Gender Peer Effects in a Predominantly Male Environment: Evidence from West Point
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 108,
May 2018
(pp. 392-95)
Abstract
There is considerable interest in the success of women in overwhelmingly male environments. One hypothesized determinant of success is the increased presence of other women. However, the theoretical direction of this effect is uncertain. Previous studies of heavily male contexts have had mixed results. We take advantage of random peer group assignment at West Point military academy to identify gender peer effects in the first years in which women were admitted. We find that women do significantly better when placed in companies with more women peers. The addition of one woman peer reduces the gender progression gap by half.Citation
Huntington-Klein, Nick, and Elaina Rose. 2018. "Gender Peer Effects in a Predominantly Male Environment: Evidence from West Point." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 108: 392-95. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20181114Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- I23 Higher Education; Research Institutions
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination