patterns of social stratification are discussed; recent studies of stratification in state socialist countries have tended to by-pass these questions. The sociological causes of diversity in the occupational structure of advanced societies need to be further explored.