Template-type: ReDif-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Dupuy Arnaud 
Author-workplace-name: METEOR
Title: An Economic Model of the Evolution of the Gender Performance Ratio in Individual Sports
Abstract: This paper shows that the gender world record ratio in four disciplines, i.e. marathon, triple jump, pole vault and 800 meters, follows a S-shape over time. It is argued that this pattern is initiated by a sudden drop in the social barrier for women to participate in these disciplines. This drop in social barrier materializes –later- by the authorization for women to participate at major events, such as the Olympic Games, in these disciplines. The paper builds a simple economic model of sector self-selection and human capital accumulation with intrinsic disutility (social barriers) to participate in some sectors. As social barriers are removed in a sector, the Gender Performance Ratio is shown to follow a S-shape over time under very basic assumptions and calibrations. Ability self-selection, measured as the difference between mean ability of women in that sector and population mean, becomes more positive after removal of the social barrier. 
Keywords: microeconomics ; 
Series: Research Memoranda
Creation-Date: 2010
Number: 021
File-URL: http://digitalarchive.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fedora/objects/guid:12d02bb0-7a06-4256-9d33-bd9c979c797d/datastreams/ASSET1/content
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 1114638
Handle: RePEc:unm:umamet:2010021