Exploring Gender, Human Capital, and Labour Intersections in Economic History

Winter School at the University of Tübingen, 09 - 11 October 2024

The Exploring Gender, Human Capital, and Labour Intersections in Economic History winter school is an interdisciplinary meeting of economic and labour historians, and development and labour economists focused on discussing the interplay between gender, human capital, and labour. To understand how these developed over the past centuries, it is necessary to understand how they are linked and interact with each other as observing them in isolation provides only a partial picture. For example, recent publications highlight the centrality of labour and its relation to human capital in the emergence of modern economic growth, as well as the variegated working experiences of individuals based on their gender and ethnicity. At the same time, the relationship between human capital and gender has attracted attention, such as in ongoing debates around the effects of human capital on fertility and marriage patterns as well as the long-run legacies of colonial education systems on gender inequality. Other dimensions, such as the value of reproductive labour, inspire researchers to address questions around the relationship between gender and labour. Hence, together in this winter school, we will explore and discuss these intersections to contribute to a broader understanding of their past development.

The winter school will provide a platform for scholars to share research, approaches, and methodologies for studying labour, gender inequalities, and the evolution of human capital. It comprises two days of academic presentations and a one-day methodological workshop. The methodological workshop consists of two parallel sessions: the first will explore the ways in which marginalized groups can be included in linked census datasets, while the second will provide insight into the processes of establishing and digitizing an archive. The methods workshop will enable researchers to develop their methodological toolkit, including techniques for exploring the winter school's core themes.

Keynotes will be given by:​

Prof. Jane Humphries | London School of Economics​

Assoc. Prof. Dácil Juif | Universidad Carlos III de Madrid​

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Methodological workshops will be given by:​

Dr. Ryah Thomas | WU Wien​

Dr. Bruno Witzel de Souza | Georg-August-University Göttingen​