Abstract
We investigate the determinants of the education gender gap in Italy in historical perspective with a focus on the influence of family structure. We capture the latter with two indicators: residential habits (nuclear vs. complex families) and inheritance rules (partition vs. primogeniture). After controlling for economic, institutional, religious, and cultural factors, we find that over the 1861-1901 period family structure is a driver of the education gender gap, with a higher female to male enrollment rate ratio in upper primary schools being associated with nuclear residential habits and equal partition of inheritance. We also find that only the effect of inheritance rules persists over the 1971-2001 period.
Highlights
Over a century and a half after the unification of the country in 1861, in Italy the education gender gap has been gradually closing, and even reversing in recent years
We investigate the determinants of the education gender gap in Italy in a historical perspective with a focus on the influence of family structure
After controlling for economic, institutional, religious, and cultural factors, we find that over the 1861–1901 period family structure is a driver of the education gender gap, with a higher female-to-male enrollment rate ratio in upper primary schools being associated with nuclear residential habits and equal partition of inheritance
Summary
Over a century and a half after the unification of the country in 1861, in Italy the education gender gap has been gradually closing, and even reversing in recent years. Low age at marriage for women is associated with inequality between the sexes and different tasks and responsibilities We combine these three indicators—residential habits, inheritance rules, and female age at marriage—to obtain an extended version, adapted to Italy, of the classification of family structure due to Todd (1990). Structure and the Education Gender Gap correlates we explore are indicators for economic, institutional, and religious factors During this period, Italy represents a microcosm which exhibits rich variations along all these dimensions. We present evidence that family structure is a robust correlate of the education gender gap during the historical period under examination, with a higher female-to-male ratio in enrollment in primary school being associated with nuclear residential habits and with equal partition of inheritance.
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