The Effects of Economic Development and World-System on Occupational Sex Segregation

Abstract

In order to better integrate women's subordinate status into the world-system, I examined how processes of the new international division of labor and consequent underdevelopment affect women's overall economic status and occupational sex segregation (OSS). For the empirical test, I used panel regression analyses with 7l cross national cases for 1960- 80, and 1970-80 periods. The results of the analyses clearly show that world-system position, and economic development proved to have important consequences for OSS. However, the results unexpectedly show a negative relation for multinational corporation dependency, which are stronger for the longer term period than the shorter term. Of the intervening varibles, the effects of female labor force participation show a negative effect on OSS, and those of the female share of the service sector show a strong positive effect on OSS at either point in time. Fertility did not show any significant effects on OSS.