Increasing Diversity in Economics: From Students to Professors
Paper Session
Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 12:15 PM - 2:15 PM (EST)
- Chair: Stacy Dickert-Conlin, Michigan State University
Can Positive Feedback Encourage Female and Minority Undergraduates into Economics?
Abstract
This paper examines the possibility of nudging women and underrepresented race/ethnicity groups into economics with positive feedback. A random sample of students earning a B or better the first principles of economics course were sent a personalized letter inviting them to an informational meeting, describing the economics majors and associated career opportunities, and explaining that their performance in the course suggests that an economics major might be of interest to them. Control letters were also sent to the remainder of students with a C or better that included the meeting invitation and the description of the major and career opportunities, but excluded the part about their performance. This performance feedback, or ``nudge'', increased the likelihood that students attended the informational meeting for both men and women. It also increased the number of women entering the Economics and Accounting Major by about five percentage points, induced about the same fraction to enter the Economics Major (with some switching from accounting), and significantly increased the number of Hispanic men and women entering Economics and Accounting.Info.Econ: Increasing Diversity among Economics Majors
Abstract
Only 30 percent of senior majors in the top economics departments in the US were women in 1993 and this percentage increased to just 35 percent by 2017 (Lundberg and Sterns 2019), despite the fact that almost 60 percent of bachelor degrees were awarded to women in 2017. Similarly, African Americans and Hispanics account for 5 and 11 percent, respectively, of bachelor degrees awarded in economics nationally. Building on existing research (Bayer 2019; Frick et al. 2018; Li 2018), we consider whether an information campaign, which we branded “Info.Econ”, increases diversity in undergraduate economics courses. To do so, we conduct a randomized control trial among undergraduate students in introductory economics classes at Michigan State University, where the share of women and underrepresented minority students are even lower than national averages. Our treatment is a series of short videos that provide information about what economics is, who studies economics, and what one can do with an economics degree, with each video featuring diverse MSU undergraduates, alumni, and faculty. We use email and text messages to deliver a survey of attitudes and expectations to the participating students at the start and end of the semester. The treatment group receives text messages and emails with links to the video content throughout the semester, while the control group receives text messages and emails without the video links. As a second arm of the treatment, we provide post-course information on the grade distributions in our introductory courses. We test whether our informational campaign changes attitudes about economics and economics classes and enrollment in future economics courses.Women in Academic Economics: Have We Made Progress?
Abstract
This paper uses data from Academic Analytics 2009-2018 to examine the representation of women in the economics profession, as well as gender differences in obtaining tenure and promotion to full professor. The Academic Analytics data do not have the background, family and career information, but the data do have extensive information about research productivity of these academics, including articles published, grants received and citations. Preliminary estimates indicate that academic economists on the tenure track with 2005-2011 PhDs, women have tenure rates that are 87% that of men with similar research productivity in similar institutions. Without controls for research productivity, the ratio was 81%, indicating that while publication is some of the story, there is still a substantial gender gap even in these more recent cohorts. We also examined gender differences at research-intensive institutions, the gender difference in promotion was no longer statistically significant. However, for institutions that are not research intensive, we found that women were only 58% as likely to receive tenure as men. Additional analysis will compare economics to selected natural and social science disciplines.Discussant(s)
Sarah A. Jacobson
,
Williams College
Loretta Mester
,
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
JEL Classifications
- I2 - Education and Research Institutions
- J4 - Particular Labor Markets