ECON 1204: Economics of Race

This course explores the causes and consequences of racial disparities in economic outcomes, including those related to education, health, marriage and family, housing, entrepreneurship, and earnings. We will discuss the historical and institutional contexts of racial problems, the change in racial gaps across generations, and the impact of public policies in the U.S. on racial inequality in health, education, housing, and labor markets.

Why take it?

This course introduces students of all backgrounds to the study of important issues related to race and labor market outcomes. Students will explore issues such as racial disparities in education, labor force participation, intergenerational mobility, and housing. Students will acquire a set of theoretical, analytical, and statistical tools to examine the interaction between the social, political, and economic forces that affect labor market outcomes.

This course fulfills an elective in the Housing and Society and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Pathways minors.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course fulfills Pathways requirements in Reasoning in the Social Sciences, Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States, and Ethical Reasoning.