- The Oxford Handbook of Women and the Economy
- About the Editors
- Contributors
- Introduction: Women, the Economy, and Economics
- Marriage-Market Search and Sorting: Explanations and Evidence
- Marriage and Marriage Markets
- Marital Instability in the United States: Trends, Driving Forces, and Implications for Children
- Marriage Markets in Developing Countries
- Fertility Issues and Policy in Developing Countries
- Fertility Issues in Developed Countries
- Fertility Policy in Developed Countries
- Nonmarital and Teen Fertility
- Access and Use of Contraception and Its Effects on Women’s Outcomes in the United States
- Child Gender and the Family
- Maternal Socioeconomic Status and the Well-Being of the Next Generation(s)
- US Child Care Policy and Economic Impacts
- Maternity and Family Leave Policy
- The Causes and Consequences of Increased Female Education and Labor Force Participation in Developing Countries
- The Gender Wage Gap in Developed Countries
- Women, Work, and Family
- Occupation and Gender
- Taxes, Transfers, and Women’s Labor Supply in the United States
- Gender Differences in Behavioral Traits and Labor Market Outcomes
- Biology and Gender in the Labor Market
- Women and Leadership
- Women in the Workplace and Management Practices: Theory and Evidence
- Racial Differences in American Women’s Labor Market Outcomes: A Long-Run View
- Women and the Labor Market: A Feminist Perspective
- Gender: A Historical Perspective
- Understanding Differences in Mortality and Morbidity by Sex: The Role of Biological, Social, and Economic Factors
- Women’s Labor Market Status and Economic Development
- Women and Migration
- The Care Penalty and Gender Inequality
- Women and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Are Differences in Education and Careers Due to Stereotypes, Interests, or Family?
- Women’s Homelessness: International Evidence on Causes, Consequences, Coping, and Policies
- Index
Abstract and Keywords
Despite a policy push toward equality, substantial gender gaps in earnings and vertical gender segregation persist in the labor market. Studies point to gender-specific occupational sorting as one of the primary explanatory factors. But why do men and women sort into different careers? In this chapter, we document the evidence that suggests that gender differences along four behavioral traits may offer a plausible explanation. Specifically, the consensus in the literature is that women, on average, exhibit greater risk aversion, lower levels of competitiveness, and less desire to negotiate as compared to men. Gender differences in social preferences are less robust, but women appear to be more sensitive to social context and framing. Importantly, there is no conclusive evidence on whether these differences are inherent or societal for any of the individual traits, although most studies point to the latter.
Keywords: gender, experiments, labor, risk preferences, competitiveness, negotiation, social preferences
Olga Shurchkov, Wellesley College
Catherine C. Eckel, Texas A&M University
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- The Oxford Handbook of Women and the Economy
- About the Editors
- Contributors
- Introduction: Women, the Economy, and Economics
- Marriage-Market Search and Sorting: Explanations and Evidence
- Marriage and Marriage Markets
- Marital Instability in the United States: Trends, Driving Forces, and Implications for Children
- Marriage Markets in Developing Countries
- Fertility Issues and Policy in Developing Countries
- Fertility Issues in Developed Countries
- Fertility Policy in Developed Countries
- Nonmarital and Teen Fertility
- Access and Use of Contraception and Its Effects on Women’s Outcomes in the United States
- Child Gender and the Family
- Maternal Socioeconomic Status and the Well-Being of the Next Generation(s)
- US Child Care Policy and Economic Impacts
- Maternity and Family Leave Policy
- The Causes and Consequences of Increased Female Education and Labor Force Participation in Developing Countries
- The Gender Wage Gap in Developed Countries
- Women, Work, and Family
- Occupation and Gender
- Taxes, Transfers, and Women’s Labor Supply in the United States
- Gender Differences in Behavioral Traits and Labor Market Outcomes
- Biology and Gender in the Labor Market
- Women and Leadership
- Women in the Workplace and Management Practices: Theory and Evidence
- Racial Differences in American Women’s Labor Market Outcomes: A Long-Run View
- Women and the Labor Market: A Feminist Perspective
- Gender: A Historical Perspective
- Understanding Differences in Mortality and Morbidity by Sex: The Role of Biological, Social, and Economic Factors
- Women’s Labor Market Status and Economic Development
- Women and Migration
- The Care Penalty and Gender Inequality
- Women and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Are Differences in Education and Careers Due to Stereotypes, Interests, or Family?
- Women’s Homelessness: International Evidence on Causes, Consequences, Coping, and Policies
- Index
