Social norms and gender discrimination in the labor market: An agent-based exercise

Quintero Rojas, Coralia Azucena and Viianto, Lari Artur (2019): Social norms and gender discrimination in the labor market: An agent-based exercise.

Abstract

The incorporation of women into the labor market remains a challenge for most countries; likewise, gender gaps are observed in indicators such as employment, unemployment and participation. In this paper we study the role of social norms in the labor market performance per gender; that is, how gender gaps arise from conservative gender roles. To this end, we construct an agent-based model where discrimination appears when information on job vacancies is transmitted within a social network with preference to a given gender. Networks are defined by size, closeness and links per family. Our results show that: Social networks enhance the chance of getting a job. Discrimination deepens gender gaps. Discrimination does not favor the employment situation of households, since the share of non-income households (both members unemployed) is not reduced. Rather, discrimination reduces the number of two-income households in favor of the single-income households where only the man is employed.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: social networks, social norms, gender inequality, discrimination, labor markets, economic systems.
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C6 - Mathematical Methods ; Programming Models ; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling > C63 - Computational Techniques ; Simulation Modeling; D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D85 - Network Formation and Analysis: Theory; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J7 - Labor Discrimination > J71 - Discrimination

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