Giulia Savio (University of Turin), Enza Simeone (University of Turin) and Ambra Poggi (University of Turin)

Colloquia in Health and Education Seminar

Giulia Savio (University of Turin)

“Class Gender Composition and University Climate”

Abstract: The university climate is an essential factor for students’ outcomes and future trajectories. Traditional masculinity traits can create barriers to success especially for women in male-dominated fields. This paper leverages the random allocation of students into classes within the same course at an élite university to examine how the gender composition of peers affects students’ gender attitudes, beliefs, anxiety, academic performance, and confidence. Our findings reveal that greater exposure to female peers reduces classroom conformity to masculinity norms and anxiety while improving confidence and exam performance.
Joint work with Silvia Griselda e Paola Profeta

Enza Simeone (University of Turin) and Ambra Poggi (University of Turin)

“Social Capital for Healthy Ageing in Europe: a regional inequality analysis”

Abstract: Social capital is a key factor in creating a supportive environment to healthy aging in the EU. Social capital is an individual resource embedded in one’s social networks. Collective-owed regional level resources (e.g. sharing norms, institutional settings, etc.) can be mobilised by the individuals to build up their own social capital. Our aim is to investigate regional differences in the level of social capital held on average by old adults as well as the complexity of the relationship between individual social capital and regional level resources. Our analysis is twofold. First, using graphical methods and logistic nonlinear models, we investigate changes in social capital levels in specific groups of regions after the Covid-19 pandemic, changes that we interpret as the consequences of the different Covid-management strategies implemented in the EU regions. Second, using econometric methods, we investigate the determinants of social capital. We find that disparities in (unobserved) regional level resources explain a significant share of social capital inequality among the elderly.