ABSTRACT
Some people are employed in intriguing and fascinating occupations with challenging daily tasks and ongoing opportunities to progress in their professions, which allows for self-actualization at work. Others have less stimulating jobs that are more standardized, repetitious, and afford little opportunity for either professional or personal growth in the work setting. These images roughly correspond to more qualified white-collar occupations, on the one hand, and low-status white-collar and monotonous blue-collar work, on the other hand (Morgan, Alwin and Griffin 1979). In addition to possibly vague images of what different occupations actually involve in terms of tasks and assignments, occupations also involve actual persons practising them. And based on the occupations people hold, others ascribe various characteristics to them, perhaps including stereotypes, that can entail personal traits, lifestyles, attitudes and so forth (Rothman 2002; Gesser 1977). These pictures have an empirical bearing and are not just reflections of lively imaginations (Bourdieu 1989). But it is important to acknowledge the fact that they might just be stereotyped images and a result of categorizations and classifications of individuals.
