The Gender Gap in the Care Economy is Larger in Highly Developed Countries: Socio-cultural Explanations for Paradoxical Findings

Abstract

Despite the growing importance of care economy careers (e.g., healthcare and education), men remain underrepresented in these fields. Past research suggests that, while economically developed nations tend to support equal rights for men and women, their labor markets tend to be highly gender-segregated (Charles 1992; 2003). By examining this paradoxical pattern in the care economy, we asked whether men’s lower interest in care economy careers is more pronounced in highly economically developed countries (vs. equally evident across countries), and if so, what psychological and cultural factors underlie these patterns? We examined these questions with actual labor data from 70 nations (Study 1) and a unique pre-registered study of career interest among 19,240 university students from 49 nations (Study 2). Although highly economically developed countries tend to promote some forms of gender equality (GGGI, 2017), the gender gap in care economy representation (Study 1) and interest (Study 2) is especially large in such countries. Results from Study 2 suggested that gender differences in values underlie this pattern. Specifically, men’s relatively lower communal values (e.g., valuing helping and caring for others) in highly economically developed countries predicted the larger gender differences in care economy interest in these countries. In addition, cross-national variation in gender differences in care economy interest was better explained by country-level variation in economic development and individualism than by self-expression values or general gender equality. Counter to prior findings, we did not observe parallel paradoxical patterns for STEM representation or interest.

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When Is Masculinity “Fragile”? An Expectancy-Discrepancy-Threat Model of Masculine Identity

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