Kinship structure, stress, and the gender gap in competition

Sara Lowes

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2021, vol. 192, issue C, 36-57

Abstract: While women generally prefer to compete less than men, cultural practices and physiological responses to competition may affect willingness to compete. I examine how kinship structure and stress affect the gender gap in willingness to compete in a lab experiment among individuals from 27 ethnic groups along the matrilineal belt in Central Africa. I find no evidence that matrilineal kinship relative to patrilineal kinship closes the gender gap in competition: 80% of men and 60% of women choose to compete with no differential effect across kinship systems. Using physiological data, I find that women who experience greater stress during competition are less likely to choose to compete.

Keywords: kinship structure; matrilineal; culture; competition; gender; stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:192:y:2021:i:c:p:36-57

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2021.09.029

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