Culture, Capital and the Political Economy Gender Gap: Evidence from Meghalaya’s Matrilineal Tribes

Scholars from Marx to Weber have debated whether the gender gap in political engagement and political economy preferences stems from material or cultural determinants. Researchers argue, by contrast, that cultural norms themselves structure access to economic resources; it is through this channel that gendered disparities in representation emerge. Isolating the relationship between culture and resources is challenging in societies where both disadvantage women. Researchers study a unique setting in Meghalaya state of northeast India where matrilineal tribes live alongside patrilineal communities. Morsel conducted survey experiments and behavioral games on representative samples of both communities in 8 different languages, alongside extensive qualitative and ethnographic evidence, showed that the gender gap reverses across patrilineal and matrilineal groups. These findings demonstrate that culturally-sanctioned wealth inequities explain the political economy gender gap.