The Great Gender Divergence

Articles

Can YOU Uncover the Origins of Patriarchy?

1 week ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans

While many regions have made massive strides towards gender equality, others remain sternly patriarchal. In societies where male honour depends on female seclusion, girls face severe restrictions - prohibited from mixing and mingling, punished for talking to boys, and thus making it harder to find a husband who actually cares about your wants and welfare.
What Do Parents Want?

2 weeks ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans |Alice Evans

Parents invest heavily in their kids, expecting something back: financial support in old age, prestige to raise the family name, or growing the faith. But modern life brims with delicious temptations! As teens forge new friendships and explore the web, they’re vulnerable to ideological persuasion and deviation. How do families secure their desired returns? Many cultures glorify filial piety as a sacred duty, instil religious devotion, and arrange marriages to align values.
How Might AI Affect Your Status?

3 weeks ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans

Ultimately, we all want status. Prestigious jobs and desirable partners are badges of success, proving we’ve made it to the top. Working class men have certainly struggled -automation and globalisation eroded their earnings and marriage market appeal, fuelling conservative backlash. As Generative AI advances, it could also threaten graduates - potentially disrupting their pathways to respect and romance. Netflix couldn’t introduce Suits in 2025; it wouldn’t be credible.
Beyond Caste: How Migration Enables Love & Economic Prosperity!

4 weeks ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans

India has achieved significant economic growth, yet conservative practices persist, including strong respect for parental authority, arranged marriage within caste, and ultra-low female employment. As a result, men and women seeking greater freedoms often face severe social repercussions. Abroad, it’s a different ball game. Only a third of US Hindus say religion is ‘very important’, while 88% support gay marriage.
Can We Track the Great Gender Divergence on TV?

1 month ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans

Is the secret to women’s liberation in your living room? While each culture has a unique cultural inheritance, creating a spectrum of acceptability, conservatives and progressives are constantly battling to control state power and media platforms. Cultural entertainment gets us hooked! Through exciting plot-twists and comic wit, viewers become engrossed in alternative realities.
Why are Homicides so High in Latin America?

1 month ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans

Latin America comprises 7% of the world’s population, yet a third of the homicides. Why is it exceptionally violent? Drawing on a rich academic literature, this essay explores intersecting structural drivers:Colonialism and slavery Inequality & ineffective statesExtractive institutions & commodity booms Poor urbanisation Drug warsCriminal governanceBefore digging into specifics, it helps to consider the fundamental drivers of conflict.
Why are So Many Latin American Women Beaten & Murdered?

1 month ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans

For decades, Latin American feminists have rallied against intimate partner violence - decrying silence and demanding state protection. But why is the region such an outlier: why are so many women being beaten and murdered? The standard answer is machismo, and of course this is a major motivation. But here’s the paradox: Latin America scores highly for gender equal attitudes, employment and representation - far above the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia.
The Paradise Premium: How the Afterlife affects Economics

2 months ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans

“Don't let your dunya be your akhira”, Aisha (a London accountant) warned her daughter. This means “Don’t sacrifice eternal rewards for temporary material gains”. I hear the same in Marrakech and Mumbai, but many economists still misunderstand. They continue to assume that agents are maximising utility on earth. Today, let's explore how fear of eternal damnation has shaped economic decisions and gender relations throughout world history.
Why is Indian Women's Welfare Devalued?

2 months ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans

Two brilliant new films - “The Great Indian Kitchen” and “Mrs” - illuminate a fundamental aspect of patriarchy: the expectation that women silently serve their families, without recognition or reward. But why do these domestic inequalities persist in modern India? Through my interviews with men and women from across six Indian states, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Morocco and Turkey, I’ve developed the concept of “The Patrilocal Trap”.
What Caused the Global Islamic Revival? - new paper!!

2 months ago | ggd.world | Alice Evans

Hello gang! I have just written a ginormous paper, which systematically evaluates contending theories of the Global Islamic Revival, explores their interconnections, and presents a new theory - “The Prestige-Piety Feedback Loop”. Thank you so much for your ongoing support, critique is always welcome. The Global Islamic Revival represents one of the most significant religious-political movements of the past half-century, transforming societies across multiple continents. What were its causes?