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Culture and Gender Allocation of Tasks: Source Country Characteristics and the Division of Non-market Work among US Immigrants

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Listed:
  • Blau, Francine D.

    (Cornell University)

  • Kahn, Lawrence M.

    (Cornell University)

  • Comey, Matthew

    (Cornell University)

  • Eng, Amanda

    (Cornell University)

  • Meyerhofer, Pamela

    (Montana State University)

  • Willén, Alexander

    (Norwegian School of Economics)

Abstract

There is a well-known gender difference in time allocation within the household, which has important implications for gender differences in labor market outcomes. We ask how malleable this gender difference in time allocation is to culture. In particular, we ask if US immigrants allocate tasks differently depending upon the characteristics of the source countries from which they emigrated. Using data from the 2003-2017 waves of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), we find that first-generation immigrants, both women and men, from source countries with more gender equality (as measured by the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index) allocate tasks more equally, while those from less gender equal source countries allocate tasks more traditionally. These results are robust to controls for immigration cohort, years since migration, and other own and spouse characteristics. There is also some indication of an effect of parent source country gender equality for second-generation immigrants, particularly for second-generation men with children. Our findings suggest that broader cultural factors do influence the gender division of labor in the household.

Suggested Citation

  • Blau, Francine D. & Kahn, Lawrence M. & Comey, Matthew & Eng, Amanda & Meyerhofer, Pamela & Willén, Alexander, 2020. "Culture and Gender Allocation of Tasks: Source Country Characteristics and the Division of Non-market Work among US Immigrants," IZA Discussion Papers 13093, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13093
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    Cited by:

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    3. Kumar, Rahul & Maity, Bipasha, 2022. "Cultural norms and women’s health: Implications of the practice of menstrual restrictions in Nepal," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    4. Grossbard Shoshana Amyra & Vernon Victoria, 2020. "Do immigrants pay a price when marrying natives? Lessons from the US time use survey," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-37, January.
    5. Ferrer, Ana M. & Mascella, Allison, 2022. "Immigrant gaps in parental time investments into children's human capital activities," CLEF Working Paper Series 48, Canadian Labour Economics Forum (CLEF), University of Waterloo.
    6. Gordon B Dahl & Christina Felfe & Paul Frijters & Helmut Rainer, 2022. "Caught between Cultures: Unintended Consequences of Improving Opportunity for Immigrant Girls [Economics and Identity]," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 89(5), pages 2491-2528.
    7. Julia Bredtmann & Sebastian Otten, 2023. "Culture and the labor supply of female immigrants," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(2), pages 282-300, April.
    8. Marcén, Miriam & Morales, Marina, 2022. "The effect of gender norms on gender-based sorting across occupations," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1160, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    9. Jessen, Jonas, 2022. "Culture, children and couple gender inequality," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    10. Averkamp, Dorothée & Bredemeier, Christian & Juessen, Falko, 2021. "Decomposing Gender Wage Gaps - A Family Economics Perspective," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242361, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    11. Lundberg, Shelly, 2022. "Gender Economics: Dead-Ends and New Opportunities," IZA Discussion Papers 15217, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Marcén, Miriam & Morales, Marina, 2021. "Culture and the cross-country differences in the gender commuting gap," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    13. Ayaita, Adam, 2023. "Ethnic Minority Background and Personality Characteristics: Evidence from a Representative Sample of the Adult Population," EconStor Preprints 251745, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, revised 2023.
    14. Héctor Bellido & Miriam Marcén & Marina Morales, 2021. "The Reverse Gender Gap in Volunteer Activities: Does Culture Matter?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-15, June.
    15. Ylenia Brilli & Simone Moriconi, 2023. "Culture of Origin, Parenting, and Household Labor Supply," Working Papers 2023: 17, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    16. Bredtmann, Julia & Otten, Sebastian, 2023. "Natives' gender norms and the labor market integration of female immigrants," Ruhr Economic Papers 1042, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    17. Simon Rabaté & Externe auteur: Sara Rellstab, 2021. "The Child Penalty in the Netherlands and its Determinants," CPB Discussion Paper 424, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    housework; childcare; gender; immigration; time allocation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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