Citation
Fryer, Roland G., Jr. (2010). The importance of segregation, discrimination, peer dynamics, and identity in explaining trends in the racial achievement gap.
National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series. vol. No. 16257
Abstract
After decades of narrowing, the achievement gap between black and white school children widened in the 1990s - a period when the labor market rewards for education were increasing. This presents an important puzzle for economists. In this chapter, I investigate the extent to which economic models of segregation, information-based discrimination, peer dynamics, and identity can explain this puzzle. Under a reasonable set of assumptions, models of peer dynamics and identity are consistent with the time-series data. Segregation and models of discrimination both contradict the trends in important ways.
URL
http://www.nber.org/papers/w16257Notes
Author contact info: Roland G. Fryer Jr Department of Economics Harvard University Littauer Center 208 Cambridge, MA 02138 Tel: 617/495-9592 Fax: 617/495-8570 E-Mail: rolandfryer@edlabs.harvard.edu
Reference Type
Journal Article
Journal Title
National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
Author(s)
Fryer, Roland G., Jr.
Year Published
2010
Volume Number
No. 16257
DOI
10.3386/w16257
Reference ID
7481