The Economics of Discrimination

by Gary S. Becker

This second edition of Gary S. Becker's The Economics of Discrimination has been expanded to include three further discussions of the problem and an entirely new introduction which considers the contributions made by others in recent years and some of the more important problems remaining.

Mr. Becker's work confronts the economic effects of discrimination in the market place because of race, religion, sex, color, social class, personality, or other non-pecuniary considerations. He demonstrates that discrimination in the market place by any group reduces their own real incomes as well as those of the minority.

The original edition of The Economics of Discrimination was warmly received by economists, sociologists, and psychologists alike for focusing the discerning eye of economic analysis upon a vital social problem—discrimination in the market place.

"This is an unusual book; not only is it filled with ingenious theorizing but the implications of the theory are boldly confronted with facts. . . . The intimate relation of the theory and observation has resulted in a book of great vitality on a subject whose interest and importance are obvious."—M.W. Reder, American Economic Review

"The author's solution to the problem of measuring the motive behind actual discrimination is something of a tour de force . . . . Sociologists in the field of race relations will wish to read this book."—Karl Schuessler, American Sociological Review

Genres: Economics, Nonfiction, Politics, Philosophy

178 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

American economist. He is a professor of economics and sociology at the University of Chicago and a professor at the Booth School of Business. He has important contributions to the family economics branch within the economics. Neoclassical analysis of family within the family economics is also called new home economics . He was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1992 and received the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.He is currently a Rose-Marie and Jack R. Anderson senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.

Reviews

[Unnimaya Gopan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neo classical take on addressing discrimination in the economics sphere

[Sher Afghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most easiest of the books to read but kind of essential for someone who is working on economics of discrimination.

[Lauren]

DNF had to read for a class for a midterm and never finished it so

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good cross comparisons for my study with this and Thomas Sowells writing on similar sunjects.

[Andrew]

While it might not be fashionable (and possibly not even correct) to reduce human behavior to a set of numbers, Gary Becker does a good job of it and does it for the right reasons. A combination of calculus, logic, and classical economics, however cold, seems awfully good at proving the socially destructive effects of discriminatory practice, both in terms of racism and nepotism, including some rather unexpected results. It's short, and if you can deal with social science thick with mathematics, then I say give it a shot.