RESEARCH INTERESTS
The goal of my research is to understand the emergence of social inequality in a society. I am particularly interested in examining the mechanisms underlying individuals' preferences and decisions, as well as how individuals' decision-making is influenced by institutional structures. To achieve this goal, I use not only an interdisciplinary approach that combines theories and insights from sociology, psychology, and economics, but also apply a wide range of methods such as analyzing surveys, conducting experiments, and qualitative in-depth interviews. While I studied issues of social mobility and educational inequality in my doctoral studies, I nowadays focus on questions of gender inequality in the labor market (e.g., horizontal and vertical gender segregation, gender wage gap, discrimination in hiring).
CURRENT PROJECTS (SELECTION)
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Why women choose 'female' professions. Analysing mechanisms behind horizontal sex segregation with survey experiments.
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The influence of personality traits and job preferences on the gender pay gap in the early career. (with Barbara Zimmermann, University of Bern)
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The role of recruiter and firm characteristics on gender discrimination in candidate selection for male- and female-dominated occupations. (with Basha Vicari and Britta Matthes, IAB Nürnberg)
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Unobserved effects in teacher's decisions - anticipation of parental support? An experimental analysis. (with Ulf Liebe, University of Warwick)
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
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Combet, Benita (2023): Women's aversion to majors that (seemingly) require systemizing skills causes gendered field of study choice.
European Sociological Review. Online first. (Article, Lay Summary in German, Lay Summary in French, Stata scripts and output)-
Media: Tagesanzeiger, ORF, Deutschlandfunk Nova, Forschung&Lehre, phys.org, Le Matin, 20Minutes
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Radio: Deutschlandfunk
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Combet, Benita; Oesch, Daniel (2021): The social-origin gap in university graduation by gender and immigrant status. A cohort analysis for Switzerland.
Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 12(2): 119–146. (equal contribution) (Article, Working Paper, Stata scripts and output) -
Jakob, Martina; Combet, Benita (2020): Educational aspirations and decision-making in a context of poverty. A test of rational choice models in El Salvador.
Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 69, 100545. (equal contribution) (Article, Working Paper, Stata scripts and output)
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Combet, Benita (2019): The institutional dimension of class-based educational decision-making: Evidence from regional variation in Switzerland.
Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 48(4): 301–320. (Article, Working Paper, Appendix, Stata scripts and output)-
Media: Tagesanzeiger
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Combet, Benita; Oesch, Daniel (2019): The gender wage gap opens long before motherhood. Panel evidence on early careers in Switzerland.
European Sociological Review, 35(3): 332–345. (equal contribution) (Article, Working Paper, Appendix, Stata scripts and output)
Runner-up for the ESR Best Article Prize 2020-
Lay summary: Die Lohnungleichheit zwischen Männern und Frauen beginnt lange vor der Familiengründung / L'inégalité salariale entre hommes et femmes commence bien avant la fondation d'une famille. Social Change in Switzerland, Number 18, June 2019. (german version / french version)
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Media: Tagesanzeiger, Der Bund, Le Temps, Swissinfo, La Liberté, Tribune de Genève, Le Nouvelliste, 24heures, RTN, Radio Lac, Reiso
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Berger, Joël; Combet, Benita (2017): Late School Tracking, Less Class Bias in Educational Decision-Making? The Uncertainty Reduction Mechanism and Its Experimental Test
European Sociological Review, 33(1): 124–136. (equal contribution) (Article, Working Paper)
won the Best Student Paper Award by ISA RC 45, 2016 edition
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Combet, Benita (2013): Zum Einfuss von primären und sekundären Effekten der sozialen Herkunft beim zweiten schulischen Übergang in der Schweiz.
Ein Vergleich unterschiedlicher Dekompositions- und Operationalisierungsmethoden.
Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Bildungswissenschaften, 35(3): 447–471. (Article, Abstract in English)
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Jann, Ben; Combet, Benita (2012): Zur Entwicklung der intergenerationalen Mobilität in der Schweiz.
Swiss Journal of Sociology, 38(2): 177–199. (Article, Abstract in English)