Standard International Occupational Prestige Scale (SIOPS)

The Standard International Occupational Prestige Scale assigns an empirically determined prestige value to occupations (cf. Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik/Geis 2003). The index ranges from 12 (e.g., shoeshiners) to 78 (doctors) (cf. Ganzeboom/Treiman 1996).

Origin/Creator:	Donald J. Treiman und Harry B. G. Ganzeboom
Method/Structure:	The SIOPS was developed in the 1970s to have a standardised occupational prestige scale for international comparisons. The database are surveys from 55 countries in which the subjects evaluated occupational titles in terms of their social prestige and ranked them accordingly. The results were summarised in the SIOPS (cf. Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik/Geis 2003: 128f.).
Development/implementation for Germany:	The original scale, renewed by Ganzeboom and Treiman in 1996, allows coding the SIOPS with the ISCO-88 (Ganzeboom/Treiman 1996). It is possible to group the SIOPS values into five groups, providing a rough classification of occupations according to prestige. The corresponding groups are: 1: very low autonomy of action, manual tasks, unskilled and semi-skilled, SIOPS 6-32 2: low autonomy of action, simple tasks, mainly in production, services, metalworking and traditional crafts, SIOPS 33-41 3: limited autonomy of action, difficult tasks according to instructions, intermediate level of education, SIOPS 42-50 4: dependent or independent position, limited personnel responsibility, more responsible task with independent performance, not yet high prestige, technical college or university education, SIOPS 51-63 5: high autonomy of action, freelance academics, persons in managerial positions with extensive management and decision-making powers, SIOPS >64 (cf. Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik/Warner 2011: 60f.)

Related classifications:

International Standard Classification of Occupations 1988 (ISCO-88)

Keywords

Prestige Scale, social prestige of occupations

Standard International Occupational Prestige Scale (SIOPS)

Fundamental literature: Ganzeboom, Harry B.G., Treiman, Donald J. (1996): Internationally comparable measures of occupational status for the 1988 International Standard Classification of Occupations. Social science research, 25, 201-239.

Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik, Jürgen H.P., Geis, Alfons J. (2003): Berufsklassifikation und Messung des beruflichen Status/Prestige. ZUMA-Nachrichten, 52(27), 125-138.

Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik, Jürgen H.P., Warner, Uwe (2011): Messung von Beruf und Stellung im Erwerbsleben in international vergleichenden Umfragen. (Hg.), Mannheim: Forschung Raum und Gesellschaft e.V.

Further literature: Albrecht, Andrea, Trappmann, Mark, Wolf, Christof (2002): Statusmaße light: Statusskalen bei unzureichenden Berufsangaben. KZfSS Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 54(2), 343-361.

Ganzeboom, Harry B.G., Treiman, Donald J. (2003): Three internationally standardised measures for comparative research on occupational status. Advances in cross-national comparison: A European working book for demographic and socio-economic variables, 159-193.

Hauser, Robert M., Warren, John Robert (1997): Socioeconomic indexes for occupations: A review, update, and critique. Sociological methodology, 27(1), 177-298.