Early Socialization and the Gender Wage Gap

Arbeitspapier

We study the impact of early socialization on gender inequality in the labor market. To this end, we link the gender environment in the primary-school cohort to later occupations and wages. We find that women exposed to more girls at this critical age earn more later on, leading to a reduction in the gender wage gap. We explore mechanisms and find that women exposed to a more female-dominated environment select into less gender-stereotypical occupations with higher wage potential. The gender environment at an early age, therefore, shapes career trajectories and lifetime earnings.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper ; No. 2021:13

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡ ; Education and Inequality ; Returns to Education ; Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination ; Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity ; Labor Discrimination: General
• Subject: Socialization ; school environment ; peers ; occupational sorting ; gender wage gap

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Getik, Demid ; Meier, Armando N.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Lund University, School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics
• (where): Lund
• (when): 2021

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/260333
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET