2EQUIPPE - Economie Quantitative, Intégration, Politiques Publiques et Econométrie (Lille 1 : Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille Cité Scientifique, Faculté d'Economie et de Sciences Sociales, Bâtiment SH2 - 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex Lille 2 : Faculté des Sciences Juridiques, Politiques et Sociales 1, place Déliot - BP 629 - 59024 Lille Cedex Université Charles-de-Gaulle - Lille 3 Domaine universitaire du Pont de Bois Maison de la Recherche rue du Barreau - BP 60149 - 59653 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex - France)
Abstract : Investigating how gender roles evolve over time is crucial to understand gender inequalities and their dynamics. We propose a cultural transmission model in which parents may socialize their sons and daughters differently and we derive gender specific cultural dynamics. We show how interactions between socialization behaviors and household’s economic decisions shape these dynamics and the long-run definition of gender roles. We apply our theory to cultural traits related to the prescribed role of men and women within the society. Multiple equilibria may arise and an economy may be trapped in a situation in which males and females share inegalitarian views about gender roles. Institutional changes as a greater availability of child care facilities may help to reach another equilibrium in which a large proportion of individuals hold more egalitarian views about these roles.
Victor Hiller, Thomas Baudin. Cultural transmission and the evolution of gender roles. Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, 2016, 84, pp.8--23. ⟨10.1016/j.mathsocsci.2016.08.002⟩. ⟨hal-01533530⟩