The importance of segregation, discrimination, peer dynamics, and identity in explaining trends in the racial achievement gap

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/w16257

Notes

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