Difference between revisions of "Alter the introductory textbooks"

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== Choose introductory textbooks that better portray the diversity of the population. ==
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Introductory economic textbooks often contain misrepresentations of underrepresented groups or do not even bother to mention them at all. They also frequently fail to communicate the vital policy and social issues economists study in their research. The textbook is an integral component to the economics classroom and appears to be an authoritative and objective representation of our discipline. Biases that are present in economic textbooks not only create an uncomfortable or irrelevant classroom environment for underrepresented students but may discourage underrepresented students from pursuing further studies in economics.  
  
There are over 2 million students who take an introductory psychology course because of major/minor requirements, general interest in the area, or as requirements of other majors. Thus, there is a huge influence that the introductory textbook has in the effort to recruit and retaining minorities into the field of psychology. The APA (American Psychological Association) commissioned the Textbook Initiative Work Group to develop a general guideline of 20 categories to help in this effort.  
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Common issues found in introductory economics textbooks include biases associated with the definition of economic problems, biases associated with the review of previous research, and biases that marginalize the experiences of women and minorities. The topic of marginalizing the experiences of women was pioneered by the economist [http://mediaresearchhub.ssrc.org/susan-feiner/person_view Susan Feiner] in a 1987 paper co-authored with Barbara Morgan which found that 21 introductory textbooks included only passing mentions of women and did not focus on topics specifically related to women. Feiner went on to write multiple later articles which found that through out the mid-to late 1990s, representation of women in economics textbooks continued. A study by Marianne Ferber in 1995 found that 8 out of 9 introductory textbooks did not discuss the influx of women into the labor market, despite this being one of the most significant changes to the economy in the second half of the 20th century.  
  
There isn't empirical research done on the any results of altering textbooks, but this is more of a guideline based on personal expertise and reading through current and previous textbooks to see what the best changes would be.  
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Biases in economics textbooks can also depict women or minority groups in a negative light. In remarks at the 1995 National Science  Foundation Workshop on Integrating Race  and Gender into the Intro­ductory Economics Course, Lisa Saunders, professor of economics at University of Massachusetts Amherst, discussed how the text of introductory textbooks invoked negative feelings from minority groups, quoting an author's explanation of the riots in Los Angeles--"Black resentment was certainly understandable, but it was also perverse"-- as an example.
  
Trimble, Joseph, Stevenson, Michael, & Worell, Judith. (2003). Toward an inclusive psychology: infusing the introductory psychology textbook with diversity content. American Psychological Association.
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Additionally, unlike other social sciences like sociology, political science, or psychology, extensive documentation of sources and empirical methods are typically not provided in economics textbooks, which prevents readers from knowing and evaluating the methodology of the studies on which reported "conclusions" are based.
  
http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/diversity.aspx
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And, as we all should do when talking about issues with very powerful personal effects, textbooks should proceed with [[nuance]] and [[humility]].  
  
John Oh
 
  
Overall Rating: 9
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{{hidden|Sources|
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Feiner, Susan F. "Introductory Economics Textbooks and the Treatment of Issues Relating to Women and Minorities, 1984 and 1991." [[The Journal of Economic Education]] v24, n2 (Spring 1993): 145-62. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1183163}}
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Bartlett, Robin. "Discovering Diversity in Introductory Economics." ''Journal of Economics Perspectives'' 10(2) (Spring 1996) 141-153 http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/jep.10.2.141

Latest revision as of 08:54, 4 January 2016

Textbooks.jpeg

Introductory economic textbooks often contain misrepresentations of underrepresented groups or do not even bother to mention them at all. They also frequently fail to communicate the vital policy and social issues economists study in their research. The textbook is an integral component to the economics classroom and appears to be an authoritative and objective representation of our discipline. Biases that are present in economic textbooks not only create an uncomfortable or irrelevant classroom environment for underrepresented students but may discourage underrepresented students from pursuing further studies in economics.

Common issues found in introductory economics textbooks include biases associated with the definition of economic problems, biases associated with the review of previous research, and biases that marginalize the experiences of women and minorities. The topic of marginalizing the experiences of women was pioneered by the economist Susan Feiner in a 1987 paper co-authored with Barbara Morgan which found that 21 introductory textbooks included only passing mentions of women and did not focus on topics specifically related to women. Feiner went on to write multiple later articles which found that through out the mid-to late 1990s, representation of women in economics textbooks continued. A study by Marianne Ferber in 1995 found that 8 out of 9 introductory textbooks did not discuss the influx of women into the labor market, despite this being one of the most significant changes to the economy in the second half of the 20th century.

Biases in economics textbooks can also depict women or minority groups in a negative light. In remarks at the 1995 National Science Foundation Workshop on Integrating Race and Gender into the Intro­ductory Economics Course, Lisa Saunders, professor of economics at University of Massachusetts Amherst, discussed how the text of introductory textbooks invoked negative feelings from minority groups, quoting an author's explanation of the riots in Los Angeles--"Black resentment was certainly understandable, but it was also perverse"-- as an example.

Additionally, unlike other social sciences like sociology, political science, or psychology, extensive documentation of sources and empirical methods are typically not provided in economics textbooks, which prevents readers from knowing and evaluating the methodology of the studies on which reported "conclusions" are based.

And, as we all should do when talking about issues with very powerful personal effects, textbooks should proceed with nuance and humility.


Bartlett, Robin. "Discovering Diversity in Introductory Economics." Journal of Economics Perspectives 10(2) (Spring 1996) 141-153 http://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/jep.10.2.141