Efficiency versus gender roles and stereotypes: an experiment in domestic production

Hélène Couprie (), Elisabeth Cudeville () and Catherine Sofer ()
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Elisabeth Cudeville: University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

Experimental Economics, 2020, vol. 23, issue 1, No 8, 211 pages

Abstract: Abstract Empirical studies cast doubt on the efficiency assumption made in standard economic models of household behavior. In couples, the allocation of time between activities remains highly differentiated by gender. In this paper we examine whether couples deviate from efficiency in household production, using an experimental design. We compare the allocation of gendered vs. gender-neutral domestic tasks. Our results show that women in the household overspecialize in “feminine tasks” and men in “masculine tasks” compared to what their comparative advantage would require, hence revealing the influence of gender roles and stereotypes on the couples’ behavior.

Keywords: Social norms; Stereotypes; Gender roles; Household models; Gender inequalities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 C92 D13 J16 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Working Paper: Efficiency versus gender roles and stereotypes: an experiment in domestic production (2020)
Working Paper: Efficiency versus gender roles and stereotypes: an experiment in domestic production (2020)
Working Paper: Efficiency versus Gender Roles and Stereotypes: An Experiment in Domestic Production (2017)
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DOI: 10.1007/s10683-019-09612-3

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