Sociology 112/Gender, Society and Culture 114/
Africana Studies 112
Discrimination: Racial and Sexual Conflict
Fall 2010: 2-3:30 MW
(This course is affiliated with the Critical Writing Program)
Professor Janice F. Madden
Tel: 215-898-6739
Email: madden@ssc.upenn.edu
Office Hours: M 3:30-5
Office: 365 McNeil Bldg.
THE COURSE:
This course is concerned with the structure, the causes and correlates, and the government
policies to alleviate discrimination in the United States. The central focus of the course is on
employment differences by race and gender and the extent to which they arise from labor market
discrimination versus other causes. After a comprehensive overview of the structures of labor
markets and of nondiscriminatory reasons (that is, the cumulative effects of past discrimination
and/or experiences) for the existence of group differentials in employment and wages, various
theories of the sources of current labor market discrimination are reviewed and evaluated.
Actual government policies and alternatives policies are evaluated in light of both the empirical
evidence on group differences and the alternative theories of discrimination.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1. Francine D. Blau, Marianne A. Ferber, and Anne E. Winkler, The Economics of Women,
Men and Work, 6th edition (Prentice Hall, 2010). “FDB”
2. Glenn C. Loury, The Anatomy of Racial Inequality (Harvard University Press, 2002).
“GCL”
These books can be purchased from the bookstore. In addition, there are several other readings
that are available for downloading from the course Blackboard site,
https://courseweb.library.upenn.edu
EVALUATION:
(1)
There will be two examinations. The first exam, Wed. Oct. 27, will cover all course
lectures and readings covered by the date of the exam (counts for 25% of final course
grade). The final exam will be on the scheduled final exam date for this course, which
is Tue. Dec. 21, 6-8 pm (counts for 30% of final course grade). These exams will be
closed-book in-class exams covering the reading materials and lectures.
(2)
This course is affiliated with the Critical Writing Program
(http://writing.upenn.edu/critical/overview.php). If you complete this course with a
grade of C or better, a note will be placed on your transcript indicating that you
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completed this as a “writing intensive” course. A 10 to 15 page term paper is
required. You must submit a proposal for approval by Mon. Sept. 20, rough drafts of
portions of the paper are due over the semester, including Mon. Oct. 4, Mon. Oct.
18, Mon. Nov. 1, and Wed. Nov. 10. A complete first draft is due on Mon. Nov. 22
and the final draft on Wed. Dec. 8. On Dec. 8, you must also submit a portfolio that
includes all of the assignments for the class. A more detailed description of the
critical writing requirement is attached. The writing assignments in total account for
45% of course grade. See detailed description for relative weights of the individual
writing assignments in contributing to the writing grade.
COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS
I.
Introduction
Sept. 8
II.
Gender differences: explanations based on “choice” or why women have different
work experiences from men
Sept. 13-15
A.
Background: The history of changing economic roles by gender.
How have work patterns changed for men and for women over the last century?
What accounts for those changes?
FDB, Chapter 2.
C. Goldin, “The „Quiet Revolution‟ That Transformed Women‟s Employment,
Education, and Family, American Economic Review, May 2006, 96(2), pp. 1-21.
Sept. 20-22
Sept. 20
Paper proposal due
B.
Household considerations: The effects of family on women's work and women's
work on family
Why has age at first marriage increased in the last three decades? Why did divorce rates
increase between 1965 and 1988? Why have they remained constant since? Does the
sexual division of labor in the family drive the sexual division of labor in the marketplace
or vice versa?
FDB, Chapters 3, 4, and 10.
Nancy Folbre and Julie Nelson, “For Love or Money—Or Both?” Journal of Economic
Perspectives, 14:4, Fall 2000, 123-140.
C. Goldin and L. Katz, “Dynamics of the Gender Gap for Young Professionals in the
Financial and Corporate Sectors,” NBER Working Paper # 14681, September 2009
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T. Johnson, Maternity Leave and Employment Patterns: 1961-2003 Current Population
Reports, U.S. Census February 2008.
J. O. Johnson, Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Winter 2002 Current
Population Reports, U.S. Census October 2005.
R. M. Kreider, Number, Timing and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2001 Current
Population Reports, U.S. Census February 2005.
Sept. 27-29
C.
Education, experience, and earnings: Theoretical and empirical relationships
between education, occupation and wages.
Why do men and women engage in different occupations? What determines educational
outcomes? Why do different jobs pay different wages? Do women earn less because they
are in different jobs?
FDB, Chapters 5, 6, and 8.
C.J. Weinberger and P. Kuhn, Changing Levels or Changing Slopes? The Narrowing of
the U.S. Gender Earnings Gap, 1959-1999” Industrial and Labor Relations Review,
(63)3, April, 2010.
C. Hill, C. Corbett and A. St. Rose, Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics AAUW, 2010
D.
Sexual Orientation and the Labor Market
Do gays and lesbians earn less? What do gender differences among gays and lesbians in
the labor market tell us about gender differentials?
DA Black, SG Sanders, LJ Taylor, “The Economics of Lesbian and Gay Families”
Journal of Economic Perspectives, (21)2: Spring 2007, pp. 53-70.
III.
Racial and ethnic differences: explanations based on past discrimination and cultural
differences
Oct. 4-13 (October 11 Fall Break)
Oct. 4
Summary of literature for paper due
A.
Economic status by race and ethnicity
E.N. Wolff, “Racial Discrimination: Progress and Reversal for Black Americans,” from
E.N. Wolff, Poverty and Income Distribution, (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), pp. 443-471.
R. Thornton, “Trends among American Indians in the United States,” in N.J. Smelser et
al, America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their Consequences, Volume I (Washington,
National Academies Press, 2001), pp. 1350-69.
U.S. Census Bureau, The American Community—Asians: 2004, February 2007
U.S. Census Bureau, The American Community—American Indians and Alaska Natives:
2004, May 2007
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Oct. 18-25
Oct. 18
B.
Hypotheses and reasons for paper due
Educational Differences by Race
What role does educational opportunity play in economic opportunity? How has
government policy affected educational opportunity by race?
G. D. Jaynes and R. M. Williams, “The Schooling of Black Americans,” in A Common
Destiny (National Academy Press, 1989)
C. Jencks, “The Black-White Test Score Gap: Why It Persists and What Can Be Done,”
The Brookings Review, Spring 1998, 16(2), pp. 24-27
National Assessment of Educational Progress, Achievement Gaps: How Black and White
Students in Public Schools Perform in Mathematics and Reading on the National
Assessment of Educational Progress, Statistical Analysis Report, July 2009.
R. G. Fryer and S. Levitt, “The Black-White Test Score Gap Through Third Grade,”
NBER Working Paper # 11049, January 2005.
W. Dobbie and R. G. Fryer, “Are High Quality Schools Enough to Close the
Achievement Gap? Evidence from a Social Experiment in Harlem,” NBER Working
Paper # 15473, November, 2009
Oct. 27
MIDTERM EXAM
Lecture on this section will be offered a week out of sequence, on Nov. 10, by
Professor Chenoa Flippen.
C.
Housing and Residential Location Differences by Race
What are the sources of residential segregation by race? Does segregation affect
economic opportunity?
D.S. Massey, “Residential Segregation and Neighborhood Conditions in U.S.
Metropolitan Areas,” in N.J. Smelser et al, America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their
Consequences, Volume I (Washington, National Academies Press, 2001), pp. 391-434.
M. Pastor, “Geography and Opportunity,” in N.J. Smelser et al, America Becoming:
Racial Trends and Their Consequences, Volume I (Washington, National Academies
Press, 2001), pp. 435-468.
C Flippen, “Unequal Returns to Housing Investments? A Study of Real Housing
Appreciation among Black, White, and Hispanic Households,” Social Forces, Vol. 82(4),
pp. 1523-1551.
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IV.
Discrimination as an explanation of pay differences by gender and race
Nov. 1-15
Nov. 1
Nov. 10
Data/evidence/discussion for first (or first set of) hypothesis for paper due
Data/evidence/discussion for first (or first set of) hypothesis for paper due
A. Empirical Evidence
Do the gender differences in work experience and the racial differences in education,
location and experience fully account for gender and racial-ethnic differences in
economic and social status? If not, are the remaining differences measures of the extent
of current discrimination?
GCL, Chapters 1-3.
FDB, pp. 193-224.
W. A. Darity, Jr. and P. L. Mason, "Evidence on Discrimination in Employment: Codes
of Color, Codes of Gender" Journal of Economic Perspectives,12:2, Spring 1998, pp. 6390.
DA Black, et.al., “The Earnings Effects of Sexual Orientation,” Industrial and Labor
Relations Review 56(3), April 2003: 429-59.
C. Goldin and C. Rouse, “Orchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of „Blind Auditions‟ on
Female Musicians,” American Economic Review 90 (4), September 2000, pp. 715-741.
M. Bertrand and S Mullainathan, “Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha
and Jamal?” American Economic Review 94(4), September 2004, pp. 991-1013.
LM Kahn, “The Sports Business as a Labor Market Laboratory,” section on Racial
Discrimination in Professional Sports, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14:3,
Summer 2000, pp. 83-86.
J F Madden, “Differences in the Success of NFL Coaches by Race, 1990-2002: Evidence
of Last Hire, First Fire,” Journal of Sports Economics, February 2004.
J F Madden and M Ruther, “Has the NFL‟s Rooney Rule Efforts „Leveled the Field‟ for
African American Head Coach Candidates,” Journal of Sports Economics, forthcoming.
C Nardinelli and C. Simon, “Customer Racial Discrimination in the Market for
Memorabilia: The Case of Baseball,” Quarterly Journal of Economics,105:3, August
1990, pp. 575-595.
R. G. Fryer, “Guess Who‟s Been Coming to Dinner? Trends in Interracial Marriage over
the 20th Century,” Journal of Economic Perspectives, 21:2, Spring 2007, pp. 71-90.
Read or listen to Barack Obama‟s March 18, 2008 “Race Speech,” in Philadelphia—see
course information on Blackboard.
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Nov. 17-22
Nov. 22
Complete first draft of paper due
B. Theories of Discrimination
How does discrimination occur? Who "does" it and how? Are there differences in the
way we analyze race discrimination and gender discrimination?
J. Madden, "The Persistence of Pay Differentials: The Economics of Sex Discrimination"
Women and Work: An Annual Review (Beverly Hills: Sage Publications, 1985), pp. 76114.
FDB, pp. 193-224.
M. Bertrand et al, “Implicit Discrimination,” American Economic Review 95(2), May
2005, pp. 94-97.
Visit the Project Implicit website and take a demonstration Implicit Association Test
(IAT). Available on Blackboard course site under “External Links”
V.
Creating equality: policy alternatives
Nov. 24-Dec. 1
A. An Overview of Current Policy
Current federal laws, including the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Civil Rights Act of 1964
as amended in 1972, Revised Order No. 4, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the
Supreme Court decisions that have interpreted their meaning.
D.W. Swain, “Affirmative Action: Legislative History, Judicial Interpretations, Public
Consensus,” in N.J. Smelser et al, America Becoming: Racial Trends and Their
Consequences, Volume I (Washington, National Academies Press, 2001), pp. 318-347.
FDB, pp. 225-239.
E.N. Wolff, “Racial Discrimination: Progress and Reversal for Black Americans,” from
E.N. Wolff, Poverty and Income Distribution, (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), pp. 471-477.
B. Affirmative Action
A discussion of the paradox posed by a policy designed to eliminate race/gender
differences by procedures that take race/gender into account. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of this strategy? Has it improved the opportunities for members of
protected groups?
GPL, Chapter 4, Racial Justice
R. G. Fryer and G.C. Loury, Affirmative Action and Its Mythology,” Journal of
Economic Perspectives,19(3), Summer 2005, pp. 147-162.
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H. Holzer and D. Newmark, “Assessing Affirmative Action,” Journal of Economic
Literature 37:3, September 2000, pp. 483-568.
F. J. Crosby et al, “Affirmative Action: Psychological Data and the Policy Debates,”
American Psychologist, 58:2, February 2003, pp. 93-115.
Listen to oral argument before Supreme Court on University of Michigan affirmative
action in admissions case. Available on Blackboard course site under “External Links”
Dec. 6-8
Dec. 8
FINAL TERM PAPER DUE
C. Welfare Policies
Have the changes in welfare programs successfully created incentives for work and selfsupport that reduce the burden on taxpayers while assuring a reasonable standard of
living for all Americans, or failing that, for all children? Who is on welfare? What
accounts for their being on welfare and what would it take for welfare recipients to
become self-supporting? Is this issue related to race and sex discrimination issues?
FDB, pp. 335-348
R. A. Moffitt and P. Gottschalk, “Ethnic and Racial Differences in Welfare
Receipt in the United States” in N.J. Smelser et al, America Becoming: Racial Trends
and Their Consequences, Volume II (Washington, National Academies Press, 2001), pp.
152-173.
D. Family Policies
What other federal policies affect choices about work and family?
FDB, pp. 348-380.
J.F. Madden, “Preface,” Annals, November 2004
Dec. 21 6-8 pm FINAL EXAM
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Term Paper, Critical Writing Project
Calendar*
September 20: Preliminary Proposal: Selected Topic and Starting Bibliography (1 page)
October 4: First Chunk: Summary of literature reviewed to date (2-3 pp)
October 18: Second Chunk: Hypotheses and Reasons (2-3 pp)
November 1: Third Chunk: Data/Evidence/Discussion, first hypotheses (3-4 pp)
November 10: Fourth Chunk: Data/Evidence/Discussion, second hypotheses (3-4 pp)
November 22: Intro, Conclusion, and Complete First Draft (10-15 pp)
December 8: Final Draft (10-15 pp)
*a description of each of these assignments is provided at the end of this handout
Topic
The 10-15 pp. term paper for this course should be concerned with the structure, causes, and
policies that attempt to alleviate or perpetuate racial and/or sexual discrimination in the United
States. Although the course focuses on employment differences by race and gender, your term
papers can focus on another area of discrimination in addition to labor market inequalities. Any
topic addressed in the class is a candidate for a term paper, although it is a good idea to speak
with me (make an appointment or stop by office hours) before putting in a lot of work into a
topic that is not listed below.
Data
The topic you select should allow you to assemble “observations” in the form of data (ideally
expressed in tables or figures) or in terms of assembling ethnographic information or case studies
from other sources. You are not to collect your own data without approval. (University and
federal government rules require that an institutional review board review all data collection
efforts by members of the university, including students.)
Perspective/Position
You should collect several studies on one of these questions and synthesize them into a
discussion of the pros and cons on the topic. The discussion should be based on list of working
hypotheses1 and a review of the evidence both in favor of, and against, each hypothesis. You
should conclude with your reasoned opinion on the “weight” of the evidence for each hypothesis
and, then, on the relative importance of each hypothesis to answering the topic.
It is not acceptable to write an advocacy essay. You are expected to consider and evaluate all
major views represented in the scholarly literature on your topic.
1
A working hypothesis is a tentative explanation for, or answer to, the question studied that can be tested
with quantitative or qualitative evidence.
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Suggested Topics:
Why Are Women Underrepresented in Science and Engineering at the Highest Quality
Universities?
How Can Child Well-Being Be Improved? The Roles of Government, Employers, and
Families
How Have Changes in the Technology of Housework Affected Employment?
Who Does the Housework and Why?
How Do Gender Differences in Family Obligations Affect the Gender Gap in Labor
Market Outcomes?
Why Do African Americans Have Lower Marriage Rates?
How Does Our Slave Past Affect Racial Differences in Today‟s Labor Market?
Why Are Wages Low in Caring Occupations?
How Has Affirmative Action Changed the Labor Force Status of Women (or African
Americans)?
Title IX: What Has Worked and What Hasn‟t for Improving Sports Opportunities for
Women?
Have College Athletics Been Good for African Americans?
Is No Fault Divorce Good or Bad for Women?
How Has Language Affected the Labor Market Success of Hispanics (Asians)
Changing Welfare Regulations: Should Marriage Be Encouraged? Should More Work
Be Encouraged?
Why Are Women More Likely to Attend College than Men? What Has Changed?
Residential Segregation and Labor Market Opportunities: How Are They Related?
Why Are There Racial/Ethnic Differences in Standardized Test Scores? What Are the
Implications for Public Policy?
Should Race Be Considered in Designing Voting/Election Districts?
Does the U.S. Military Provide More Opportunities for African Americans than Civilian
Markets?
Why Are a Quarter of Young African American Men in the Criminal Justice System?
Why Are African American Teenage Girls More Likely to Become Mothers?
How Does Immigration Policy Affect Labor Market Opportunities for African Americans
(Hispanics, Asians)?
Women and the Military: Should Women Perform the Same Duties as Men?
Women and Non-traditional Blue Collar Work: Why Do They Remain
Underrepresented?
The Causes and Effects of Extreme Racial Segregation in U.S. Schools
Why Do Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans Have Such Different Labor Market
Statuses?
Why Do Chinese, (Asian) Indians, and Vietnamese Have Such Different Labor Market
Statuses?
How Did Internment Affect the Subsequent Economic Progress of Japanese Americans?
Racial Profiling: Where Does It Occur, Why Does It Occur, and What Can Be Done?
Occupational Segregation by Gender: Why Does It Occur and What Are the
Consequences?
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Which Policies Are Best for Providing Economic Opportunity for Residents of Indian
Reservations?
Writing in Ordered Sequences
You will be preparing for a complete draft of your term paper in “chunks,” similar to the way experienced
scholars and professional writers approach the construction of sustained works. Rather than waiting until
the last week or two of class, you will be on a regular writing and research schedule, with written work
due biweekly in most instances. You may meet with your Writing TA for feedback on any or all of these
sequences.
You are required to meet with your Writing TA at least twice during the course of the semester. In
addition, you may make appointments with tutors in the Writing Center for additional feedback and
guidance: www.writing.upenn.edu/critical/help
A description of each of these chunks and their due date follows.
Preliminary Proposal (September 20): Look over the topics and use the databases provided to identify
some articles that strike you as relevant and useful. Choose the topic that you wish to explore. Explain
the topic in a few sentences, as best you can at this early stage, and provide a bibliography of at least four
articles (hopefully representing different perspectives on the topic), 1 page.
Literature Review (October 4): Read and summarize the articles you have selected. Classify these into
groups (for example, pro and con on the central question). Present your findings and analysis in 3-4 pp,
not including bibliography. 5% of paper grade
Hypotheses and Reasons (October 18): At this stage, you should be formulating specific working
hypotheses based on your ongoing accumulation of data and scholarly work. Write your hypotheses
(testable answers to the question you are analyzing) and two or more reasons to support each of them.
You must specify at least two hypotheses. Include your revised and evolving bibliography, 2-3 pp. not
including revised bibliography. 5% of paper grade
Evidence and Discussion of First Hypothesis (November 1): In this section, you will more fully
develop the data (statistics, charts, graphs, ethnographies, case studies) and logical arguments that you
intend to use, and/or describe the nature of the additional types of evidence, that would be necessary to
provide convincing evidence for your first hypothesis (or first set of hypotheses). You should include a
discussion of potential arguments against the reasoning you are using to support your hypotheses and
respond to them. In some cases, you may wish to concede certain points that are adverse to your
hypotheses. In other cases, you may have evidence or logic to counter the arguments, or alternatively
simply acknowledge that the jury is out on the issue. If you cannot counter the opposing arguments, this
means that you are revising your hypotheses based on the accumulating evidence and analysis. Think
about how to present the data in a table or a chart, do not simply cut and paste a presentation from the
articles, 3-4 pp not including revised bibliography. 5% of paper grade
Evidence and Discussion of Second Hypothesis (November 10): Repeat the previous assignment for
the remaining hypothesis(es). As your hypotheses evolve, be sure to revise your statement of them, as
well as your logic and evidence from your prior submission, 3-4 pages, not including revised
bibliography. 5% of paper grade
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Intro, Conclusion, and Complete First Draft (November 22): You will now patch your continuously
revised “chunks” together, smoothing out transitions and ordering. In addition, you will write a
conclusion and an introduction (in that order). Attach your bibliography. 10-15 pp., including
bibliography. 25% of paper grade
Final Draft of Paper due by 5pm on December 8th. 50% of grade
On December 8, you must submit a portfolio of ALL of the writing assignments for the class;
grades for each of the components of the paper will be assigned at the end of the class and not
as you submit them.
Format
10-15 pp, including bibliography
12-font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, and double-spaced
MLA (Modern Language Association) documentation style. All of Penn‟s libraries have
MLA manuals. You may also purchase one at an area bookstore or online. There are
also free versions online:
Please note that some social science classes may ask you to use the APA format. Both
MLA and APA are used in most of the social sciences.
Writing Tips
Make sure your papers are organized and clearly written
Concentrate on an orderly presentation of ideas and a smoothness of expression.
Be concise.
Use the active rather than passive voice
Do not plagiarize!!! Using the ideas, data, and language of another without
acknowledgement is not acceptable. To avoid plagiarism you must cite the original
author every time you:
o Use an author's exact written or spoken words.
o Paraphrase someone's written or spoken words
o Use facts provided by someone else that are not common knowledge.
o Make significant use of someone's ideas or theories.
For more information on the consequences of plagiarizing, please see PENN‟s codes of academic
integrity and plagiarism policies at http://www.upenn.edu/academicintegrity/
Additional Support
Do take advantage of Penn‟s free support services!
For help with your research: contact Professor Madden, either at her office hours or make an
appointment, or contact the subject librarian:
African Studies, Sociology, Asian American Studies, Social Policy: Ancil George,
ancil@pobox.upenn.edu
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Education and US government documents: Patty Lynn, lynn@pobox.upenn.edu
Women‟s Studies: Dr. David Azzolina, azzolina@pobox.upenn.edu
Latin American Studies: Joseph Holub, holub@pobox.upenn.edu
Criminology, Economics, Sociology, Social Policy, and Urban Studies: Lauris Olson,
olson@pobox.upenn.edu
Criminology, Urban Studies, Data: Charles Cobine, cobine@pobox.upenn.edu
For additional help with your writing: www.writing.upenn.edu/critical/help
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