Convergence or Occupational and Residential Segmentation? Immigrants and their Australian-born Children in Metropolitan Sydney, 1981

Abstract

This paper seeks to ascertain whether structural pluralism on an ethnic basis is present in Australian cities, with particular reference to metropolitan Sydney. This notion is tested by establishing whether socio-economic status differences between given European birthplace groups (first generation) and the host society persist into the immigrant second generations, i.e. their Australian-born children. While employment and learning problems do exist for many second generation persons, the evidence is that with the men, limited structural divergence from host society men exists, although there is more divergence with the southern European womenfolk. The latter in part reflects gender differences in occupational oppor tunities, and inequalities within the wider Australian society.