Quantitative Methods and Quantitative Methods and Gender Inequalities Gender Inequalities

Jacqueline ScottJacqueline Scott

University of Cambridge University of Cambridge

Outline Outline

1.1. Consider whether early feminist opposition to Consider whether early feminist opposition to quantitative research makes sensequantitative research makes sense

2.2. Introduce the ESRC Research Priority Network Introduce the ESRC Research Priority Network on Gender Inequalities (GeNet) as an exemplar on Gender Inequalities (GeNet) as an exemplar

3.3. Discuss the diverse methodologies of GeNet Discuss the diverse methodologies of GeNet against a ‘fit for purpose’ evaluative frameworkagainst a ‘fit for purpose’ evaluative framework

4.4. Consider challenges posed by understanding Consider challenges posed by understanding intersectionalities in gender research intersectionalities in gender research

5.5. Identify how qualitative methods used to inform Identify how qualitative methods used to inform and sharpen the ways quantitative researchers and sharpen the ways quantitative researchers count count

Feminism in 1970s /1980s Feminism in 1970s /1980s

Emphasis on making women visible in Emphasis on making women visible in social sciences and ‘giving voice’ social sciences and ‘giving voice’ Concern about ‘objectivity’ & ‘impersonal’ Concern about ‘objectivity’ & ‘impersonal’ knowledge being all too biased knowledge being all too biasedChallenge to essentialist arguments about Challenge to essentialist arguments about ‘natural’ differences between men and ‘natural’ differences between men and womenwomenChampioning of qualitative over Championing of qualitative over quantitativequantitative

The difference gender makesThe difference gender makes

Shift from women to genderShift from women to gender

Gender as analytical category – gendered Gender as analytical category – gendered processes..inclusive of male and females..processes..inclusive of male and females..

Inequalities both between men and Inequalities both between men and woman and also within men and womenwoman and also within men and women

Intersectionalities gender, race, class, Intersectionalities gender, race, class, age.. More nuanced understandingage.. More nuanced understanding

ESRC Gender Equality ESRC Gender Equality NetworkNetwork

Research Priority Network on Gender Research Priority Network on Gender Inequalities in Production & Inequalities in Production &

ReproductionReproduction

www.genet.ac.ukwww.genet.ac.uk

BackgroundBackground

Demise of male breadwinner family - Demise of male breadwinner family - labour market changes/changes in labour market changes/changes in parenting partnershipparenting partnership

Paradigm shift in gender relations Paradigm shift in gender relations

Greater policy recognition of equality Greater policy recognition of equality although policies ambiguousalthough policies ambiguous

Some human capital convergence but Some human capital convergence but inequalities persistent inequalities persistent

9 Linked Projects9 Linked Projects3 Inter-related themes3 Inter-related themes

Pathways to Adult Attainment & Life Course ProcessesPathways to Adult Attainment & Life Course ProcessesChanging occupations and careers of women and menChanging occupations and careers of women and menBiographical agency and developmental outcomesBiographical agency and developmental outcomesGendered pathways from childhood disadvantage to adulthoodGendered pathways from childhood disadvantage to adulthoodGender, time allocation in paid and unpaid work & the wage gapGender, time allocation in paid and unpaid work & the wage gap

Resources, Gender, Ethnic & Class InequalitiesResources, Gender, Ethnic & Class InequalitiesWithin-household inequalities in income and powerWithin-household inequalities in income and powerGender, ethnicity, migration and service employmentGender, ethnicity, migration and service employmentClass & gender, employment and familyClass & gender, employment and family

Policy Responses to Gender InequalitiesPolicy Responses to Gender InequalitiesAddressing gender inequality through corporate governanceAddressing gender inequality through corporate governancePolicy initiatives tackling inequalities in work and care in UK & EUPolicy initiatives tackling inequalities in work and care in UK & EU

3 different methodologies3 different methodologies

Pathways to Adult Attainment & Life Course ProcessesPathways to Adult Attainment & Life Course Processes

QUANTITATIVE LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS - unpacking gendered processes and changes across timeQUANTITATIVE LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS - unpacking gendered processes and changes across time

Longitudinal analysis of cohort differences in occupations and careers (Shirley Dex and Heather Longitudinal analysis of cohort differences in occupations and careers (Shirley Dex and Heather Joshi) Joshi) Childhood and adolescent transitions to adulthood across cohorts (Ingrid Schoon) Childhood and adolescent transitions to adulthood across cohorts (Ingrid Schoon) Gendered pathways from childhood disadvantage to adulthood across cohorts (Wendy Sigle-Ruston Gendered pathways from childhood disadvantage to adulthood across cohorts (Wendy Sigle-Ruston and John Hobcraft) and John Hobcraft) Gender, time allocation in paid and unpaid work & the wage gap using the BHPS (Gershuny)Gender, time allocation in paid and unpaid work & the wage gap using the BHPS (Gershuny)

Resources, Gender, Ethnic & Class InequalitiesResources, Gender, Ethnic & Class Inequalities

MIXED METHODS (qualitative unpacking the specific context; quantitative providing estimates of sub-group MIXED METHODS (qualitative unpacking the specific context; quantitative providing estimates of sub-group differences within the population) differences within the population)

Within-household inequalities in income and power (Himmelweit, Sutherland and Bennett) Within-household inequalities in income and power (Himmelweit, Sutherland and Bennett) Gender, ethnicity, migration and service employment (McDowell) Gender, ethnicity, migration and service employment (McDowell) Class & gender, employment and family (CromptonClass & gender, employment and family (Crompton) )

Policy Responses to Gender InequalitiesPolicy Responses to Gender InequalitiesQUALITATIVE – semi-structured interviewing; documentary analysisQUALITATIVE – semi-structured interviewing; documentary analysis

Addressing gender inequality through corporate governance (Deakin) Addressing gender inequality through corporate governance (Deakin) Policy initiatives tackling inequalities in work and care in UK & EU (Lewis)Policy initiatives tackling inequalities in work and care in UK & EU (Lewis)

Inter-twining of theory, empirical Inter-twining of theory, empirical research and methodology research and methodology

GeNet has explicit goal of promoting highest GeNet has explicit goal of promoting highest possible methodological standards in its own possible methodological standards in its own gender research and contributing to ESRC’s gender research and contributing to ESRC’s various methodological and training initiatives various methodological and training initiatives that are concerned to raise standards of social that are concerned to raise standards of social science generally science generally

Is there a feminist method? No – what matters Is there a feminist method? No – what matters for feminist research is ‘fit for purpose’ and for feminist research is ‘fit for purpose’ and feminist research is sufficiently broad-ranging feminist research is sufficiently broad-ranging that it spans quantitative and qualitative divides that it spans quantitative and qualitative divides

Questions requiring quantitative analysis Questions requiring quantitative analysis ((Source: Joshi and Pacci 1998)Source: Joshi and Pacci 1998)

Pay gap narrowing for those aged 26 Pay gap narrowing for those aged 26 (enhanced human capital and labour market (enhanced human capital and labour market experience + Equal Pay Act 1970 & 75)experience + Equal Pay Act 1970 & 75)

Ratio of women's to men's wages at age 26

0.63

0.84

0.91

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

1946

1958

1970

Masculinization of Female Life Course

(UK Cohort effects: Participation- Joshi et al 2005) Years between first birth and next job at the median

13

12

9

6

2

1

13

12

10

6

5

4

14

13

8

6

0 00

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1910 1922 1934 1946 1958 1970

mother's year of birth

years

AllNo qualificationsHigher qualifications

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Residual genderdifference

Adjusted for weeklyhours, sectors and

workplace segmentation

Adjusted for weeklyhours and sector

Adjusted for weeklyhours

Unadjusted genderdifference

% difference between female annual gross earnings and male annual gross earnings

The combined effects of various factors on the gender difference in annual earnings of 1995 graduates seven years after graduation

Time-use investigation Time-use investigation (Gershuny et al)(Gershuny et al)

Hypothesis: Hypothesis: substantial part of gender gap in substantial part of gender gap in wages that persists beyond operation of work-wages that persists beyond operation of work-place equal opportunities can be explained in place equal opportunities can be explained in terms of day-to-day practices of unequal division terms of day-to-day practices of unequal division of production and caring activities in householdof production and caring activities in household ..

Data: British Household Panel and Harmonised Data: British Household Panel and Harmonised European Time UseEuropean Time Use

Time use by family change: Time use by family change: Women aged 20- 40Women aged 20- 40 (Gershuny 2004) (Gershuny 2004)

women aged 20-40

paid work paid work paid work paid work paid workpaid work paid work

sleepsleep sleep sleep

sleep sleep

housework

other unpaid work

sleep

consumption

180

420

660

900

1140

single before gettingpartner

after gettingpartner

keep partner,no kid

before gettingkid

after gettingkid

keepingpartner+kid

minutes per day

`

Time use by family change:Time use by family change:

Men aged 20-40Men aged 20-40 (Gershuny 2004)(Gershuny 2004)

men aged 20-40

other unpaid w ork

consumption

180

420

660

900

1140

single before getting

partner

af ter getting

partner

keep partner, no

kid

before getting

kid

af ter getting kid keeping

partner+kid

minutes per day

Who does Laundry in Britain by woman's labour force status? (ISSP)

020406080

100

1989 1994 2002 1989 1994 2002 1989 1994 2002

Full-time PartTime Out of labourforce

%

usually man usually woman equal

Lagged adaptationLagged adaptation

Over the long term women who carry dual Over the long term women who carry dual burden have choices – suffer, argue, quitburden have choices – suffer, argue, quit

Not much of real choice – so what happens?Not much of real choice – so what happens?

Over time, women and men’s share of domestic Over time, women and men’s share of domestic division of labour becomes more equal, with division of labour becomes more equal, with women reducing unpaid work immediately, but women reducing unpaid work immediately, but men’s take up of home chores taking longer and men’s take up of home chores taking longer and being less reliable being less reliable

time on work (mins of day)time on work (mins of day)

nethsneths UKUK USAUSA SwedenSweden W GermW Germ

Core domestic workCore domestic work

MaleMale 2929 2828 3333 5656 1111

Female Female 188188 177177 182182 143143 238238

Other unpaid workOther unpaid work

Male Male 8484 8383 9797 117117 8484

FemaleFemale 124124 111111 142142 146146 132132

Paid work Paid work

Male Male 325325 367367 406406 379379 418418

Female Female 9494 178178 187187 262262 168168

Total workTotal work

MaleMale 438438 478478 536536 552552 513513

Female Female 406406 466466 511511 551551 538538

Range of models of work-family balanceRange of models of work-family balance

ModelModel DescriptionDescription PoliciesPolicies CountriesCountries

Adult worker Adult worker modelmodel

a)a) SupportedSupported

b)b) UnsupportedUnsupported

Lone parents Lone parents & low earners& low earners

Gender Gender neutralneutral

ChildcareChildcare

Work benefitsWork benefits

Tax creditsTax credits

Model Model encouraged in encouraged in EUEU

UK since 1999UK since 1999

USAUSA

Nordic genderNordic gender

Differentiated Differentiated adult workeradult worker

Equality Equality allowing for allowing for differencedifference

Cash support Cash support for parental for parental leave; care leave; care relief; parental relief; parental leave provisionleave provision

Sweden & to Sweden & to lesser extent lesser extent other other ScandinavianScandinavian

Gender equality Gender equality based on female based on female modelmodel

Male and Male and female reduced female reduced hourshours

Netherlands Netherlands