[RIHE Open Seminar] “Gendered Parental Preference for College Applications: Experimental Evidence from a Gender Inegalitarian Education Context”, 13 December 2024

We are pleased to announce that an open seminar will be held as follows:

■Date
14:30–16:00 Friday, 13 December 2024 (JST)

■Theme
Gendered Parental Preference for College Applications: Experimental Evidence from a Gender Inegalitarian Education Context

■Venue
Hybrid (In-Person & Online)
* Maximum Capacity
a. In-Person: 15 people  Hiroshima Office Centre
b. Online (zoom): Unlimited

■Language
Japanese

■MC
NAKAO, Ran (Ehime University)

■Lecturer
UCHIKOSHI, Fumiya (Harvard University)

■Abstract
There is a converging gender gap in four-year university attendance in Japan, yet significantly fewer women apply to selective colleges. A growing body of literature suggests that parents play a crucial role in shaping their children’s college choices. However, the capacity to make causal claims is limited in existing studies, as any apparent gendered preferences among parents might simply reflect prior educational investments made before their children apply to college. This study advances the field by leveraging a survey experiment approach. Results from our conjoint experiment, where respondents evaluate their fictitious children’s hypothetical college choices, reveals the following findings: First, responses do not differ when the children aim for selective colleges, regardless of whether the child is a son or a daughter. Second, respondents who expect higher returns from college for men than for women tend to rate their fictious son’s selective college applications more favorably. Third, fictitious daughter’s college choices receive more favorable ratings when their choices align with societal gender stereotypes. These results underscore the potential impact of recent admissions reforms in Japanese universities, which include explicit quotas for female applicants to increase their enrollment.

■Note
・Participation fee is free.
・Registration is open noon on Thursday, 13 December 2024 (JST).
・Internet access and a camera/microphone device required to participate online.
・Use your full name as your personal meeting ID when you enter the meeting room. If you do not, you may not be allowed to enter the meeting room.
・Recording/screenshots not allowed.
・The meeting URL will be emailed to you separately by the day before the meeting. If you do not receive the e-mail, please contact us at k-kokyo(at)office.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
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