ABSTRACT
In my own teaching and thinking about occupations 1 have found it necessary from time to time to ask myself what we have been doing, what we are doing, and what needs to be done in the immediate future in this area of sociological interest. This paper is the result of my ruminations. It consists of four parts: first, I have taken the liberty of reminiscing briefly about my own contacts with Everett Cher-rington Hughes; second, I have attempted to delineate the scope and approach of the sociological perspective on occupations by considering definitions of a few common terms: work, occupation, and career; third, 1 have set forth a paradigm which I think summarizes as well as can be done the essential features of Hughes’ perspective on occupations; and, finally, I have made a few remarks to indicate the tasks I think need to be done in order to integrate the field somewhat and to continue to advance in the directions indicated by the work of Hughes and his students.
