Table Of ContentRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CERTAIN SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AND
— THE EXPERIENCE BACKGROUNDS OF FIRST GRADE CHILDREN
by
William Eller
A dissertation submitted In partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy,
in the College of Education In the Graduate
College of the State University of Iowa
August, 1950
ProQuest Number: 10902154
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i u
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The writer la indebted to Dr* A* N.
Hieronymus, Dr* Paul J• Blommera, and Dr* James B.
Stroud, all of idiom provided valuable guidance
during the development and performance of this
investigation*
Dr. Donald G. Emery, Director of
Research of the Cedar Rapids Public Schools,
assisted the writer in numerous Important aspects
of the research* Mr* John J* Wagner performed a
needed service by classifying the various resi
dential areas of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. To these
men, and to all others mho aided in the completion
of this Investigation, the writer is extremely
grateful.
J
j
{ j
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Fage
I Introduction............... # • . . • • « * . 1
The Problem. ............ . 1
Review of Some Related Investigations# • k
Reading Achievement and Socio-
Economic Status # • • * « # • • • « 13
II Procedure • • « • • • # • • . ' • * .......... 17
Construction of the Experience Back: round
Questionnaire• • • • # • # • • * « • • # 1?
Determination of Socio-Economic Status • 23
Determination of Occupational
Rating#............ 29
Determination of Source-of-Income
Rating# ........ . . . . . . . . . 31
Determination of Residential-Area
Rating# ........................ 32
Other Social Characteristics
Considered# .............. 36
Collection of Data # * • • • « .... 37
III Results.................................... 39
Description of the Collection of the
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Treatment of the Data. # • • • # • • « # Ijj.
Assignment of Social Statiis Scores# i*.l
Scoring the Experience Background
Questionnaires* . . . . . . . . . . Qij.
Relationships Between Experience
Background and Certain Social
Elements# • • • • • • • • « • • • • I4.5
Method of Analysis of Individual
Items • • * • • • • • * • • * « • • 1^3
Item Analysis According to Social
Status................................ 51
Items Indicating Positive Relation
ships with Social Status. * . . • • 51
ill
TABLE OP CONTENTS
Chapter Page
Items Providing Negative Relation-
shipa with Social Class «
Other Relationships Considered
Extent of Mother*s Education and
Experience Background . . . . . . . $6
Extent of Father*s Education and
Experience Background . . . . . . . 9k
Sex Differences and Experience
Background* . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
General Tendencies* . . . . . . . o 117
IV Summary and Conclusions 127
Description of the Study 127
Results* . . . . . . . . 129
Conclusions* « • • • • • 131
Appendix 134
Bibliography 155
iv
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure
X Classification of Residential Areas
TABLE OF TABLE’S
Pag©
Frequency Distribution of Social Status Scores* il2
Frequency Distribution of Total Scores on
Experience Background Scale • • » • • • • * . • 56
Highest School Grades Completed by Fathers As
Reported in Questionnaires* . . . . . . . . . . 52
Highest School Grades Completed by Mothers As
Reported In Questionnaires* • • • • • ........ 53
Analysis of Item 3 According to Social Status •
%
Analysis of Item 5 According to Social Status • 56
Analysis of Item 5 According to Social Status • 59
Analysis of Item 6 According to Social Status • 60
Analysis of Item 7 According to Social Status • 61
Analysis of Item 8 According to Social Status * 62
Analysis of Item 9 According to Social Status • 8
Analysis of Item 10 According to Social Status.
Analysis of Item 11 According to Social Status* 65
Analysis of Item 12 According to Social Status* 66
Analysis of Item 13 According to Social Status. 6?
Analysis of Item 16 According to Social Status* 68
Analysis of Item 17 According to Social Status. 69
Analysis of Item 18 According to Social Status* 70
Analysis of Item 19 According to Social Status. 71
Analysis of Item 20 According to Social Status* 72
Analysis of Item 21 According to Social Status. 8
Analysis of Item 22 According to Social Status.
Analysis of Item 23 According to Social Status. 75
Analysis of Item 25 According to Social Status. 76
Analysis of Item 2> According to Social Status. 77
Analysis of Item 26 According to Social Status. 78
Anal: sis of Item 27 According to Social Status. 79
Analysis of Item 28 According to Social Status. 80
Analysis of Item 29 According to Social Status. 81
Analysis of Item 30 According to Social Status. 82
Analysis of Item 31 According to Social Status. 8
Analysis of Item 33 According to Social Status.
Analysis of Item 35 According to Social Status. 85
Analysis of Item 36 According to Social Status. 86
Analysis of Item 38 According to Social Status. 87
Analysis of Item 39 According to Social Status. 88
Analysis of Item 51 According to Social Status. 89
vi
TABLE OF TABLES
Table
XXXVIII Analysis of Item 1*.2 According to Social Status. 90
XXXIX Analysis of Item 1*4 According to Social Status. 91
XL Analysis of Item 45 According to Social Status. 92
Xtl Analysis of Item 46 According to Social Status. 93
XL! I Analysis of Item 3 According to Extent of
Mother*s Education. • 95
XLIII AnalysIs of Item 4 According to Extent of
Mother* s Education. ................. 96
XLIV Analysis of Item 5 According to Extent of
Mother * s Education. ....................97
XLV Analysis of Item 8 According to Extent of
Mother * s Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
XLVI Analysis of Item 19 According to Extent of
Mother* s Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
XLVI I Analysis of Item 21 According to Extent of
Mother*s Education* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
XLVIII Analysis of Item 27 According to Extent of
Mother*s Education. . • . «| . . . . . . . . . . 101
XLIX Analysis of Item 28 According to Extent of
Mother*s Education. . ............ . . . . . . 102
L Analysis of Item 31 According to Extent of
Mother1s Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
LI Analysis of Item 44 According to Extent of
Mother * s Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
LI I Analysis of Item 3 According to Extent of
Father*s Education. 106
LIII Analys is of Item 4 According to Extent of
Father * s Edue at Ion • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • 107
LIV Analysis of Item 5 According to Extent of
Father * s Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
LV Analysis of Item 8 According to Extent of
Father * s Education. • ............ . . . . . . 109
LVI Analysis of Item 15 According to Extent of
Father1s Education. . . . . . .......... . . . 110
LVII Analysis of Item 19 According to Extent of
Father* s Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ill
LVIII Analysis of Item 21 According to Extent of
Father * s Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
LIX Analysis of Item 27 According to Extent of
Father1s Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
LX Analysis of Item 28 According to Extent of
Father * s Education.......... 114
vii
TABLE OF TABLES
Table Page
XXX Analysis of Item 31 Aeeording to Extent of
Father’s Education • • « • • • • • • • * • * • 11$
LXII Analysis of Item 44 Aeeording to Extent of
Father’s Education lid
XXIXX Analysis of Item $ Aeeording to Sex* . . * . * 118
LXXV Analysis of Item 16 Aeeording to Sex . » . . . 119
LXV Analysis of Item 28 Aeeording to Sex « * * • * ISO
LXVI Analysis of Item 29 Aeeording to Sex * * * • . 121
LXVII Analysis of Item 37 Aeeording to Sex . * * * *122
LXVIII Analysis of Item 4$ Aeeording to Sex . . . . . 123
LXIX Analysis of Item 4& Aeeording to Sex * * * # * 124
ImXX Analysis of Item 47 Aeeording to Sex • • • « • 12$
LXXI Analysis of Item 1 Aeeording to Social Status* 342
LXXI I Analysis of Item 2 According to Social Status* 343
LXXIII Analysis of Item 14 Aeeording to Social Status l44
LXXIV Analysis of Item 15 Aeeording to Social Status 345
LXXV Analysis of Item 32 Aeeording to Social Status l4&
LXXVI Analysis of Item 34 Aeeording to Social Status 347
LXXVII Analysis of Item 37 Aeeording to Social Status 148
LXXVI 11 Analysis of Item 40 Aeeording to Social Status 349
LXXXX Analysis of Item 43 Aeeording to Social Status 150
LXXX Analysis of Item 47 Aeeording to Social Status 151
LXXXX Analysis of Item 48 According to Social Status 1$2
LXXX 11 Analysis of Item 49 According to Social Status 153
DCXXXXX Analysis of Item 50 According to Social Status 154
viii
I
Chapter I
INTHODUCTXON
PyotoleBl
In spite of certain idealistic claims that In
America all men are created equal and have equal opportunity,
critical-thinking persons are becoming Increasingly aware
that Americans are born into social situations which are not
equally desirable, and that opportunities for attaining a
given measure of social and economic success are also un
equal, The son of a migrant laborer not only begins life at
a lower social position than does the son of a surgeon, but
the former has less chance of achieving a high social position
at any time during his life* The surgeon*s child not only
has a head start in the nraeen for soeial esteem, but the
conditions of his participation are more conducive to success
than are the conditions under which his less fortunate con
temporary must vie for social status and economic success.
In recent years, sociologists have conducted a
number of comprehensive Investigations in different regions
of the United States in the attempt to determine the extent
to which social class influences Individual and group life.
In Warner’s terms* studies of social class••.demonstrate
that it Is a major determinant of individual decisions and
