Family Disadvantage and the Gender Gap in Behavioral and Educational Outcomes

66 Pages Posted: 23 Jun 2016

See all articles by David H. Autor

David H. Autor

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

David N. Figlio

Northwestern University; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Krzysztof Karbownik

Northwestern University

Jeffrey Roth

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics

Melanie Wasserman

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Anderson School of Management

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: June 01, 2016

Abstract

Using birth certificates matched to schooling records for Florida children born 1992 – 2002, we assess whether family disadvantage disproportionately impedes the pre-market development of boys. We find that, relative to their sisters, boys born to disadvantaged families have higher rates of disciplinary problems, lower achievement scores, and fewer high-school completions. Evidence supports that this is a causal effect of the post-natal environment; family disadvantage is unrelated to the gender gap in neonatal health. We conclude that the gender gap among black children is larger than among white children in substantial part because black children are raised in more disadvantaged families.

Keywords: gender gap, family structure, education and inequality, early skills development

JEL Classification: J120, J130, J160, I240

Suggested Citation

Autor, David H. and Figlio, David N. and Karbownik, Krzysztof and Roth, Jeffrey and Wasserman, Melanie, Family Disadvantage and the Gender Gap in Behavioral and Educational Outcomes (June 01, 2016). CESifo Working Paper Series No. 5925, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2799609 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2799609

David H. Autor

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Economics ( email )

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HOME PAGE: http://web.mit.edu/dautor/www

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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David N. Figlio

Northwestern University ( email )

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Evanston, IL 60208
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Krzysztof Karbownik (Contact Author)

Northwestern University

Jeffrey Roth

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics ( email )

PO Box 100296
Gainesville, FL 32610-0496
United States
3522620147 (Phone)
3522739054 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://familydata.health.ufl.edu/

Melanie Wasserman

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) - Anderson School of Management ( email )

110 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1481
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.melaniewasserman.com

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