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Building gender roles: Do children learn from their parents?

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  • Begoña Álvarez
  • Daniel Miles

Abstract

Intergenerational transmission has been successfully employed in economic research to explain the persistence of certain economic behaviors across generations. This paper evaluates the relevance of this transmission process in the formation of gender roles during childhood. In particular, we analyze the relationship betwen parents’ and children’s housework allocation patterns. The empirical application is carried out with the Spanish Time Use Survey 2002—2003. We find a significant positive correlation between the fathers’ contribution to housework and a less asymmetrical distribution of domestic chores between sons and daughters. This correlation is robust to the inclusion of variables aimed at capturing social externalities and also to different definitions of father’s involvement with household labor.

Suggested Citation

  • Begoña Álvarez & Daniel Miles, 2009. "Building gender roles: Do children learn from their parents?," Working Papers 0906, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Economía Aplicada.
    • Handle: RePEc:vig:wpaper:0906
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • C35 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions

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