Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP6153
Authors: Raquel Fernández
Abstract: This paper discusses some recent advances in the area of culture and economics and examines the effect of culture on a key economic outcome: female labour supply. To separate the effect of market variables and institutions from culture, I use an epidemiological approach, studying second-generation American women. I use both female LFP and attitudes in the women's country of ancestry as cultural proxies and show that both cultural proxies have quantitatively significant effects on women's work outcomes. The paper concludes with some suggestions for future empirical and theoretical research topics in this area.
Keywords: attitudes; cultural transmission; endogenous preferences; female labour force participation; immigrants; world value survey
JEL Codes: J13; J21; Z10
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| cultural proxies (female LFP in country of ancestry) (J79) | labor supply of second-generation American women (J21) |
| female LFP in country of ancestry (J19) | hours worked per week by second-generation American women (J22) |
| cultural attitudes towards women's work (D13) | labor supply outcomes (J20) |
| individual attitudes towards work (J29) | labor supply outcomes (J20) |