American Economic Journal:
Applied Economics
ISSN 1945-7782 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7790 (Online)
Wind of Change? Cultural Determinants of Maternal Labor Supply
American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
vol. 17,
no. 2, April 2025
(pp. 41–74)
Abstract
We investigate the role of cultural norms in shaping women's labor supply decisions after childbirth. Specifically, we are interested in the interplay between childhood socialization and adulthood environment. To that end, we leverage the setting of the German reunification when East Germany's gender-egalitarian culture induced by socialism and West Germany's more traditional culture were brought together. We find that East German gender norms are persistent, whereas West German ones are not. West German mothers adjust their behavior to that of their East German peers not only when immersed in East German environment but even after returning to the West.Citation
Boelmann, Barbara, Anna Raute, and Uta Schönberg. 2025. "Wind of Change? Cultural Determinants of Maternal Labor Supply." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 17 (2): 41–74. DOI: 10.1257/app.20220567Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D91 Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
- J13 Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
- N34 Economic History: Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy: Europe: 1913-
- Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification