What women want. Gender-based norms and cognition in STEM occupational choices

56 Pages Posted: 6 May 2024 Last revised: 18 Nov 2024

See all articles by Matija Kovacic

Matija Kovacic

European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy; Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia

Cristina Elisa Orso

University of Insubria

Date Written: May 6, 2024

Abstract

This research investigates why some women like STEM occupations more than others.
We show that this phenomenon is rooted in historical kin-based norms and specific aspects of cognition, perceptions, and aspirations enforced by the normative demands of ancestral societies. Using a sub-population of second-generation immigrants from the European Social Survey (ESS), we find that intensive kinship ties, supported by strong cousin-marriage preferences, co-residence of extended families, and community endogamy, which resulted in the enforcement of stricter social norms and greater conformity while discouraging individualism, independence, and analytical thinking, had a persistent negative impact on women’s current STEM occupation choices. In addition to the individual-level analysis, we also document that kinship intensity reduces the proportion of women in STEM across countries, thereby widening the documented gender gaps. Furthermore, we show that the causal link between norms, cognition, and occupation is both direct and indirect, passing through contemporary cultural traits. At the same time, ancestral kin does not significantly affect men’s occupational choices, while it increases the likelihood of having a gender-biased opinion about the role of women in the labour market. The results are robust to a rich set of potential confounding factors at the country of origin level and a battery of sensitivity checks.

Keywords: Kin-based institutions, gender-based norms, analytic cognition, STEM

JEL Classification: D03, J16, N30

Suggested Citation

Kovacic, Matija and Orso, Cristina Elisa,
What women want. Gender-based norms and cognition in STEM occupational choices
(May 6, 2024). Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Department of Economics Research Paper Series No. 08/2024, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4818057 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4818057

Matija Kovacic

European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy ( email )

Ispra, VA
Italy

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Dipartimento di Economia ( email )

Cannaregio 873
Venice, 30121
Italy

Cristina Elisa Orso (Contact Author)

University of Insubria ( email )

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