“Measuring Racial Inequality” is an introductory course for the analysis of racial inequality through social statistics. The main objectives are: i) to understand the complexity of racial or ethnic variables used in demographic databases, like Census, household surveys, etc.; ii) to reflect about the concept of racial inequality hinged to its parallel conceptual dimensions: race, discrimination and theory of racial discrimination; iii) to study some statistical methods for the analysis of racial and ethnic inequality.
Coherently to these objectives, the course is split into two parts.
In the first one, the students will be in touch with selected problems related to how social scientists may understand demographic statistics disaggregated by race and ethnicity. This section is important so that the students can avoid an essentialist understanding on this matter. Or, in other words, we believe that it is necessary that the students can reflect on issues related to the complexity of the variables race and ethnicity for social statistics.
In the second part of the course, the students will be introduced to some of the most well known quantitative methods of analysis of social and racial inequality in the social sciences. The course will focuses on statistical concept and reasoning/interpretation rather than mathematics. Explanation will be based on simple example using Excel.
Each week the Instructor will give extra class exercises comprehending: i) researches on national statistical bureaus; ii) analysis of pre-tabulated demographic information; and iii) mechanisms for accessing data and micro data sets of social researches.
The Instructor is expecting that the students attending the course have different academic and personal background. As it is an introductory course, the objective is that even students with a basic level of knowledge of mathematics and statistics can attend class. Anyway, the Instructor is expecting that every student already has some previous understanding of elementary concepts as well as openness to study this kind of subject.
Finally, it is important to note that the course “Measuring Racial Inequality” is part of the process of setting out the Laboratory for the Study of Ethnic and Racial Equity (LAESER), placed at The University of Texas, Austin (LAESER’s office is located in SRH, Office 3105) and coordinated by Prof. Marcelo Paixão. As such, one of the objectives of the course is to raise interest of UT undergraduate students for the subject. Depending on mutual interest, capacity and resources, the possibility to join LAESER is welcomed.
Grading
First exam: 30%
Second exam: 30%
Research Paper: 20%
Weekly summaries: 10%
Presentation: 10%