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on Sociology of Economics |
| By: | Sofie Cairo; Ria Ivandic; Anne Sophie Lassen; Valentina Tartari |
| Abstract: | Persistent gender gaps in the labor market are largely driven by the underrepresentation of women at the top of most professions. We study how parenthood shapes gender gaps in academic careers using population-wide administrative and survey data linked to productivity and promotion records. Parenthood marks a sharp divergence in academic careers: one in three women exit academia following motherhood. Men also experience a decline in academic employment after fatherhood, but the effects are substantially smaller. For mothers, childbirth leads to a persistent decline in both tenure attainment and research output, while men's trajectories on these margins are unaffected by parenthood. The child penalty on tenure is driven primarily by women's higher exit rates from academia. Gender differences in career aspirations do not explain these findings; instead, childcare and mobility constraints play a central role. Child penalties are exacerbated in highly competitive environments and environments without senior female role models. |
| Keywords: | gender, labour, academic, careers, child care, penalty |
| Date: | 2026–03–16 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp2160 |
| By: | LEE, Sunhee; LI, Yalan; OSAWA, Ayako; USUI, Emiko |
| Abstract: | This paper examines how gender and parenthood relate to time allocation among university faculty using survey data from a large research university in Japan. The data provide detailed information on time spent on research, teaching, administrative work, and household activities. We document substantial gender differences in time allocation. In particular, women spend less time on research and more time on household responsibilities than men, with the gap being especially pronounced among those with children. Teaching time remains relatively similar across groups. These findings suggest that family-related constraints affect the allocation of time differently for men and women, which may contribute to gender disparities in research productivity and academic careers. |
| Keywords: | Time Allocation, Academic labor market, Work–life balance, University researchers |
| JEL: | J16 J22 J44 |
| Date: | 2026–03–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hit:cisdps:709 |
| By: | Laura Padilla-Angulo; Diego Jorrat; Jos\'e-Ignacio Ant\'on; Javier Sierra |
| Abstract: | This paper evaluates the effect of a short, interactive popularisation talk on upper-secondary students' interest in Economics. This contrasts with previous research, which has primarily examined impersonal interventions to boost interest in Economics. The intervention presents Economics as an empirical social science engaged with real-world social problems. Using a cluster-randomised field experiment conducted during secondary-school campus visits in Spain, we find no statistically significant average effect on stated interest in studying Economics. However, the intervention generates substantial heterogeneity: those with stronger altruistic preferences become significantly more likely to express interest after the talk. These findings suggest that informational outreach may shape who perceives the discipline as aligned with their motivations, even if it does not substantially increase overall interest. More broadly, they indicate that presenting Economics as empirical and socially relevant may broaden the profile of those who consider the field. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2603.19390 |