A Consideration of the Social Classification of Occupations for Historical Data Sources

Abstract

The use of occupation as a key to revealing as near to reality as possible the circumstances of peoples' lives in the past is very well established. This source has depended upon a common methodology, at undergraduate (O’Connell, 1988) and academic levels, to utilise the occupational data contained in the manuscript census enumerators’ books. This methodology is commonly referred to as Armstrong's scheme of social classification of occupations.