ENG0101 Written Assignment Unit 5

1. What is the title of the text and what is the text about?
Title: PREJUDICE AND THE ECONOMICS OF DISCRIMINATION The paper tests the hypothesis
postulated in the book The Economics of Discrimination, Becker, G. (1957), consequently,
measuring the relationship between prejudice and racial wage gap on employer discrimination.
2. What is the author’s view? How do I know?
The authors support all the key predictions formulated by Becker’s. Accordingly, I know this
because in the abstract they mentioned the comparison of wages between race color and rural
vs city using statistical distribution table.
3. What is the evidence presented by the author to support ideas?
The use of statistical models to compare the data from wages among skin colors and the
variables that affect the results. Moreover, the data collection gathers all the key
elements to demonstrate theirarguments.
4. Is the evidence valid? How do I know?
Yes, it is valid. It’s supported by the application of the scientific method in statistics, running the
numbers in distribution tables, and using statistical tools that allow to replicate the same study
to obtain the same results. Consequently, when a hypothesis is under test and the results are
constantly the same, applying the same data, formulas, and variables the conclusion is valid.
”We show that these results are robust to a variety of extensions, including directly controlling
for racial skill quality differences and instrumental variables estimates. We present some initial
evidence to show that racial wage gaps are larger the more racially integrated is a state’s
workforce, also as Becker’s model predicts.” (Charles, Guryan, 2007, p.2)
5. Is the evidence relevant? How do I know?
Yes, it is, the authors establish how employer discrimination increases the wage gap between
skin color groups: “In particular, we show that, relative to white wages, black wages: (a) vary
negatively with a measure of the prejudice of the “marginal” white in a state; (b)
vary negatively with the prejudice in the lower tail of the prejudice distribution, but are
unaffected by the prejudice of the most prejudiced persons in a state; and (c) vary negatively
with the fraction of a state that is black.”( Charles, Guryan, 2007, p.2)
6. Have I heard/read anything similar or dissimilar? What was it?
Yes, I have heard something from another author which is the motivation of their study. Title:
THE ECONOMICS OF DISCRIMINATION. (Becker, 1957)
7. Do I agree or disagree with the views expressed by the author? Why?
Yes, I do agree with the authors’ view. I have experienced discrimination myself, not because of
my color but because of ethnicity and age. The wages paid under my age bracket and ethnicity
group are affected by the employer’s depiction.
REFERENCES Charles, K. K., & Guryan, J. (2007). Prejudice and the economics of discrimination.
The National Bureau of Economic Research. http://www.nber.org/papers/w13661Charles, K. K.,
& Guryan, J. (2007). Prejudice and The Economics of Discrimination.
Doi:10.3386/w13661Becker, G. S. (1957). The economics of discrimination. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press.