Senior Research Associate at the University of Chicago
About
Dr. Alessandra González is an economic sociologist with specializations in gender, organizations, and development. She is particularly interested in what global companies are doing to recruit and retain top talent, especially female graduates, and place them into leadership positions. Her book "Islamic Feminism in Kuwait" is used for course instruction internationally and has been nominated for Book of the Year awards by the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, the Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, and the National Women’s Studies Association. Dr. González received her PhD and MA degrees in Sociology from Baylor University and received a BA in sociology and policy studies from Rice University.
Current Work:
Dr. González's research centers on the role of culture on gender inequality, particularly measured by economic outcomes (such as labor force participation, occupational segregation, executive leadership) in organizations. She specializes in gender inequality in the Middle East, with case studies of women in executive positions in international firms, parliament, and the judiciary.
Dr. González designs her own survey instruments for unique data sets; conducts in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation; works with original datasets compiled from public sources; and designs field experiments in order to understand dynamic responses for proposed policy interventions.
Research Area Keyword(s):
Gender, organizations, development, Arab gulf