Economics of Diversity

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

To participate fully in the society and in the economy, individuals need to be able to access, accumulate, use, and get an appropriate return on different assets. Among others: human capital (education, skills, health and nutritional status), housing, natural, physical, and financial assets. This course analyzes how, at different stages of their lives, individuals may be prevented from accessing assets, or may have limited assets, or hold assets with low returns, or be unable to exploit their assets effectively, for reasons related to their gender, race, religion or belief, disability status, or sexual orientation. The course also studies policy interventions that were successful in breaking the vicious cycle of discrimination and exclusion. Examples are drawn both from developed and developing economies.