Lecture slides on Discrimination

Readings for this session: Quillian and Midtbøen (2021); Olsen, Kyhse-Andersen, and Moynihan (2021).

Summary: This guest lecture will critically examine discrimination within the social sciences. Our focus will be on the methodologies used by researchers to establish convincing evidence of discrimination’s existence.

We will commence by discussing the very definition of discrimination within the social science framework. Here, it signifies the disadvantaging of individuals based solely on their group affiliation. However, it is precisely this definition that can pose challenges in gathering irrefutable evidence. We will explore the reasons behind this complexity.

Following this, we will transition to examining three commonly employed experimental methods for uncovering discrimination. The three pictures below might give you an idea of how such experimental methods work

The latter half of the lecture will delve into the motives behind discrimination. We will explore two prominent perspectives: taste-based discrimination (Becker, 1957) and statistical discrimination (Phelps, 1972). By critically analyzing these theories, we will gain a deeper understanding of the potential motivations behind discriminatory behavior.

Finally, we will engage in a critical discussion regarding the potential limitations inherent to both of these theoretical frameworks.

This opening lecture promises a comprehensive exploration of discrimination, its multifaceted nature, and the methodologies employed to effectively study this pervasive social issue.