Gender: An Historical Perspective

Paola Giuliano

No 12183, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: Social attitudes toward women vary significantly across societies. This chapter reviews recent empirical research on various historical determinants of contemporary differences in gender roles and gender gaps across societies, and how these differences are transmitted from parents to children and therefore persist until today. We review work on the historical origin of differences in female labor-force participation, fertility, education, marriage arrangements, competitive attitudes, domestic violence, and other forms of difference in gender norms. Most of the research illustrates that differences in cultural norms regarding gender roles emerge in response to specific historical situations, but tend to persist even after the historical conditions have changed. We also discuss the conditions under which gender norms either tend to be stable or change more quickly.

Keywords: Gender; Cultural persistence; Cultural transmission (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 N0 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-gen, nep-lab, nep-ltv, nep-pke and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (47)

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Working Paper: Gender: An Historical Perspective (2017)
Working Paper: Gender: An Historical Perspective (2017)
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