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Gendered parenting and the intergenerational transmission of gendered stereotypes: Evidence from the Growing Up in New Zealand survey

Author

Listed:
  • Livvy Mitchell

    (AUT)

  • Isabelle Sin

    (Motu Economic and Public Policy Research)

  • Maanaima Soa-Lafoai

    (K?inga Ora - Homes and Communities)

  • Colleen Ward

    (Victoria University of Wellington)

Abstract

This paper investigates the intergenerational transmission of gender attitudes and inequality in Aotearoa New Zealand from parents to their young children. We explore whether the parenting of boy and girl children differs in such a way that perpetuates traditional Western gender stereotypes and gendered expectations, and for which groups gendered parenting is most prevalent. We use the Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) study, a longitudinal survey of around 7,000 children born in 2009/10 in Auckland, Waikato, and Counties-Manukau. Overall, the differences in parenting by the child’s sex are not large enough to explain the gender inequality between adults in Aotearoa New Zealand. We infer that external structural factors outside parents’ control likely play a primary role in perpetuating potentially harmful gender inequality. Parents alone cannot end the cycle of harmful gender inequalities, particularly since they are often pressured to parent within society’s gendered structural constrains.

Suggested Citation

  • Livvy Mitchell & Isabelle Sin & Maanaima Soa-Lafoai & Colleen Ward, 2022. "Gendered parenting and the intergenerational transmission of gendered stereotypes: Evidence from the Growing Up in New Zealand survey," Working Papers 22_10, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:mtu:wpaper:22_10
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    File URL: https://motu-www.motu.org.nz/wpapers/22_10.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

    Gender inequality; economic outcomes;

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