More than Words: Do Gendered Linguistic Structures Widen the Gender Gap in Entrepreneurial Activity?
基于语言相对论，研究了105个国家55种语言中性别化语言结构与创业性别差距的关系，发现性别化语言结构强化性别刻板印象，阻碍女性创业。
Leveraging linguistic relativity theory which suggests that language systems structure thought and action, we investigate the relationship between gendered linguistic structures and the persistent gender gap in early–stage entrepreneurial activity. We use country–level data from 105 countries in 2001–2015 with 55 different languages, and incorporate 32 controls covering a broad range of factors previously associated with entrepreneurial activity. We find that in countries where the dominant language's structure incorporates sex–based systems and gender–differentiated pronouns, there is a greater gender gap in entrepreneurial activity. Our results suggest that gendered linguistic structures reinforce gender stereotypes and discourage women's entry into entrepreneurship.