Multidimensional Inequality in Chinese Economics Academia

AbstractThis paper examines three dimensions of inequality in Chinese economics academia: gender, party affiliation, and international experience using an original database constructed from faculty members’ websites. By running a matched algorithm, the results show a positive impact on academic promotion for being male, having political affiliation, and acquiring an international degree. The study also analyzes interschool gaps across these dimensions and how they relate to promotion within the Chinese context. Higher-ranking schools generally associate with larger gender gaps and smaller influence from political affiliation and international experience. Besides schools, this research also examines the three dimensions of gaps across multiple stages of careers. This paper finds that senior positions are generally associated with wider gender gaps and larger percentages of political affiliations, suggesting that faculty members gradually build their political connections in the middle of their careers. Finally, this research provides potential channels for explaining inequality and possible policy intervention. Party membership is both skill-based and connection-based inequality, international experience is skill-based, and the gender gap relates to social norms.