Should Mothers Work? How Perceptions of the Social Norm Affect Individual Attitudes Toward Work in the U.S.

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Should Mothers Work? How Perceptions of the Social Norm Affect Individual Attitudes Toward Work in the U.S.

Number 1038
November 2022

JEL classification: D84, J22, C83

Authors: Patricia Cortès, Gizem Kosar, Jessica Pan, and Basit Zafar

We study how peer beliefs shape individual attitudes toward maternal labor supply using realistic hypothetical scenarios that elicit recommendations on the labor supply choices of a mother with a young child and an information treatment embedded within representative surveys. Across the scenarios, we find that individuals systematically overestimate the extent of gender conservativeness among the people around them. Exposure to information on peer beliefs leads to a shift in recommendations, driven largely by information-based belief updating. The information treatment also increases (intended and actual) donations to a nonprofit organization advocating for women in the workplace.

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Author Disclosure Statement(s)

Patricia Cortès
The author declares that she has no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper.
This research was supported by the Russell Sage Foundation Grant 2008-27610.
Our project received an IRB exemption by Boston University.

Gizem Koşar
The author declares that she has no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper.
This research was supported by the Russell Sage Foundation Grant 2008-27610.
Our project received an IRB exemption by Boston University.

Jessica Pan
The author declares that she has no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper.
This research was supported by the Russell Sage Foundation Grant 2008-27610.
Our project received an IRB exemption by Boston University.

Basit Zafar
The author declares that he has no relevant or material financial interests that relate to the research described in this paper.
This research was supported by the Russell Sage Foundation Grant 2008-27610.
Our project received an IRB exemption by Boston University.

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