Full Citation

Title: The Persistent Effect of Gender Division of Labour: African American Women After Slavery

Citation Type: Miscellaneous

Publication Year: 2016

ISBN:

ISSN:

DOI:

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: This paper explores the role of historic gender division of labour in shaping gender norms. To answer this question, I analyse whether differences in the gender division of labour during slavery have a persistent effect on African American women’s labour market outcomes after the end of slavery. I use variation in the production of cotton and tobacco across counties during slavery as a proxy for gender division of labour: tobacco was characterized by a starker gender division of labour compared to cotton. Using data from 1870 to 2010, I show that women living in counties with lower degrees of gender division of labour (higher cotton production relative to tobacco) are more likely to participate in the labour market and have higher occupation income scores, for at least 70 years after emancipation. Furthermore, to disentangle gender roles from local labour demand effects, I analyse the labour force participation of migrants from counties with high historic cotton and tobacco production who relocated to urban areas. The results indicate that gender roles affect women’s labour supply, which in turn affects their labour market experience, resulting in differences in occupation income score.

Url: http://www.sofi.su.se/polopoly_fs/1.315475.1484327013!/menu/standard/file/jmp_Baiardi.pdf

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Baiardi, Anna

Publisher: University of Warwick

Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Gender, Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Other

Countries: