We need to change the system, not the women, because continuing to reinforce a false gender stereotype of women as being less competitive has real economic costs for talented professionals.
Freedom Center Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Economy and Moral Sciences Mary L. Rigdon presented her current research at UArizona’s Wonder House at SXSW 2023. This important work, conducted in collaboration with Alessandra Cassar, professor of economics at the University of San Francisco, explores competitiveness in men and women. They found women are as competitive as men though the motivations differ. Women are more likely to take risks and engage in competitive activities if they’re allowed to share their potential winnings with peers.
Women are simply not less competitive but are differentially sensitive to the social aspects of the environment. Women face costs associated with winning competitions that men do not face. Competitiveness in women reflects those personal and societal pressures, intertwining a desire to compete for resources with concerns about the distribution of those resources. Alessandra and Mary’s research shows that women are as competitive as men but are motivated differently.
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Trailer – Myth Busting: Women, Competitiveness, and Equity with Mary Rigdon at the Wonder House SXSW23
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Interview with Mary L. Rigdon on her SXSW 2023 talk – Myth Busting: Women, Competitiveness, and Equity
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Myth Busting: Women, Competitiveness, and Equity with Mary Rigdon at the Wonder House SXSW23
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