On the origins of gender roles: Women and the plough

The Quarterly Journal of Economics • Vol/Iss. 128(2) • Oxford University Press • • Published In • Pages: 469-530 •
By Alesina, Alberto, Giuliano, Paola, Nunn, Nathan

Hypothesis

Traditional plough agriculture will be associated with lower female participation in land clearance (481).

Note

Units of observation are ethnic groups from the Standard Cross Cultural Sample. Control variables that are cultural characteristics from the Ethnographic Atlas and Standard Cross Cultural Sample. Control variables that are geographic conditions from the Global Agro-Ecological Zones 2002 database (Fischer et al. 2002).

Test

Test NameSupportSignificanceCoefficientTail
Multiple regressionSupportedp < 0.05UNKNOWNUNKNOWN

Variables

Variable NameVariable Type OCM Term(s)
Political ComplexityControlTerritorial Hierarchy
Presence Of Large Domesticated AnimalsControlDomesticated Animals
SedentismControlSettlement Patterns
Traditional Plough CultivationIndependentTillage
Proportion of Land Suitable for CultivationControlLocation, Soil
Female Participation in Land ClearanceDependentDivision Of Labor By Gender
Proportion of Land Tropical or SubtropicalControlLocation, Climate