[originaltext] A person’s social prestige seems to be determined mainly by h

A person’s social prestige seems to be determined mainly by his or her job. Occupations are valued in terms of the incomes associated with them, although other factors can also be relevant—particular the amount of education a given occupation requires and the degree of control over others it pro vides. The holders of political power also tend to have high prestige.
    Unlike power and wealth, which do not seem to be becoming more equally shared, the symbols of prestige have become available to an increasing number of Americans. The main reason is the radical change in the nature of jobs over the course of this century. In 1900 nearly 40 percent of the labor force were farm workers and less than 20 percent held white-collar jobs. At the beginning of the 1980s, however, less than 5 percent of the labor force worked on farms and white-collar workers were the largest single occupation al category. Blue-collar workers, the largest category in the mid-fifties, now constitute less than a third of all workers. The increase in the proportion of high-prestige jobs has allowed a much greater number of Americans to enjoy these statuses and the life-styles that go with them.