Modern gender roles and agricultural history: the Neolithic inheritance

TY - JOUR

T1 - Modern gender roles and agricultural history

T2 - the Neolithic inheritance

AU - Hansen, Casper Worm

AU - Jensen, Peter Sandholt

AU - Skovsgaard, Christian

N1 - JEL Classification: J70, N50, O11, O17

PY - 2015/12/1

Y1 - 2015/12/1

N2 - This research proposes the hypothesis that societies with long histories of agriculture have less equality in gender roles as a consequence of more patriarchal values and beliefs regarding the proper role of women in society. We test this hypothesis in a world sample of countries, in a sample of European regions, as well as among immigrants and children of immigrants living in the US. This evidence reveals a significant negative relationship between years of agriculture and female labor force participation rates, as well as other measures of equality in contemporary gender roles. This finding is robust to the inclusion of an extensive set of possible confounders, including historical plough-use and the length of the growing season. We argue that two mechanisms can explain the result: (1) societies with longer agricultural histories had a higher level of technological advancement which in the Malthusian Epoch translated into higher fertility and a diminished role for women outside the home; (2) the transition to cereal agriculture led to a division of labor in which women spend more time on processing cereals rather than working in the field.

AB - This research proposes the hypothesis that societies with long histories of agriculture have less equality in gender roles as a consequence of more patriarchal values and beliefs regarding the proper role of women in society. We test this hypothesis in a world sample of countries, in a sample of European regions, as well as among immigrants and children of immigrants living in the US. This evidence reveals a significant negative relationship between years of agriculture and female labor force participation rates, as well as other measures of equality in contemporary gender roles. This finding is robust to the inclusion of an extensive set of possible confounders, including historical plough-use and the length of the growing season. We argue that two mechanisms can explain the result: (1) societies with longer agricultural histories had a higher level of technological advancement which in the Malthusian Epoch translated into higher fertility and a diminished role for women outside the home; (2) the transition to cereal agriculture led to a division of labor in which women spend more time on processing cereals rather than working in the field.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Economic development

KW - Culture

KW - Gender roles

U2 - 10.​1007/​s10887-015-9119-y

DO - 10.​1007/​s10887-015-9119-y

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1381-4338

VL - 20

SP - 365

EP - 404

JO - Journal of Economic Growth

JF - Journal of Economic Growth

IS - 4

ER -