How is a woman’s life influenced by where she grew up and where she lives as an adult? On October 12, the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) hosted Professor Kerwin Charles for a luncheon lecture on “The Effects of Sexism on American Women: The Role of Norms vs. Discrimination.”
In a new working paper, Professor Charles and his colleagues employ a novel approach that examines how prevailing sexist beliefs shape life outcomes for women. Essentially, they find that sexism affects women through two channels: one is their own preferences that are shaped by where they grow up, and the other is the sexism they experience in the place they choose to live as adults.