ERIC Number: EJ1004270
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Jul
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0303-8300
EISSN: N/A
Democracy and Female Labor Force Participation: An Empirical Examination
Bayanpourtehrani, Ghazal; Sylwester, Kevin
Social Indicators Research, v112 n3 p749-762 Jul 2013
This paper empirically examines associations between female labor force participation (FLFP) and democracy. Using a cross-country, time series (1980-2005) data set, we find evidence that FLFP is lower in democracies. One possible explanation is that dictators promote FLFP above what traditional norms would dictate and so a greater freedom to follow custom lowers FLFP. However, we also find that the ratio of FLFP to male labor force participation (MLFP) is similar under both types of regimes and that MLFP is also lower in democracies. This outcome casts doubt on the aforementioned explanation. Instead, one possibility is that both men and women voluntarily withdraw from the labor force with greater freedoms.
Descriptors: Democracy, Labor Force Nonparticipants, Females, Males, Gender Differences, Employed Women, Social Indicators, Sociometric Techniques, Sociocultural Patterns, Socioeconomic Influences, Statistical Analysis, Cross Cultural Studies, Social Change, Political Influences, Traditionalism, Social Systems
Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A