ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the model of status attainment formulated by P. Blau and O. D. Duncan and subsequently modified and extended. It applies this model to Polish data, incorporating non-observable variables inferred from multiple indicators. The chapter estimates all coefficients of the model on the basis of variance-covariance matrices of observed variables, according to the maximum likelihood method. It uses various indigenous occupational scales and various indicators of educational attainment appropriate for Poland. An analysis has been directed toward an explication of educational and occupational attainment, using the multiple indicator conceptualizations of both types of attainment. The chapter examines the impact of both the father's educational attainment and the respondent's educational attainment at the beginning of his work career on the respondent's occupational status. Occupational status was defined by three scales: skill requirements, complexity of work, and socioeconomic rewards. The basic model of status attainment including these indicators shows complex relationships between ascribed and achieved factors.
