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Gender Role Attitudes and Women s Labour Market Outcomes

The Slowdown in the Economic Progress of Women Despite progress in women's preparation for the labour marketDespite progress in gender equality policies Is the Persistence of Traditional Attitudes about Women's Roles at Play? Evidence from differences across OECD countries using data from the

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Gender Role Attitudes and Women s Labour Market Outcomes

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    1. Gender Role Attitudes and Women’s Labour Market Outcomes Nicole Fortin Department of Economics, UBC and Social Interactions, Identity and Well-Being Program Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR)

    2. The Slowdown in the Economic Progress of Women Despite progress in women’s preparation for the labour market Despite progress in gender equality policies Is the Persistence of Traditional Attitudes about Women’s Roles at Play? Evidence from differences across OECD countries using data from the World Value Surveys (1990,1995, 1999) Evidence the evolution of these attitudes over the past 30 years in these attitudes in the United States What about Women’s Subjective Well-Being? Plan of the Presentation 2 Fortin - Toronto - November 2008 I will begin with some stylized facts concerning the slowdown in the economic progress of women At the beginning of the 21st century, more than 30 years after the beginning of the 1960’s Women Liberation Movement, How are women in Canada (and the United States, and in other industrialized countries) faring in the labour market? How have gender role attitudes changed and how have they help or hinder women’s economic progress? I will begin with some stylized facts concerning the slowdown in the economic progress of women At the beginning of the 21st century, more than 30 years after the beginning of the 1960’s Women Liberation Movement, How are women in Canada (and the United States, and in other industrialized countries) faring in the labour market? How have gender role attitudes changed and how have they help or hinder women’s economic progress?

    3. Because women’s preparation for the labour market has seen a stupendous improvement, many expected that the gender pay gap would have closed by now Broad Motivation 3 Fortin - Toronto – November 2008

    4. Among young adults, the proportion of women with a university degree has increased substantially 4 Fortin - Toronto – November 2008

    5. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 5 Women have also come a long way in terms of work ambition Percentage of young adults who indicated that “Being successful at work” was ``very important" to them in life

    6. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 6 But women’s have not closed the gap in terms of the importance of money Percentage of young adults who indicated that “Having lots of money” was “very important" to them in life

    7. Percentage who mention that “Good pay” an important this aspect of a job Fortin - Toronto- 7 Is there a “negotiating divide” between men and women?

    8. Percentage of young adults (age 20 in 1974) who indicated that the following values were “very important" in selecting a career Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 8 But other aspects of a job more important to women, such opportunities to be helpful and useful

    9. Percentage who mention that “Good hours” an important aspect of a job” Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 9 Or good hours

    10. Fortin - Toronto-November 2008 10 Starting in the mid-1990s, the gender convergence in pay began to slow down

    11. Fortin - Toronto- 11 The gender convergence in pay has continue to slow down in the early 2000s

    12. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 12 Gender equality policies, such as Ontario and Quebec pay equity policies, may have provided modest improvements, but not long-lasting results…

    13. The relatively meager efficacy of pay equity policies is not surprising to economists. They have noted serious implementation issues with a complex legislation (Baker and Fortin, 2004) The policy tackles legitimate fairness issues only in the “what you do” aspect of the gender pay gap, it leaves untouched the effects of the other sources of the gender pay gap Fortin - Toronto- 13 Is it: Who you are, what you do, or where you work?

    14. “where you work”: woman are more likely to work for small firms and for non-profit organizations “who you are”: not only a woman, but also a “supportive wife”, a “soccer or hockey mom”, a “caregiver” to your elders Fortin - Toronto- 14 Is it: Who you are, what you do, or where you work?

    15. Economists have long argued that gender differences in labour market experience accounted for a large part of the gender pay gap. For example, O’Neill and O’Neill (2005) find that half of the gender pay gap (in the U.S. circa 2000) can be traced back to life-time differences in labour market experience. They find no significant gender pay gap among childless women who never married… Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 15 Women’s Double Shift

    16. Because of the double shift of home and workplace responsibilities, women may be less able or willing to put in the extra-effort at work that earn their male counterparts some extra money. In fact, about two times more women than men work part-time Alternatively, employers anticipating this effect may practice some statistical discrimination and provide women with lower level of training for promotions. Fortin - Toronto- 16 Women’s Double Shift

    17. The debate now focuses on family-friendly policies both employer-provided and government supported such as extended maternity leaves subsidized child-care vs. child tax credit At the center of that debate is the role or identity of women as childless career women as part-time/full-time “working (for pay) moms” as stay-at-home moms, “volunteering moms” Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 17 More recently, family-friendly policies have being emphasized in the public debate

    18. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 18 The gender convergence in labour force participation has also slowed down

    19. In the United States, the leveling-off or slight retreat of women’s labour force participation has been described as “Opting Out” in the popular press and among sociologists The “Opting Out" phenomena is conceived as the labour market withdrawal of college-educated women when they have children, perhaps out of concern for the welfare of their offspring, and/or perhaps because of the stresses of living in two-earner families or succeeding in the labor market. Fortin – Toronto- November 2008 19 Are women ‘Opting Out’ of the labour force?

    20. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 20 The differences across provinces in family-friendly policies may make a difference, but it does not seem to be the full story

    21. While we might hope the more family-friendly Canadian policies may be at play in explaining the Canada-U.S. differences in the leveling-off of FLP, more conservative views among our southern neighbours may be part of the explanation In Quebec, concerns about different views regarding gender equality have been on the agenda at the recent commission on the accommodation of minorities. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 21 Is the persistence of traditional attitudes about women’s roles at play?

    22. I have studied the relationship between gender role attitudes and women’s labour market outcomes Comparing differences in attitudes, both of women and of men, across OECD countries and over time (Fortin, 2005) using data from the World Value Surveys (1990,1995, 1999) Following the evolution over the past 30 years in these attitudes in the United States using data from General Social Surveys (1977-2006) Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 22 Is the persistence of traditional attitudes about women’s roles at play?

    23. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? “When jobs are scarce, men should have more right to a job than women” Do you agree strongly, agree, disagree, or disagree strongly? “A working mother can establish just as warm and secure a relationship with her children as a mother who does not work” “Being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay” Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 23 WORLD VALUE SURVEYS: Questions about gender role attitudes

    24. Percentage who agree with the statement Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 24 “Scarce jobs should go to men first”

    25. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 25 Women’s Employment Rates across Countries and Women’s Agreement with the Statement that “Scarce Jobs Should Go to Men First”

    26. Percentage who strongly agree or agree with the statement Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 26 “A working mother can be a good mother”

    27. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 27 Women’s Employment Rates across Countries and Women’s Agreement with the Statement that “A working mother can be a good mother”

    28. Percentage who strongly agree or agree with the statement Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 28 “Being a housewife as fulfilling as working for pay”

    29. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 29 Women’s Employment Rates across Countries and Women’s Agreement with the Statement that “Being a housewife is just as fulfilling as working for pay”

    30. Accounting for a complete host of factors, that include women’s education, volunteering activities, competitiveness, public expenditures on child care, the following effects stand out: “Scarce jobs should to the men first” is the attitude that more robustly negatively associated with women’s employment rates It is stronger using lagged values Men’s attitudes still very significant These views are however softening among recent cohorts. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 30 Do gender roles attitudes help account for differences in women’s employment rates across countries? Finding is similar to the finding of Azmat, Güell and Manning (2004) regarding gender differences in unemployment rates.Finding is similar to the finding of Azmat, Güell and Manning (2004) regarding gender differences in unemployment rates.

    31. The enduring perceptions of women’s main role as homemakers could also be implicated in the recent slowdown of the gender convergence in pay. Finally, the unavoidable clash between family values and equalitarian views, that takes the form of an inner conflict for many women- the so-called mother’s guilt-, is another obstacle in the path towards greater gender equality in the labour market. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 31 Do gender roles attitudes help account for differences in women’s employment rates across countries? Finding is similar to the finding of Azmat, Güell and Manning (2004) regarding gender differences in unemployment rates.Finding is similar to the finding of Azmat, Güell and Manning (2004) regarding gender differences in unemployment rates.

    32. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 32 Can the evolution of gender role attitudes over time help explain the evolution of women’s labour force participation?

    33. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 33 Average disagreement with the statement : “Most men are better suited emotionally for politics than are most women”

    34. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 34 Average disagreement with the statement : “Most men are better suited emotionally for politics than are most women”

    35. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 35 Average agreement with the statement : “It is much better for everyone involved if the man is the achiever outside the home and the woman takes care of the home and family.”

    36. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 36 Average agreement with the statement : “It is much better for everyone involved if the man is the achiever outside the home and the woman takes care of the home and family.”

    37. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 37 Average agreement with the statement : “A working mother can establish just as warm and secure a relationship with her children as a mother who does not work.”

    38. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 38 Average agreement with the statement : “A working mother can establish just as warm and secure a relationship with her children as a mother who does not work.”

    39. How have these changes in labour market outcomes affected women’s well-being? Many social scientists, and some economists, attempt to answer these types of questions using subjective measure of well-being, life-satisfaction or happiness. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 39 Women’s Subjective Well-Being

    40. While not an ideal measure, the GSS asks: “Taken all together, how would you say things are these days. Would you say that you are: Very happy, pretty happy or not too happy?” Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 40 U.S. General Social Surveys: Question about Subjective Well-Being

    41. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 41 Gender Convergence in Happiness among Labor Force Participants

    42. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 42

    43. At the beginning of the 21st century, more than 30 years after the beginning of the 1960’s Women Liberation Movement, the secular decline in traditional gender roles attitudes seems to have bottomed out. Will the myth of “having it all”, both career and family, turned out to be a generational phenomenon? Has it actually mostly mesmerized the pioneering boomer generation for whom it was largely an untested experience? Has the reality of the “double shift” rung closer to home and felt less attractive to recent generations? Fortin - Toronto-November 2008 43 Conclusions

    44. Thank you!

    45. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 45 Women’s have come a long way in terms in work ambition

    46. Fortin - Toronto-November 2008 46 Gender Differences in Work Values

    47. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 47

    48. Fortin - Toronto- November 2008 48 WORLD VALUE SURVEYS: Questions on Gender Role Attitudes

    49. Fortin - Toronto- 49 WORLD VALUE SURVEYS: Questions on Work Values

    50. Fortin – Toronto- November 2008 50 Determinants of Women’s Employment Rates Across Countries Source: Fortin (2005)

    51. Fortin, N.M. “The Gender Wage Gap among Young Adults in the United States: The Importance of Money vs. People,” Journal of Human Resources, 43 (Fall 2008): 886-920. Fortin, N.M. “Gender Role Attitudes and Women’s Labour Market Outcomes Across OECD countries.” Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 21, No. 3 (November 2005): 416-438. Fortin, N.M. “Gender Role Attitudes and Women’s Labor Market Participation: Opting-Out and The Persistent Appeal of Housewifery,” Working Paper, University of British Columbia, January 2008. Fortin - Toronto-November 2008 51 Bibliography

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