Women's career choices, social norms and child care policies

Helmuth Cremer, Francesca Barigozzi and Kerstin Roeder

No 11797, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: Our model explains the observed gender-specific patterns of career and child care choices through endogenous social norms. We study how these norms interact with the gender wage gap. We show that via the social norm a couple's child care and career choices impose an externality on other couples, so that the laissez-faire is inefficient. We use our model to study the design and effectiveness of three commonly used policies. We find that child care subsidies and women quotas can be effective tools to mitigate or eliminate the externality. Parental leave, however, may even intensify the externality and decrease welfare.

Keywords: Social norms; Child care; Women's career choices; Child care subsidies; Women quotas; Parental leave (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D13 H23 J16 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Women's career choices, social norms and child care policies (2018)
Working Paper: Women's career choices, social norms and child care policies (2017)
Working Paper: Women's Career Choices, Social Norms and Child Care Policies (2017)
Working Paper: Women's career choices, social norms and child care policies (2017)
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