Abstract
This study addresses two main areas. First, the study focuses on the effect the population size of migrants' community of orientation (the community in which they spent their teens) has on their present socio-economic status. Second, attention is given to the status which migrants have achieved in the social stratification of their residing city, as opposed to natives. To gather empirical evidence, a sample survey of women in four study areas of Canberra was conducted in 1986-1987. Three hundred and ninety-four women, under 56 years of age, who were married or in a de facto relationship were interviewed. Analysis of the data has revealed the following;
(1) Migrants were not different from natives in their father's occupational status.
(2) The larger migrants' community of orientation had been, the higher their socio-economic status (educational attainment, partner's occupational status, and family income). Migrants from rural areas or small urban communities were similar to natives in their educational attainment, occupational status, and family income. However, partner's occupational status of the former group was higher than that of the latter.
(3) The population size of migrants' community of orientation had a direct effect on their educational attainment and their partner's occupational status, but had an indirect effect on their family income.
(4) While migrants tended to have higher occupational status in Canberra, natives were inclined to have lower occupational status. This is explained by the fact that Canberra is a political city with few industries.
