Agent-based models of the cultural evolution of occupational gender roles

Cross, C. P.; Boothroyd, L. G.; Jefferson, C. A.

Abstract

The causes of sex differences in human behaviour are contested, with ‘evolutionary’ and ‘social’ explanations often being pitted against each other in the literature. Recent work showing positive correlations between indices of gender equality and the size of sex differences in behaviour has been argued to show support for ‘evolutionary’ over ‘social’ approaches. This argument, however, neglects the potential for social learning to generate arbitrary gender segregation. In the current paper we simulate, using agent-based models, a population where agents exist as one of two ‘types’ and can use social information about which types of agents are performing which ‘roles’ within their environment. We find that agents self-segregate into different roles even where real differences in performance do not exist, if there is a common belief (modelled as priors) that group differences may exist in ‘innate’ competence. Facilitating role changes such that agents should move without cost to the predicted highest-rewards for their skills (i.e. fluidity of the labour market) reduced segregation, while forcing extended exploration of different roles eradicated gender segregation. These models are interpreted in terms of bio-cultural evolution, and the impact of social learning on the expression of gender roles.

Citation

Cross, C. P., Boothroyd, L. G., & Jefferson, C. A. (2023). Agent-based models of the cultural evolution of occupational gender roles. Royal Society Open Science, 10(6), https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.221346

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 28, 2023
• Publication Date: Jun 28, 2023
• Deposit Date: Aug 11, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 11, 2023
• Journal: Royal Society Open Science
• Publisher: The Royal Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 6
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.221346
• Keywords: Multidisciplinary
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1715944