Vibes over salary? How post-materialistic values shape teenagers’ STEM aspirations

Women’s underrepresentation in STEM fields tends to be more pronounced in affluent societies. We aim to advance literature by examining the extent to which this affluence paradox (AP) can be accounted for by post-materialistic values and whether they moderate the influence of household affluence on STEM aspirations. We argue that affluence fosters self-expression and gendered beliefs that channel men and women into different fields. Estimating multilevel regressions of 8th graders’ aspirations for math-related jobs on three waves of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, we find that societal affluence lowers STEM aspirations, with a more negative effect for girls than for boys. This affluence paradox cannot be accounted for by post-materialist value orientations. A country’s postmaterialist values do not moderate the effects of household affluence on girls’ and boys’ STEM aspirations. However, post-materialism can account for the effects of affluence for girls and boys separately. Thus, while post-materialism helps explain aspects of the affluence paradox, it does not resolve it.