Occupational gender segregation: what can we learn from computer use trends?

This study posits to an intricate interrelation between changes in occupational gender segregation (OGS) and the rise in computer use in the workplace in the United States. I posit that two contrasting mechanisms underpin this relation. Firstly, computerization has contributed to a more balanced gen...

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Publicado en:Social Forces Vol. 105; no. 1; pp. 299 - 321
Autor principal: Herzberg-Druker, Efrat
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Oxford University Press / USA Sep2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Occupational gender segregation: what can we learn from computer use trends?
      aug:
        au: Herzberg-Druker, Efrat
        affil: Labor Studies Department, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel-Aviv, IL 6997801, Israel
      keyword:
        computerization
        copyrightHolder:University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
        copyrightYear:2026
        gender inequality
        inLanguage:en
        labor market
        occupational gender segregation (OGS)
        publisher:Oxford University Press
        sameAs:https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sf/soaf180
        technological change
        computerization
        copyrightHolder:University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
        copyrightYear:2026
        gender inequality
        inLanguage:en
        labor market
        occupational gender segregation (OGS)
        publisher:Oxford University Press
        sameAs:https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sf/soaf180
        technological change
      ab: This study posits to an intricate interrelation between changes in occupational gender segregation (OGS) and the rise in computer use in the workplace in the United States. I posit that two contrasting mechanisms underpin this relation. Firstly, computerization has contributed to a more balanced gender distribution in certain professions, previously dominated by men, due to a decrease in physical tasks in occupations, thereby reducing OGS. Conversely, in other occupations, heightened computer use has increased Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) knowledge requirements, thus restricting women's integration and reproducing OGS. My empirical analysis, utilizing fixed-effects regression models, lagged models, ordinary least squares (OLS) models, and mediation analysis on a comprehensive dataset of the United States Census, American Community Survey, and Occupational Information Network data, confirms a significant association between computer use and OGS. The physical attributes of occupations and their required STEM knowledge components emerge as critical factors. These contradictory mechanisms—one involving reduced physical demands and the other increased required STEM knowledge—ultimately maintain a stable OGS level.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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