Kristin Boeckmann
Gender inequality is something everyone should be familiar with, and most people seem to agree that this problem needs to change. Women earn about 82 cents for every dollar a man earns. Thus, the question: Why is there barely any progress? It is very well due to social norms and gender expectations which affect other areas like neurobiological processes and lack of gender balance in workspaces. This study shows how social norms and neurological gender differences affect our behavior, generosity, and expectations towards others and therefore reinforce inequalities among different genders, specifically men and women. This study investigates this problem by analyzing controlled experiments such as the Dictator Game in the study from the Munich Personal Research Papers in Economics and research on neurobiological effects. Additionally, a survey with 13 questions has been constructed and contributed to people from different age groups, backgrounds, and genders to measure the prospect of an individual acting altruistically and their gender expectations. The research analysis and the survey responses demonstrated a strong correlation between altruism, gender, and gender expectations. Not only do individuals expect women to be more selfless in their actions and choices in any environment, but women also fulfill these expectations. The results suggest that social norms reinforce that women disproportionately occupy roles that mandate self-sacrificing and altruistic behavior and vice versa.
Hi Kristin,
I enjoyed your presentation. I think that research, such as yours, needs to be more widely published and recognized within society. As a woman, it’s not surprising that women are expected to be more selfless in their choices/actions and are held to a higher standard in their ability to follow through with these expectations. However, it was refreshing to hear research that has backed up my experiences. I loved that you referenced published studies, as well as conducting your own survey – I felt it made your presentation more relatable. Sometimes I wonder if studies that are done in large cities such as NYC or LA, would have the same results if done in different areas.
It’s interesting to see that even gender norms and expectations that could be considered positive have a negative effect on the pursuit of gender equality. I would be interested in seeing the survey expanded upon to a higher test group in order to see the responses of a better sample size. I am also curious to see if there are any potential differences in response between people of differing ages, are these gender expectations for women something that shows signs of changing anytime soon? I would really enjoy seeing more on this topic, overall this was a really great presentation!
I love the intersectional approach you had for this. Examining environmental variables, including culturally idiosyncratic variables, paints a powerful picture of the ways gender norms reinforce gender inequality. Those same environmental variables affect the phenotypic expression of our genes in ways that are specifically gendered. I’ve read research in the past, from evolutionary scientists, who also have found evidence of a higher biological need for altruism in female primates to maintain hierarchies and support local populations.
Another article I came across recently suggests that women act more altruistically than men when presented with an immediate decision, but if given time to deliberate, both men and women with more socially recognized male personality traits choose more selfish behavior. I think this beautifully illustrates the idea that culture and biology combine in profound ways to affect an organism.