Off the books, away from the market: Clan culture and female labor force participation

Feng Huang, Haichun Ye and Jing Zhang

China Economic Review, 2025, vol. 89, issue C

Abstract: This study examines the persistent impact of historical Chinese clan culture on contemporary female labor force participation. Using the hand-collected genealogy data from China, we find that traditional clan-based gender biases significantly suppress women's employment, with the husband's clan heritage strongly influencing the wife's work decisions. The gender bias embedded in Chinese clan culture is the primary driver linking clan heritage to reduced female labor force participation. While women from clan-oriented backgrounds exhibit labor market advantages, these are primarily driven by self-selection into the workforce rather than direct causal effects.

Keywords: Female labor force participation; Clan culture; Gender norms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 N35 Z10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:chieco:v:89:y:2025:i:c:s1043951x24002013

DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2024.102312

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