ANU occupational status scales: translations from ABS classifications, 1973

During a 1965 study on social stratification (SSDA Study No. 7 and Broom et al, 1965), 1961 Census classifications of occupation groupings were reallocated to a new series of codes more directly applicable to sociological analysis. This recoding is known as 'ANU 1 coding' and in its full form has 100 categories. These can be aggregated into 17 categories. As part of a 1973 study of social mobility (see SSDA Study No. 8 and Broom et al, 1977) a more detailed classification of occupations was developed, which reflected inequality in social status. This coding is known as 'ANU 2 status scales'. As both of these classifications were developed from ABS codes, two files have been produced whereby a link could be made to translate ABS codes from the 1971, 1976 and 1981 Censuses into ANU status scores. A further method of classifying occupations is by worker function i.e. the level of complexity of working with data, people and things. Using the US Department of Labour Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), a link was also made between worker function codings and the ANU status scales. When the Australian Bureau of Statistics released a new, skill based classification for occupation, ASCO, the 'ANU 3 status scale' was developed. File A allows translation from the 1971 ABS Classification and Classified List of Occupations (CCLO) codes to ANU status scores and contains the following variables: ABS CCLO unit group; ANU 2 status scores; ANU 1 coding for 100 unit groups; ANU 1 coding regrouped to 17 ranked status groups; level of complexity of working with data, people and things; a descriptive occupational title; and counts of people in each occupation at the 1971 Census (total, men, women). File B allows translations from 1976 and 1981 ABS CCLO codes back to 1971 codes and thence ABS status scores and contains the following variables: ABS codings for 1981, 1976 and 1971; ANU 2 status scores; ANU 1 coding for 99 unit groups; ANU 1 coding regrouped to 16 ranked status groups; level of complexity of working with data, people and things; and counts of people in each occupation at the 1981, 1976 and 1971 Censuses (men and women). File C allows translation from the 1986 ABS ASCO codes to ANU 3 status scores and contains the following variables: ABS unit group; ANU 3 status scores and counts of people in each occupation.