4 - The Effect of Institutional Context on Social Status of Precarious Employees in Stratified Societies

Presentation Abstract
Occupational categories have traditionally been used in social stratification research as a measure to capture various disparities. However, the recent expansion of precarious employment in all types of occupation has led to conflicting arguments about precarious employees’ position in social stratification studies. In particular, the stratification structure in Asian countries may have unique dimensions that are not captured by traditional occupational classifications in Western countries. This study conducts a cross-countries comparison of the social positions of precarious employees using subjective social status as the dependent variable. I focus on how the social position of precarious workers differs depending on institutional factors such as employment protection and active labor market policy in a particular society. Although previous studies have examined the effects of such institutional factors, they have been limited to examining objective socioeconomic conditions and have failed to capture the norms and collective perceptions. In addition, it is necessary to estimate the effect of the institutional context through indicators created by international organizations, rather than through comparisons among national types or countries as in previous studies. The results of the multilevel analysis based on the limitations in previous studies reveal that the social position of precarious employees is particularly low in societies where there is a large gap in employment protection between precarious and typical workers. Part of this institutional influence is caused by shared social norms that are not defined by objective socioeconomic disadvantages. The institutional and normative context in each society may affect the stratification structure.