Mingming Li

Affluence and the gender gap in STEM study choices

Principal investigators: Prof. Wilhelmus Uunk

Project researcher: Mingming Li; Lukas Arnold

Duration: 01.10.2023-30.09.2026

Funding agency: Austrian Science Fund (FWF)


Project description

A surprising finding from recent social science research is that the difference between men and women in the choice for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields of study is greater in wealthier and more gender-egalitarian countries. In Norway, for example, women are far less represented in STEM than in Algeria. This counter-intuitive finding is known as the Gender- Equality Paradox (GEP). The paradox is often explained by economic opportunities and preferences for gendered self- expression. Norwegian men and women and men are more affluent than Algerian men and women and can therefore follow their (socialized) gender preferences more, resulting in fewer women in STEM. However, there hardly exist tests of this explanation. It is unknown whether and how parental household affluence affects men`s and women`s STEM study preferences and choices, let alone whether household affluence accounts for GEP. This project aims to address these research gaps and answer four research questions: (a) How does parental household affluence affect men`s and women`s STEM study preferences and choices?; (b) To what extent can household affluence account for the Gender-Equality-Paradox?; (c) How can we account for household affluence effects on men`s and women`s STEM study preferences and choices?; (d) To what extent are household affluence effects strengthened or weakened by societal factors such as economic development, welfare provision, and socio-economic inequality?


We answer the research questions in six studies. The first two studies use cross-national comparative data to test the effect of household wealth on gendered STEM preferences, to test whether household wealth can account for GEP, and to test country-level moderators of household affluence effects. The other four studies focus on Germany for substantive reasons (Germany has a pronounced vocational education) and data reasons (Germany has unique longitudinal data). We test the effect of detailed household affluence measures on gendered STEM study choices, test whether state-level factors moderate these effects, test mediating factors of these effects, and test the moderating effect of study-major traits. In doing so, the project aims to address gaps in the specific research literatures and sheds more light on the conditions for greater female representation in STEM.

Further information: FWF Project Page

The role of gig economy in gender wage gaps in China from different perspectives

Principal investigators: Mingming Li

Project researcher (position open): Recruiting

Duration: 01.1.2025-30.12.2026

Funding agency: Economy, Politics & Society Innsbruck (EPoS)


Project description

This project examines how the gig economy reshapes gender inequality in China, with a focus on ride-hailing as a key site where digital platforms mediate access to work and income. We study how algorithmic management, gendered social expectations, and household responsibilities jointly influence women’s labor market opportunities, earnings trajectories, and day-to-day working conditions. Rather than treating platform work as purely “flexible,” we ask when flexibility becomes constraint, and how gender wage gaps emerge through seemingly ordinary platform rules and interactions.


A core focus is the double-edged nature of “protective” design. Platforms may steer female drivers toward shorter, nearby trips or limit late-night and remote orders to reduce safety risks. Yet such rules can also restrict access to longer, higher-paying rides, lower income ceilings, and increase trip frequency and time pressure. These trade-offs become especially salient in smaller cities where long trips can significantly raise daily income. We also examine how incentive schemes reward long online duration or high order counts, potentially disadvantaging women who cannot stay online continuously.


We further analyze how ratings-based governance interacts with gender bias and emotional labor. Many women report investing extra service performance and emotional work to “prove” competence, avoid complaints, and maintain high ratings that influence dispatch priority. At the same time, women often have to fit driving hours around childcare, breastfeeding, school schedules, eldercare, and domestic work, which limits peak-hour availability and increases stress. Using interviews and complementary analyses, we trace how women navigate and resist layered constraints, and we aim to inform debates on algorithmic transparency, fair dispatch, labor protections, and gender equality in emerging forms of work.


Further information: EPOS Page