Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/58974 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 6421
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Muslims do less well on the French labor market than their non Muslim counterparts. One explanation for this relative failure can be characterized by the following syllogism: (1) the empowerment of women is a sine qua non for economic progress; (2) in-group norms among Muslims do not empower women; and hence (3) Muslim communities will underperform economically relative to non-Muslim communities. This paper, relying on a unique identification strategy that isolates religion from national origin and ethnicity, and on experimental as well as survey evidence collected in France, puts this syllogism to a test. Our data show that Muslim and Christian gender norms are as postulated. However, the correlations between Muslim vs. Christian immigrants and the channels purported to link in-group gender norms to economic progress are weak and inconsistent. Speculations are offered on the intervening variables that mitigate the effect of Muslim gender norms on economic performance.
Subjects: 
development
Islam
gender
discrimination
France
experimental economics
JEL: 
C90
D03
J15
J16
J71
Z12
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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