The Social Context of Women's Labor Force Participation: A Comparative Analysis

Utilizing data from 61 societies, this inquiry focuses on women's labor force participation as a characteristic of the social structure. First, the analysis demonstrates that participation is positively related to economic development and divorce rate and negatively related to fertility and income inequality. While the effect of economic development is mediated by various aspects of familial composition, the most significant effect on female labor force participation is that of income inequality. In societies where inequality is high, women are less likely to join the labor force. The analysis goes on to demonstrate that female labor force participation has consequences for occupational discrimination. The odds that women can achieve high status and well-paid occupations decrease with the proportion of women in the labor force. The findings reported here suggest strongly that the integration of females into the labor force is determined by the shape of the stratification system. Such integration, however, results in occupational discrimination. The meaning and significance of the findings are discussed in the light of sociological theories.