ROCKING OUR PRIORS

Saumitra Jha (Associate Professor of Political Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business) joins me to discuss what prevents Hindu-Muslim conflict. We discuss his paper on "Trade, Institutions, and Ethnic Tolerance: Evidence from South Asia" https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/trade-institutions-and-ethnic-tolerance-evidence-from-south-asia/534E0018C1431E7A7615B4FAD26DEB3E

Over the 20th century, the entire world became more gender equal. Or so I thought. But Pakistan has rocked my priors. Female employment has slightly risen. Meanwhile, young Pakistani women are more sexist than their grandmothers. What is going on? Charts and graphs are on my Substack: https://www.ggd.world/p/is-pakistan-becoming-more-patriarchal

The Patriarchal Political Order: Soledad Artiz Prillaman by Dr Alice Evans

Slave-Raiding, Solidarity and Status in Africa by Dr Alice Evans

Exploring Sub-Saharan Africa's economic stagnation and its impact on gender roles, particularly the obstacles faced by women like early marriage and limited economic prospects. Alarming statistics reveal violence against adolescent girls, with poverty and education levels playing a significant role. The challenges of economic stagnation and violence for women in Sub-Saharan Africa are discussed, emphasizing cultural acceptance of abuse and barriers to economic independence.

The podcast delves into the complexities of female genital cutting, exploring cultural factors, unintended consequences of anti-cutting initiatives, and the impact of legal reforms on female empowerment. It highlights the intersections of virginity, mobility restrictions, marriage practices, and societal reactions to legal changes for female empowerment, revealing unexpected outcomes like heightened cousin marriage and violence.

Why is India's female labour force participation so low? And how might that change? Suhani Jalota and Lisa Ho share insights from their brilliant work in Mumbai and West Bengal. This discussion is superbly insightly and great fun. Stay tuned for jokes & data. Paper on Mumbai: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/z3v4gxqpkvc4p9ntjy0ie/h?dl=0&e=1&preview=Jalota_Suhani_WhatWorksForHer.pdf&rlkey=ca71mbrtewdo92exnmop1q0b8 Paper on West Bengal: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vyzkrzwv2xlce1woj9hcm/lisaho_jmp_hjk_bwh.pdf?rlkey=aj66ghiptyslj5l7lawr9kzgs&e=1&dl=0

If everyone is equal, it’s much more acceptable for women to get to the top. In societies where no one is special, men seem much more accepting of female leadership. Whereas in hierarchical cultures, where subordinates must bow to their bosses, female managers and politicians are more strongly disliked. They may even trigger backlash. This is a novel theory of gender inequality. I believe it helps explain why Russia and Nigeria’s parliaments are almost entirely male, just like Korean and Japanese male-dominated management. If I’m right, then Scandinavia’s feminist secret is not so much about gender, but rather an evolution of moral and political egalitarianism.

Patriarchy is reinforced by fraternal solidarity. The Athenian demos, German guilds, Tswana kgotla, Chinese imperial dynasties, Muslim Brotherhood and Indian caste panchayats all reinforced male dominance. As long as men are united, bound in collective loyalty, women are secondary. How might this change? On International Women’s Day, I’d like to highlight a hugely important (but widely overlooked) driver of gender equality. In fact, this mechanism is so powerful that it is actively suppressed by many patriarchal societies. ROMANTIC LOVE

What’s the Future of the US Labor Movement? Suresh Naidu by Dr Alice Evans