Stratification and mobility in a Latin American city

This survey, conducted in 1961, was administered to 822 residents of Santiago, Chile. The study thoroughly investigates past and present occupations of the respondent in order to ascertain socio-economic status within the society and to discover patterns of social and economic mobility. Variables include the respondents' satisfaction with their jobs, their feelings of permanence in their jobs, the kind of work done, whether the respondents are self-employed or employed by a public or private institution, and the status which their occupations hold--from proprietor to unskilled laborer. These variables establish past occupation, and they are repeated for the respondents' occupation at age 21, 28, 35, and 45. The past is further explored through variables concerning the respondents' father and paternal grandfather and their occupations. After examining the respondents' role within the society, the study explores their awareness and understanding of the world around them, at the local, national, and international levels. For this, the focus ranges from participation in local clubs, to opinions about the current government of Chile, to questions about Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution.