Full Citation
Title: The World War II Veteran Advantage? A Lifetime Cross-Sectional Study of Social Status Attainment
Citation Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2012
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Abstract: The impact of military service on the status attainment of World War II veterans has been studied since the 1950s; however, the research has failed to come to any consensus with regard to their level of attainment. Analyses have focused on cross-sectional or longitudinal data without considering the effects of service over the life course. The authors argue that World War II veterans, regardless of race, have greater attainment, measured in terms of education, income, and occupational prestige, over their lifetimes than nonveterans. They use census data from the 1950 through 2000 Public Use Microdata Sample. The authors find that military service afforded white veterans significant advantages through their early and middle working years; however, their nonveteran peers eventually caught up. They also find that black veterans receive more of a social status advantage relative to black nonveterans, and military service helps to close the socioeconomic gap between blacks and whites.
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Authors: Smith, Irving; Segal, David; Marsh, Kris
Periodical (Full): Armed Forces & Society
Issue: 1
Volume: 38
Pages: 5-26
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Other
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