Intersecting Inequalities in Education and on the Labour Market: Gender and Migration Background in Comparative Perspective

Abstract

Gender and migration background have received ample attention in stratification research. Yet quantitative studies of inequality in education and on the labour market frequently examine them in isolation rather than from an intersectional perspective. I therefore ask: Do gender and migration background create additive disadvantages (the double jeopardy scenario), or do they interact to create specific inequalities faced by persons with specific combinations of characteristics (the intersectional perspective)? Results from two studies show that there is little variation in gender gaps by migration background in the domain of education across 9 countries, whereas gender gaps in labour market outcomes in Germany vary substantially across migrant groups and generations.

Keywords

• gender
• migration background
• intersectionality
• education
• labour market