Role Models and the Formation of Long-Run Gender Norms
Abstract:
We study how na turally occurring exposure to female role models during university shapes l ong-run gender norms measured up to 24 years after enrollment. To do so\, w e combine administrative and newly collected survey data from the American University of Beirut\, where first-year students are randomly assigned to a cademic advisors. We find that female students assigned to women advisors a dopt significantly more progressive views on gender roles\, with effects co ncentrated on beliefs about women's political leadership and labor force pa rticipation. In contrast\, male students exposed to women advisors show wea ker and sometimes more conservative responses\, widening the gender gap in gender beliefs and attitudes and increasing polarizing views. These gaps ar e strongest in STEM fields and among religious students\, contexts where tr aditional gender hierarchies are most pronounced. These findings provide ca usal evidence that naturally occurring exposure to women role models during university is an important determinant of long-run gender attitudes.
Organized by: Miguel Ortiz< /p> LOCATION:IONA 533 GEO:49.260872;-123.113952 URL;VALUE=URI:https://economics.ubc.ca/events/event/pierre-mouganie-sfu-dev elopment-political-economy-seminar/ END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Vancouver BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 DTSTART:20251102T090000 TZNAME:PST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR