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).
Skill requirements versus workplace characteristics. Exploring the drivers of occupational gender segregation.
Socio-Economic Review, 2025. Joint with Scherwin M. Bajka; Patrick Emmenegger; Sabine Seufert.
Women's aversion to majors that (seemingly) require systemizing skills causes gendered field of study choice.
European Sociological Review, 2024.
Additional resources: Lay Summary in German, Lay Summary in French, Stata scripts and output
Media: Tagesanzeiger, ORF, Deutschlandfunk Nova, Forschung&Lehre, phys.org, Le Matin, 20Minutes
Radio: Deutschlandfunk
The social-origin gap in university graduation by gender and immigrant status. A cohort analysis for Switzerland.
Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 2021. Joint with Daniel Oesch.
Additional resources: Working Paper, Stata scripts and output
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, 2020. Joint with Martina Jakob.
Additional resources: Working Paper, Stata scripts and output
The institutional dimension of class-based educational decision-making: Evidence from regional variation in Switzerland.
Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 2019.
Additional resources: Working Paper, Appendix, Stata scripts and output
Media: Tagesanzeiger
The gender wage gap opens long before motherhood. Panel evidence on early careers in Switzerland.
European Sociological Review, 2019. Joint with Daniel Oesch.
Runner-up for the ESR Best Article Prize 2020
Additional resources: Working Paper, Appendix, Stata scripts and output
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)
Media: Tagesanzeiger, Der Bund, Le Temps, Swissinfo, La Liberté, Tribune de Genève, Le Nouvelliste, 24heures, RTN, Radio Lac, Reiso
Late School Tracking, Less Class Bias in Educational Decision-Making? The Uncertainty Reduction Mechanism and Its Experimental Test.
European Sociological Review, 2017. Joint with Joël Berger.
Best Student Paper Award by ISA RC 45, 2016.
Additional resources: Working Paper
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, 2013.
Additional resources: Abstract in English
Zur Entwicklung der intergenerationalen Mobilität in der Schweiz.
Swiss Journal of Sociology, 2012. Joint with Ben Jann.
Additional resources: Abstract in English
Beyond interests and skills. Social origin and the importance of institutional degree characteristics.
(with Jule Hauf, European University Institute)
Can I be social and study STEM? The influence of framing for women's interest in male-dominated fields.
(with Jule Hauf, European University Institute)
Being in charge or taking care of others? Disentangling the "people"-dimension and its contribution to gendered field of study choice.
(with Jule Hauf, European University Institute)
Choosing a major with care. Gender Disparities and Mental Health Considerations.
(with Jacqueline Kroh, Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsverlaufsforschung Bamberg)
Explaining gendered preferences in study characteristics by looking at required competences.
(with Noël Werthmüller, Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education Training)
The influence of personality traits and job preferences on the gender pay gap in the early career.
(with Barbara Zimmermann, University of Bern)
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)
Unobserved effects in teacher's decisions - anticipation of parental support? An experimental analysis.
(with Ulf Liebe, University of Warwick)
The long arm of special education. Hiring discrimination among students with low educational performance.
(with Sophie Hensgen, Ute Leber, and Alexander Patzina, Institute for Employment Research and University of Bamberg)