COR 617a2

February 10, 1996

Re: Recoding of 1957 aspiration responses

The following conventions were used when assigning three-digit 1970 Census
occupational codes to the original 1957 aspiration responses. For a more
detailed discussion of the 1995 recoding effort, see the attached appendices
(COR617B-F). 

1. Three-digit 1970 Census occupational codes were assigned based on the
respondent's answer to the question: 

I hope eventually to enter the type of occupation checked in the right hand
column below. 
     1. Office work (Cashier, clerk, secretary, bookkeeper, etc.)
     2. Professional (Doctor, lawyer, minister, teacher, etc.)
     3. Executive (Manages large business, industry, firm)
     4. Factory worker (Laborer, janitor, farm hand, etc.)
     5. Salesman (Insurance, real estate, auto, store, etc.)
     6. Owns, rents, manages small business (Store, newspaper, cafe, etc.)
     7. Owns, rents, manages farm
     8. Other occupation (Be specific)
     9. Blank, no information provided 

In cases where the respondent (a) wrote in a precise occupational title at the
"Other" prompt, or (b) circled or underlined one of the specific occupations
listed parenthetically under one of the eight major categories (e.g. Student
put a check mark next to the category "professional," but also underlined the
word "teacher"), a three-digit code was assigned to the precise response. 

2. In many cases, respondents simply checked off one of the eight response
categories supplied in the questionnaire, and provided no additional
information. In such cases, coders were instructed to follow these conventions:
     Category                 1970 Occupational Code
     1 Office work                 395 Not specified clerical worker
     4 Factory worker              695 Not specified operative
     5 Salesman                    280 Salesmen and sales clerks, n.e.c.
     7 Owns, rents, manages farm        801 Farmer (owner/tenant)

Coders were not instructed to assign an occupational code of 245 (Managers and
administrators, n.e.c.) to respondents who checked off the following
occupational aspiration:
     6  Owns, rents, manages small business (store, newspaper, cafe, etc.) 

The decision was later made to assign the occupational code of 245 to those who
indicated that they aspired to be small business owners/managers. 

3. In some cases, respondents checked off a major occupational category, and
did not name a specific occupational goal, yet provided information about the
specific academic program or trade/apprenticeship program they were entering.
Coders were instructed that educational plans are a source of aspirations
information. For instance, if a respondent indicated that s/he is entering a
nursing school affiliated at a local hospital, or is attending a plumber
apprenticeship program, then this information can provide a "clue" when
deciding on the three-digit occupational code to assign. Coders were also
instructed to indicate whether such information was used when assigning a
three-digit code. The variables DIDSPEC1 and SCHLMAJ1 were created to indicate
whether educational aspiration data was used in assigning final three-digit
codes. [For further information on variables DIDSPEC1 and SCHLMAJ1, see COR617B
and COR617F).