Biography:

Dr. Alessandra L. González is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics. The courses she has taught include Gender and Development, Islamic Feminism, Introduction to Sociology, and Public Policy. She is teaching an undergraduate course called The Economics of Gender in International Contexts at the University of Chicago in 2022. Her research examines the role of culture in women´s labor force participation and executive leadership in organizations. She has over 15 years of experience working with partners in the Arab Gulf region, has won awards from the US Department of State, and was selected as a Term Member at the Council on Foreign Relations. Her recent projects in Saudi Arabia analyze student-employer matches and the role of mentorship and entrepreneurship in the employability of young Saudi males and females. Her previous book, Islamic Feminism in Kuwait (Palgrave Macmillan), received nominations 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, was reviewed by Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Sociology of Islam, Contemporary Islam, the Journal of Church and State, the Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, and Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online, and is listed in the Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures Online. Her academic articles span a wide range of audiences in sociology and economics, including publication in the American Economic Review. Her work has been used for course instruction at Kuwait International Law School, University of Durham, Baylor University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago, among others. She holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in sociology (Baylor University) and a B.A. in sociology and policy studies (Rice University).

Book Title: Price Point: The Economics of Cultural Change and Female Employment in Saudi Arabia

The entry of women into the labor force has been one of the most significant social advances of the twentieth century, but in Saudi Arabia, the practice of women working outside the home underwent a dramatic transformation following the government's Vision 2030 economic program in 2016. This book explores the profound cultural and economic shifts triggered by this policy change, focusing on the dynamic interaction between cultural norms and labor market outcomes. Initially motivated by a desire to understand why college-educated women remained underrepresented in the Saudi labor force, the study reveals that cultural norms—rather than individual aspirations alone—play a central role in shaping labor market preferences and outcomes.

Drawing on four years of original data (2016–2020), including over 180 longitudinal interviews with male and female undergraduates, surveys of 600 students and 200 alumni, and interviews with nearly 100 employers, this book traces the process by which cultural norms surrounding women and work have evolved. The research demonstrates that cultural change is not merely a backdrop to economic shifts but a driving force that affects both the supply of labor (women’s career choices) and the demand for labor (employer recruitment practices). The book argues that as the costs of discrimination rise, organizations and individuals adapt to new norms, reshaping the labor market and creating new opportunities for women in Saudi Arabia.

Through this lens, the book provides a novel analysis of how the changing economic landscape, fueled by state policy and cultural transformation, affects the lives of women entering the workforce. It also offers a broader theoretical contribution to the study of discrimination and cultural change, showing how shifts in social norms can lead to a reconfiguration of economic expectations and behaviors. Ultimately, the book explores the paradoxical consequences of norm change, where the breaking down of gender-based labor market barriers in Saudi Arabia highlights the complex and multifaceted relationship between culture and economic development.