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 (2024): Women's aversion to majors that (seemingly) require systemizing skills causes gendered field of study choice.
European Sociological Review, 40(2): 242–257. (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)