Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Effects of Class and Motherhood in Families and the Labor Market

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This dissertation uses experimental methods to investigate how social class shapes the experience of motherhood. The dissertation assesses whether - and if so, why - employers discriminate against low- and high-skilled mothers in the labor market. The investigators perform a large-scale field experiment, an audit study, by studying low- and high-skilled job openings. The dissertation then investigates why employers might discriminate against mothers, experimentally manipulating motherhood status and indicators of applicant quality. Obtaining an understanding of discrimination in low- and high-skilled jobs advances our understanding of when and how motherhood disadvantages women. Findings can aid understanding of and suggest directions of inquiry to address discrimination at this stage of the employment process. Additionally, the study evaluates whether low-skilled mothers face significant barriers in finding jobs. Next, the dissertation examines how ideas about good parenting differ by social class, and whether parents hold mothers to higher parenting standards than fathers. A survey experiment is performed in which respondents evaluate descriptions of parent-child interactions, with the gender of the parent presented being experimentally manipulated. By examining how parents evaluate different childrearing approaches, this research can strengthen stakeholders' efforts to promote family involvement in children's education, and help to design more effective parenting interventions. The dissertation aims to illuminate the role of social class in producing distinct disadvantages for mothers with different resources.