Background: little is known about associations between occupational prestige, that is, the symbolic evaluation and socialpositioning of occupations, and sickness absence (SA) or disability pension (DP). We explored whether occupational prestigewas associated with future SA or DP among women and men. Methods: A Swedish 4-year prospective cohort study of allthose in paid work and aged 25–59 in 2010 (N = 2,605,227; 47% women), using linked microdata from three nationwideregisters and Standard International Occupational Prestige Scale values, categorised as ‘very low’, ‘low’, ‘medium’, ‘high’,or ‘very high’. Odds ratios (Ors), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), crude and adjusted for several sociodemographic factors,were calculated for three outcomes: at least one SA spell (>14 days), >90 SA days, or DP occurrence, during follow-up(2011–2013). Results: The mean number of SA days in 2010 varied by occupational prestige group, for example, ‘very high’:3.0, ‘very low’: 6.5. Compared to those in occupations with ‘very high’ prestige, all other groups had higher adjusted Orsfor all three outcomes. Among men, those with ‘very low’ occupational prestige had the highest Or for at least one SA spell:Or 1.51 (95% CI 1.47–1.56); among women, the ‘medium’ group had the highest Or: 1.30 (1.27–1.32). The results weresimilar for SA >90 days. Or for DP among women with ‘very low’ occupational prestige was 2.01 (1.84–2.19), and 3.55(3.15–4.01) for men. Conclusions: Working in lower occupational prestige occupations was generally associatedwith higher odds of future SA/DP than working in higher prestige occupations; these associations were strongerfor men than for women.

Occupations are at the core of the restructuring of labour markets. It is occupations that, due to technologisation, stand the risk of being fundamentally changed or even eliminated. Occupations are the ‘backbone’ of social stratification. Financial rewards, like wages and other benefits, and symbolic rewards in terms of recognition and prestige, define the ranking of occupations in the social order. This chapter explores polarisation based on changes in how employees are distributed across the occupational prestige hierarchy, as well as how changes in the labour market have affected the prestige of occupations. Drawing on quantitative data, the chapter shows some alterations and that, despite a narrowing of the occupational prestige range, the occupational prestige score stands strong. However, there are some upgrading tendencies for women’s employment, while there are signs of polarisation for men. The increase of women in high-prestige occupations seems to have affected the prestige scores, as the negative effect from the share of women has increased over time.

Polarisation, both in and of society, has been discussed not only in relation to outcomes in the labour market, but also in relation to opinions and attitudes. This chapter examines whether, and how, perceptions of occupational prestige have changed over time. Although perceptions of the prestige of occupations have proven to be a stable phenomenon, differences in perceptions may have increased in connection with technological changes in the labour market. Drawing on two survey studies conducted in Sweden in 2002 and 2018, this chapter scrutinises polarisation in perceptions of occupational prestige. The analysis showed only small dispersions in prestige perceptions over time and between social categories (sex, age and social class). The differences are too small and scattered to talk of any kind of polarisation. The main conclusion is that when it comes to perceptions of occupational status, we see no tendencies of either value polarisation or bi-polarisation.

This final chapter of the book Scrutinising Polarisation summarises the main findings of upgrading and polarisation tendencies in the Swedish labour market, the mechanisms behind changes, which social categories are affected, and the significance of the Swedish industrial relation model. The chapter ends with a more general discussion by relating the concepts of value polarisation, bi-polarisation and social polarisation to the main results of the studies included in this book.

This is the introductory chapter for the book entitled Scrutinizing Polarization: Patterns and consequences of occupational transformations in the Swedish labour market (Routledge). The starting point of the book is the changing employment and job structure in Western economies, and the Swedish economy in particular, and the question of whether these economies are moving towards polarisation. A lot of the previous research has regarded digital technological advancements as the main driver of occupational change. However, in this book we argue that the perspective must be widened, both when it comes to indicators measuring change, and regarding causes of occupational transformation. Concerning the latter, and particularly in the Swedish or Nordic context, changes in the large public sector, mainly caused by political priorities rather than technological change, need to be considered. This introductory chapter also scrutinises what the concept of polarisation means and refers to. Distinctions among value polarisation, bi-polarisation and social polarisation are discussed and put in motion in the analyses in this book. The chapter ends with a brief overview of the themes and analysis of the different chapters.

This book scrutinises polarisation in Sweden, identifying patterns and variations in labour market transformation and exploring the consequences in terms of jobs, income, prestige, unionization and employment security, as well as the effects on different social groups. Through a series of empirical studies, it sheds light on changes in the occupational structure and the ways in which these changes interact with other societal trends, such as increased temporary employment, rising migration and decreased unionization, whilst also exploring changes in the evaluation of occupations and attitudes towards trade unions. Drawing on distinctly sociological perspectives, it shows how transformations in society and the labour market have affected conditions for individuals and considers whether these changes reinforce existing inequalities occasioned by polarisation or create new ones. Scrutinising Polarisation considers whether and how the Swedish labour market has polarized – and, if so, what this means for individual employees and labour organizations. It will therefore appeal to scholars with interests in the sociology of work and professions, social inequalities and labour market transformations.

This study contributes to our understanding of what lifestyle factors affect thesocial status of women and men in contemporary postmaterialist societies.We examine the dimensions and determinants of social status qualifiersamong Swedish people using a survey of 1,650 Swedish respondents whoranked the importance of 14 qualifiers for the social status of a woman anda man. The analysis showed surprisingly strong similarities in what factorsaffect the social status of women and men – both in the importance ofindividual status qualifiers and in the three underlying status dimensions:The highest-ranked dimension included status qualifiers related to externalmaterial resources and properties. The second most important dimensioncomprised interactional resources such as manners, looks, being marriedand having children. The third dimension concerned the importanceof interest and engagement in politics, the environment, and fine art,which were of the least importance for social status. The few significantdifferences in ascriptions of status for a woman or a man were rather genderstereotypical. In addition, the analysis revealed some significant differencesin status perceptions among the respondents: Gender, class, educationalbackground, and country of birth were among the main determinants ofsuch differences.

Previous research has argued that occupational prestige is a social fact founded in the collective conscience and prestige perceptions morally grounded. Ideas of strong consensus in perceptions rest on comparisons of compressed mean values, and the similarity between what prestige an occupation has and what it ought to have has not previously been empirically explored. Drawing on survey data and a discrepancy index, the present study explores the resemblance between descriptive facts and normative values in perceptions of occupational prestige and consensus and discrepancies in prestige perceptions. The analysis showed discrepancies in descriptive and normative prestige perceptions for welfare and cultural occupations. The differences in perceptions can be explained by sex, beliefs about what factors give prestige to an occupation, and the prestige of one’s occupation.