Economists Must Do Better
The future of policymaking depends on it.
This past weekend saw the wheels nearly fall off the Econ Twitter train, as new and old accusations of sexual misconduct were brought to light. What followed was a messy back-and-forth that I hope we look back on as a net positive that moves the field forward in its efforts to be more inclusive and protect its members. I have nothing to add to the conversation surrounding the allegations because I have no specific knowledge that would be useful. I will just say that I’m horrified and angry that so many women have been treated this way in our profession. We (men, specifically) must be better allies and offer our colleagues real support when they need it. At a minimum, it seems reasonable that the people credibly accused should not continue to hold journal editor positions while allegations are investigated.
Rather than focus on the allegations, I want to highlight some ways forward. I believe a primary reason we are in this current position is because economics is sorely lacking diversity. It’s not a secret that women are underrepresented in the field. Although women now comprise nearly 60% of college students, the number graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in economics has been stagnant at around 30% for decades. As you can see in the figure below, this embarrassing problem is not limited to representation of women in economics.1
What can we do?
Let’s start with pipeline problems. Economics has an embarrassing record on diversity, broadly defined. While we namely want to be more inclusive because it’s the right thing to do, diversity would also strengthen our institutions (academic, government, private sector) and improve policy outcomes. Diversity is a strength, and one that is lacking in economics right now. This begins at the undergraduate level (ok, it begins earlier than that, but these suggestions aren’t limited to undergraduates).
Be intentional about who teaches undergraduate students. We have to do a better job as educators. If we don’t want the first economics course to be a student’s last, then we must be intentional with that first course. Often, students find the experience, to put it politely, less than inspiring. We need educators who are trained in the latest evidence-based teaching methods and who represent the diversity of the students they are teaching. In student surveys about Relevance, Belonging, and Growth Mindset (RBG), Amanda Bayer and colleagues (2020)2 find:
… significantly lower measures of RBG among women and URM [underrepresented minority] students relative to non-URM men in introductory economics. We also provide evidence that higher levels of RBG are associated with better performance in introductory economics and greater persistence in the discipline.
Abdullah Al-Bahrani (2022) offers interventions on ways to improve inclusion and belonging in a Principles of Economics classroom, although the techniques are likely more widely applicable.
Take mentoring of students seriously. This goes for faculty who are mentoring students, but also for peers/recent alumni who are mentoring students. For example, Porter and Serra (2020) find that even brief interactions with successful female role models had a large positive effect on the percentage of women majoring in economics.3
Offer experiential learning opportunities for your students and actively recruit people who are traditionally underrepresented in economics. There are a number of such experiences currently available including, among others, the College Federal Reserve Challenge and The Econ Games. Of course, a more traditional independent study is also an option. Students need hands-on experience to truly see a future in the field.
Numerous other evidence-based ideas are available at DivEQ.
We also need to do a much better job of supporting current faculty. For example:
Diversify your seminar speakers. Jose Fernandez and colleagues developed this database of people who are willing and available to present research. It appears you can still add your name to the list as well. This is a wonderful resource that allows you to search for people based on geography and research area.
Seek out and use the AEA’s best practices.
Some other good ideas in this short thread:
The AEA has an Ombudsperson; I have heard the process is frustrating and slow but it at least provides another avenue for victims of harassment or abuse.
Simply put — we need more accountability. We all lose when people in power are able to use their position to silence, manipulate, and abuse those around them. It’s up to all of us to be more vocal about the injustices in our field.
Let’s end with a little optimism:
Bayer, A., & Rouse, C. E. (2016). Diversity in the economics profession: A new attack on an old problem. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 30(4), 221-42.
Bayer, A., Bhanot, S. P., Bronchetti, E. T., & O'Connell, S. A. (2020, May). Diagnosing the learning environment for diverse students in introductory economics: An analysis of relevance, belonging, and growth mindsets. In AEA Papers and Proceedings (Vol. 110, pp. 294-98).
Porter, C., & Serra, D. (2020). Gender differences in the choice of major: The importance of female role models. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 12(3), 226-54.