A review of data sources for studying social interactions between the incumbents of occupations

Abstract

In the ESRC project ‘Social Networks and Occupational Structure' (or ‘SoNOcS', seewww.camsis.stir.ac.uk/sonocs), we are interested in exploring empirical patterns ofsocial connections between occupations. We focus upon the incumbents ofoccupational positions, and seek to obtain data on the occupations held by otherindividuals with whom meaningful social connections are measured. This style ofanalysis has a long history in projects which explore social interaction distancesbetween occupations on the basis of patterns of friendship, marriage or cohabitation(e.g. Chan, 2010a; Laumann & Guttman, 1966; Prandy, 1990; Stewart, Prandy, &Blackburn, 1973; Stewart, Prandy, & Blackburn, 1980). Our own plans are to usethese data resources to study average patterns of social distance between occupations,and network patterns in social connections between occupations.