opportunity and the division of labor

Dear list members:

Please permit me again to write asking for bibliographical help. I would like to write a paper on opportunity and the division of mental and manual labor. The governing thought is that societies that divide mental from manual labor must train some for manual labor (or for unemployment); training some for manual labor is the social foundation of inequality of opportunity. Hence any society which wishes to create equality of opportunity must abolish the division of mental from manual labor. (This would be a paper in social philosophy; that's what I do.)

The argument would be greatly strengthened by empirical literature (or empirically informed literature in social theory) which links educational and other training to the structure of positions a society creates for its adult members. Here, however, I have no knowledge of the literature, and that is where some of you may be able to help. I believe some of it falls under "social reproduction theory," and many years ago I read McLeod's  Ain't No Makin' It.  But I am sure that there is much more and more current that I am unaware of. Any help would be appreciated.

If you like please reply to me directly at p-gomberg@csu.edu.

Thanks in advance,

Paul