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The cost of a vowel: How the gender-marked job title affects ratings of female lawyers

Author

Listed:
  • Burlacu, S.
  • Cappelletti, D.
  • Marzadro, S.
  • Tondini, A.

Abstract

We show that using the feminine job title negatively impacts how female lawyers are perceived by other professionals. Respondents were presented with hypothetical legal issues and shown several realistic profiles of male and female lawyers, where we randomly varied whether female lawyers were presented with the predominantly used masculine term – avvocato – or with the feminine term — avvocata. Ceteris paribus, female profiles with the feminine title receive lower ratings by 0.36 (out of 10, −5%, −0.16SD). The effect is driven by female respondents and is large relative to profiles’ experience or other quality signals.

Suggested Citation

  • Burlacu, S. & Cappelletti, D. & Marzadro, S. & Tondini, A., 2024. "The cost of a vowel: How the gender-marked job title affects ratings of female lawyers," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:234:y:2024:i:c:s0165176523005207
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2023.111494
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. van der Velde, Lucas & Tyrowicz, Joanna & Siwinska, Joanna, 2015. "Language and (the estimates of) the gender wage gap," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 165-170.
    2. Davis, Lewis & Reynolds, Megan, 2018. "Gendered language and the educational gender gap," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 46-48.
    3. Bertrand, Jérémie & Osei-Tutu, Francis & Weill, Laurent, 2022. "Language gender-marking and borrower discouragement," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    4. Lucia Del Carpio & Thomas Fujiwara, 2023. "Do Gender-Neutral Job Ads Promote Diversity? Experimental Evidence from Latin America’s Tech Sector," NBER Working Papers 31314, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Gender language; Job titles; Vignette study;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations

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