A CrossCultural Study of Occupational Choice and Prestige

1
A Cross-Cultural Study of Occupational Choice and
Prestige Among Loggers1 A. Egan and D. Taggart,
University of Maine
Abstract Two distinct populations of loggers
work in Maines border counties with Quebec
Maine resident and Quebec resident woods workers.
Using several social science research methods,
this study compared the sense of occupational
choice and prestige held by these workers. Maine
resident loggers exhibited less resignation to
logging than their Quebec counterparts. However,
Quebec resident loggers indicated that their
profession was held in higher esteem among the
public than did loggers from Maine. Results
have implications for logging labor supply and
labor recruitment efforts in a region heavily
dependent on the forest products industry.

• Key findings
• Average education for Quebec loggers in the study
  region was 8.7 years for Maine loggers it was
  12.3 years
• 52 of Quebec loggers and 26 of Maine loggers
  said that they didnt have the education for a
  different job. (plt0.001)
• 77 of Quebec loggers and 43 of Maine loggers
  said that the public respects loggers.
• (p 0.037)
• 73 of Quebec loggers and 42 of Maine loggers
  said that the public views loggers as having
  certain professional skills. (plt0.001)

Pas le choix, seul metier connu ((Its) not a
choice, (its) the only job I know.) 38 year old
Quebec logger who works in Maines north woods

• Methods
• Focus groups of loggers
• Mail survey using the Total Design Method
• Post-survey logger interviews
• Analysis of variance, contingency table analysis,
  and logistic regression

1 For more information Egan, A. and D. Taggart.
In press. A cross-cultural study of occupational
choice and prestige among loggers. Society and
Natural Resources.