The Occupational Attainment of Migrant and Nonmigrant Farm-Reared Youth: A Colombian Case

The educational and residential (migrant and nonmigrant) characteristics of two generations from a minifundia community in rural Colombia were examined to determine the relationship between occupational attainment level and parental social class (determined by land ownership). Occupation and residence histories were obtained from a 10% sample of rural households which produced data for 204 second generation household heads, their spouses, and their siblings 16 years and older (n=1,677) and their third generation children 12 years and older (N=593). Additionally, agricultural and marketing data were analyzed. The guiding hypothesis maintained that the number of high educational and occupational levels of both generations would be meager and that representatives from the larger landowning families would attain the higher levels. Results indicated: (1) the rural-born were likely to remain concentrated in traditional positions in the agricultural or service sectors where much underemployment prevails; (2) the few rural people from higher social class positions would maintain that position from one generation to another via transfer of land or migration to urban places and entry into technical or professional positions; (3) despite industrialization, the pyramidal social hierarchy, characteristic of preindustrial society, would continue. (JC)