IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/agi/wpaper/00000180.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The impact of Confucianism on gender inequality in Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Vu, Manh Tien
  • Yamada, Hiroyuki

Abstract

We quantified influences of Confucianism on gender inequality in present- day Vietnam. We used the number (or density) of the most successful test takers in the Vietnamese imperial examinations (1075-1919) in a given district as a proxy for mastering the subject of Confucianism. Using an instrumental variable approach, we considered possible impacts on sex ratio and educational attainment of women relative to men, based on test score and population census data. We found that Confucianism has a long lasting impact on gender inequality. The results also suggested that women tended to try harder, perhaps as a countermeasure against discrimination.

Suggested Citation

  • Vu, Manh Tien & Yamada, Hiroyuki, 2020. "The impact of Confucianism on gender inequality in Vietnam," AGI Working Paper Series 2020-16, Asian Growth Research Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:agi:wpaper:00000180
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://agi.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/203
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://agi.repo.nii.ac.jp/record/203/files/WP2020-16.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alberto Alesina & Paola Giuliano & Nathan Nunn, 2013. "On the Origins of Gender Roles: Women and the Plough," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 128(2), pages 469-530.
    2. Conley, T. G., 1999. "GMM estimation with cross sectional dependence," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 1-45, September.
    3. Melissa Dell & Nathan Lane & Pablo Querubin, 2018. "The Historical State, Local Collective Action, and Economic Development in Vietnam," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 86(6), pages 2083-2121, November.
    4. Alberto Alesina & Paola Giuliano, 2015. "Culture and Institutions," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 53(4), pages 898-944, December.
    5. Tien Manh Vu, 2019. "Home Appliances And Gender Gap Of Time Spent On Unpaid Housework: Evidence Using Household Data From Vietnam," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 64(01), pages 97-114, March.
    6. Monica Das Gupta & Jiang Zhenghua & Li Bohua & Xie Zhenming & Woojin Chung & Bae Hwa-Ok, 2003. "Why is Son preference so persistent in East and South Asia? a cross-country study of China, India and the Republic of Korea," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 153-187.
    7. Meng, Xin & Kidd, Michael P., 1997. "Labor Market Reform and the Changing Structure of Wage Determination in China's State Sector during the 1980s," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 403-421, December.
    8. Alison Booth & Elliott Fan & Xin Meng & Dandan Zhang, 2019. "Gender Differences in Willingness to Compete: The Role of Culture and Institutions," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(618), pages 734-764.
    9. Colella, Fabrizio & Lalive, Rafael & Sakalli, Seyhun Orcan & Thoenig, Mathias, 2019. "Inference with Arbitrary Clustering," IZA Discussion Papers 12584, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Pamela Campa & Michel Serafinelli, 2019. "Politico-Economic Regimes and Attitudes: Female Workers under State Socialism," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 101(2), pages 233-248, May.
    11. Vu, Tien Manh & Yamada, Hiroyuki, 2023. "Legacies of Vietnam's imperial examinations, 1075–1919: More investment in education and better educational outcomes," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 2-14.
    12. Tien Manh Vu, 2022. "Effects of Heat on Mathematics Test Performance in Vietnam," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 36(1), pages 72-94, March.
    13. Barbara Boelmann & Anna Raute & Uta Schönberg, 2021. "Wind of Change? Cultural Determinants of Maternal Labor Supply," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 090, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    14. Tien M. Vu & Hiroyuki Yamada, 2018. "Decomposing Vietnamese gender equality in terms of wage distribution," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(5), pages 705-731, December.
    15. Kiviet, Jan F., 2020. "Testing the impossible: Identifying exclusion restrictions," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 218(2), pages 294-316.
    16. Christophe Z. Guilmoto, 2012. "Son Preference, Sex Selection, and Kinship in Vietnam," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 38(1), pages 31-54, March.
    17. Barbara Boelmann & Anna Christina Raute & Uta Schönberg, 2021. "Wind of Change? Cultural Determinants of Maternal Labor Supply," CESifo Working Paper Series 9094, CESifo.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vu, Tien Manh & Yamada, Hiroyuki, 2020. "The legacy of Confucianism in gender inequality in Vietnam," MPRA Paper 101487, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Vu, Tien Manh & Yamada, Hiroyuki, 2023. "Legacies of Vietnam's imperial examinations, 1075–1919: More investment in education and better educational outcomes," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 2-14.
    3. Qian, Ruoyu, 2024. "Communist propaganda and women’s status," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    4. Buonanno, Paolo & Plevani, Giacomo & Puca, Marcello, 2023. "Earthquake hazard and civic capital," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    5. Jaschke Philipp & Sulin Sardoschau & Marco Tabellini, 2021. "Scared Straight? Threat and Assimilation of Refugees in Germany," RF Berlin - CReAM Discussion Paper Series 2136, Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin) - Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM).
    6. Vu, Tien Manh & Yamada, Hiroyuki, 2020. "Persistent legacy of the 1075–1919 Vietnamese imperial examinations in contemporary quantity and quality of education," MPRA Paper 100860, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Naomi Friedman-Sokuler & Claudia Senik, 2025. "From pink collar to lab coat: cultural persistence and diffusion of socialist gender norms," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 38(1), pages 1-34, March.
    8. Jaschke, Philipp & Sardoschau, Sulin & Tabellini, Marco, 2021. "Scared Straight? Threat and Assimilation of Refugees in Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 14962, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Philipp Jaschke & Sulin Sardoschau & Marco Tabellini, 2023. "Scared Straight? Threat and Assimilation of Refugees in Germany," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 384, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    10. Hoang-Anh Ho & Peter Martinsson & Ola Olsson, 2022. "The origins of cultural divergence: evidence from Vietnam," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 45-89, March.
    11. Eder, Christoph & Halla, Martin, 2020. "Economic origins of cultural norms: The case of animal husbandry and bastardy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    12. Elizabeth Brainerd & Olga Malkova, 2023. "Maternity benefits and marital stability after birth: evidence from the Soviet Baltic republics," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 36(4), pages 2309-2345, October.
    13. Harka, Elona & Nunziata, Luca & Rocco, Lorenzo, 2021. "The Alabaster Ceiling: The Gender Legacy of the Papal States," IZA Discussion Papers 14719, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Alberto Alesina & Paola Giuliano & Nathan Nunn, 2018. "Traditional agricultural practices and the sex ratio today," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, January.
    15. Nathan Nunn, 2020. "History as Evolution," NBER Working Papers 27706, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Giampaolo Lecce & Laura Ogliari & Tommaso Orlando, 2017. "Resistance to Institutions and Cultural Distance: Brigandage in Post-Unification Italy," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2097, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    17. Joanne Haddad, 2022. "Settlers and Norms," Working Papers ECARES 2022-02, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    18. Remo Nitschke & Felix Roesel, 2023. "Elite Persistence and Policy Persistence: Re-Installed Mayors from Weimar Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 10251, CESifo.
    19. Jessen, Jonas, 2022. "Culture, children and couple gender inequality," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    20. Patrick Schneider & Lídia Farré & Libertad González, 2022. "Changing Gender Norms across Generations: Evidence from a Paternity Leave Reform," Working Papers 1310, Barcelona School of Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Confucianism; Gender inequality; Sex ratio; Education; Vietnam;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:agi:wpaper:00000180. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/icseajp.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.