What languages can teach us about gender norms of behaviour

Victor Gay (1) , Daniel L Hicks (2) , Estefania Santacreu-Vasut (3)

1 University of Chicago
2 OU - University of Oklahoma
3 ESSEC Business School

Evidence suggests that many forms of gender inequality are higher in countries where the language distinguishes gender. But these patterns could arise spuriously, as languages and other cultural institutions have co-evolved throughout history. This column uses an epidemiological approach to isolate language from other cultural forces and provide direct evidence on whether language matters. The findings suggest how gender roles have been shaped, how they are perpetuated, and, ultimately, how they can be changed. Blog article about Gay, Hicks, and Santacreu-Vasut (2016). "Language and Gender Roles among Immigrants to the U.S. A Historical Perspective." In P. Paolini (Ed.), I Mondi Delle Donne, 165-79. Roma: Edi Cusano. Available at: https://voxeu.org/article/languages-and-gender-norms-behaviour.

Mots clés: Economics; Language structure; Culture; Immigrant; Grammar; Female labor force participation

Domaines: Economies et finances

Victor Gay, Daniel L Hicks, Estefania Santacreu-Vasut. What languages can teach us about gender norms of behaviour. 2016. ⟨hal-03257526⟩