Cross-national variations in the educational gender gap: Examining the role of masculinity

• In Event: Sociology of Education Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 29. Gender, Schooling, and Society pt. 1

Abstract

In many wealthy countries, women outperform men on educational outcomes, including high school and college completion and GPA. An increasing literature suggests that masculinity norms and behaviors may play a role in reducing men’s educational achievement. Yet, how masculinity shapes educational outcomes in non-Western contexts remains underexplored. In this study, I compare associations between masculinity scores constructed using data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and 15-year-old students’ college aspirations in Japan and the United States. Preliminary analyses indicate that masculinity scores are negatively associated with college aspirations for both male and female students in the U.S. but not for Japanese students. This study provides an important counterpoint for understanding how the role of masculinity in educational outcomes varies by context.

Author

• Erika Teramoto, University of Wisconsin-Madison