Class, Race, and Gender in the U.S. Economy
(Econ250/ES250)
Reading Asssignments
Spring 2008
Updated April 18, 2008



I.    Introduction
    (WEEK 1 & 2)
                                                   


Readings:  * required,  o recommended
                                                                                                   
1)    PURPOSE OF COURSE: HONORABLE DISCUSSION
*  The Stream, Leonel I. Castillo, Studs Terkel (Handout)
A Different Mirror, Ronald Takaki
*  We’ve Been Here Before, George F. Will (Handout)

2)    A STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

3)    FRAMEWORK: THE ECONOMICS OF STRATIFICATION   
          On Reserve/Handout:
       
Unlevel Playing Fields
* Ch. 1: Two Views on Inequality and Discrimination
* Ch.2: Inequality by the Numbers

4)    LABOR ECONOMICS: BASIC SUPPLY & DEMAND  
Unlevel Playing Fields
          * Ch.3: The Basics of Neo-Classical Economics





II.    Class
(Weeks 3, 4 & 5)

1)    EXPERIENCE OF CLASS

          Instructor Web Page
          o American Labor History - Timeline.

2)    WHAT IS “CLASS”?
In class activities.
A. Sociological Analysis
i.        American Myth:     "Everyone is middle class."

On Reserve
* Class in America: Myths and Realities (2000), Gregory Mantsios   
o Media Magic: Making Class Invisible, Gregory Mantsios

ii.      Self-identification: Aspirations, Consumption Patterns       

iii.     Other Characteristics: Cultural Values, Education, etc.

iv.     Max Weber's Class Analysis

B. Economic Analysis
i.       Neo-Classical Analysis:    Market Rewards for Abilities

, Unlevel Playing Fields
* Ch.4: Work and Wages in Neo-Classical Economics

ii.      Classical Analysis: Labor Theory of Value  (Quesnay, Ricardo, & Marx)

, Unlevel Playing Fields
* Ch.6: The Basics of Political Economy

iii.     A Divided Labor Market
, Unlevel Playing Fields
* Ch.7: Work and Wages in Political Economy

3)    STATISTICAL DISPARITIES: Income, Wealth and Poverty

A.    Indicators: Wealth, Education, Attainment of parents, Race, Immigrant Status, Divorce,

B.    Poverty in Oregon
Required Web Articles from OSU Extension Service:

*A Portrait of Poverty in Oregon, OSU Extension Service

*Minimum wage fails to keep up
 
*Minimum Wage Graph
*Women and children most likely to be poor

C.    Income and Wealth Data

o Our Wealth and Commonwealth, William Gates, Sr. & Chuck Collins
Introduction, Chapters 1, 2, 5, and Epiologue are required. Chpaters 3 and 4 are optional.


4)    INSTITUTIONS AND CLASSISM: EDUCATION
Video, in Class:
* The Secrets of the SAT, Frontline, PBS video, in class
       
On Reserve:
* SATs skewed by shoddy disability, LATimes, Jan. 9, 2000
* Among Affluent Students, A Culture of Disengagement, Chronicle of Higher Ed.
Nov. 27, 1998                   
º The Economic Root of Low Test Scores, LATimes, Mar. 26, 2000
 




III.    Race
(WEEK 6, 7, 8)
                                                                                                                                 
   
1)    EXPERIENCE OF RACISM

Webpage:    Corporate Discrimination
          
In class:     Molly Bannaky
Jazz, Episode 1 - Gumbo

2)    DISCRIMINATION & WHITE PRIVILEGE (Lecture)

3)    STATISTICAL DISPARITIES & ECONOMIC EVIDENCE OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Unlevel Playing Fields
                    * Ch. 2, Labor market Inequality by the Numbers

        a)    Income, Wealth, Wage Differentials
        b)    Unemployment Differentials
        c)    Occupational Differentials   
        d)    Educational Differentials

4)    MODELS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Unlevel Playing Fields
* Ch. 5 - Discrimination in the Neo-Classical View

A) Neo-Classical
Demand-Side
The "Taste for Discrimination" (Racist Preferences):
Employer, Consumer, Employee
Statistical  Discrimination (Stereotyping)
Pre-Market

Supply-Side                               
Inequality of Opportunity/Access              
Inequality of Education  

B) Political Economy: The Role of Social Movements, Institutions, & Power
Unlevel Playing Fields
* Ch. 7 - Work and Wages in the Political Economy
* Ch. 8 – The Political Economy Model of Discrimination

On Reserve:
*Black-White Income Differences, Michael Reich
*Evidence on Discrimination in Employment, Darity & Mason


5)    INSTITUTIONS & RACISM: EDUCATION, BANKING, & HURRICANE KATRINA
A) Banking
On Reserve:
* Lending Insights: Hard Proof that Banks Discriminate, Jim Campen
* Being Black, Living in the Red, Dalton Conley
* Study Discerns Disadvantage for Blacks in Home Mortgages, Dedman, p. 228

B) Education

C) Poverty, Segregation, Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Relief, Reconstruction



IV.   Ethnicity    
(WEEK 9)
       
1)    WHAT IS “RACE”? WHAT IS “WHITENESS”?
        A)  A Biological  Basis for Race?                           
            - phenotype                                               
            - genotype
            - multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural

On Reserve:
*A Growing Number of Scientists Reject the Concept of Race, David Wheeler
*Ever adaptive, humans defy easy stereotype
                   
        B) Race Is Socially Constructed.                                   
- How those “outside” define                           
- How those “inside” define                        
- Self-selection     & self-identification

        C) Why The Government Defines Race And Collects Data.

Reserve:
º Can a New Race Sumount Old Prejudices? Ellis Cose
º Race classification  causes census debate, William Hershey
º Who’s a minority? Welcome to affirmative action debate, David Lauter
º We Need New and Critical Study of Race and Ethnicity,  Manning Marable






V.    Gender   
(WEEK 10)


           
1)     WOMEN'S WORKING EXPERIENCE:                       
        The Feminization of Poverty  and the Pauperization of Motherhood.

Handout:  Too Taxing on Women, Register Guard, April 14, 2006

Review:
*A Portrait of Poverty in Oregon, OSU Extension Service

*Women and children most likely to be poor

2)    STASTICAL DISPARITIES & ECONOMIC EVIDENCE
        
Gender Discrimination:                                   
a) Unemployment Differentials                                   
b) Wage Differentials  
c) Occupational segregation
d) Educational Differentials  

3)     MODELS OF HUMAN CAPITAL, EARNINGS AND OCCUPATIONAL DIFFERENCES                                      
 
Albelda, et al, Unlevel Playing Fields (Review)
* Ch. 4  Work and Wages in the Neo-Classical Model
* Ch. 5  Discrimination in the Neo-Classical View
˚ Ch. 6  The Basics of Political Economy
* Ch. 7  Work and Wages in the Political Economy
* Ch. 8 The Political Economy Model of Discrimination