Prestige ranking of the housewife occupation

Basic research about women, in the areas of sex roles, in family, stratification, etc., has been hindered by the omission of nonemployed women as participants in the stratification system. Using a sample survey of 501 women, this paper presents a measure of the prestige ranking of nonemployed women — the housewife — which is compatible with the Duncan Socioeconomic Index. The score is relatively stable across social categories and suffers little aggrandizement effect, making it a suitable tool for routine use.