The Gender-Equality Paradox : A Test of Charles and Bradley’s Resource Hypothesis

Sammanfattning

A growing body of research investigates the extent of the so-called gender-equality paradox (GEP): the finding that men and women in countries considered more gender-equal often make more gender-typed choices in domains such as education, careers, and values, not less. While several theoretical explanations for this paradox exist, they are seldom directly tested. This study addresses that gap by empirically testing the Resource Hypothesis, one of the most commonly cited explanations. The Resource Hypothesis argues that in wealthy, gender equal societies, where people are encouraged to express their authentic selves, men and women are more likely to embrace identities and values that conform to traditional gender roles, paradoxically widening rather than narrowing gender differences. Using survey data from approximately 100,000 individuals across 34 countries, collected in the fifth (2005-2009) and sixth (2010-2014) waves of the World Value Survey, this study examines whether individuals who more strongly endorse self-expression (valuing personal autonomy, tolerance, and self-realization) show wider gender differences in five Schwartz Human Value dimensions – Benevolence, Achievement, Security, Stimulation, and Conformity. The findings only partially support the Resource Hypothesis. Contrary to its predictions, individuals who more strongly endorse self-expression values show narrower, rather than wider, gender differences across all five value orientations. However, at the country level, higher human development, as captured by wealth, education, and life expectancy, is associated with wider gender gaps in four of the five orientations. These findings suggest that the GEP in value orientations may be driven by broader societal conditions associated with human development rather than by individuals personally embracing a culture of self-expression, though the specific mechanisms underlying this pattern remain an important question for future research.