Theory Of Discrimination Research Articles

Wealth Discrimination Theory

One approach to analyzing inequality is to compare average economic choices from a classical theoretical framework. Another approach considers the impact of the formation of society, through statutes and institutions, on average economic outcomes. This paper studies the effects of slavery on black-white wealth inequality upon the emancipation of slaves in the US using historical data. The purpose of wealth has varied from over time. From an economics perspective, wealth is the accumulation of resources that have market value and can be liquidated for present and future consumption. This study proceeds based on the most measurable assumption: households reside in a country with a mixed economy of markets and social planning, such that they have an incentive to accumulate material wealth for intertemporal household consumption and social influence. Becker (1957) and Arrow (1972) developed the most general theories of wage discrimination and favoritism. Oaxaca (1973) and Blinder (1973) have mechanized their theories for empirical analysis. While their findings are insightful, they cannot be directly applied to studying wealth differences since wealth is a complex combination of wages and other variables. Finally, since unexplained differences in states that abolished slavery after the Civil War were 10 percent higher than unexplained effects in states that abolished slavery well before the Civil War and the magnitudes of the unexplained effects were similar over the long-run, we cannot reject the existence of a negatively bounded correlation between the duration of time from enslavement and the magnitude of unexplained differences in wealth. This research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant SES 0096414. I would like to thank John Ham, Richard Steckel, Randall Olsen, Bruce Weinberg, Audrey Light, Nori Hashimoto, James Peck, Patricia Reagan, Charles Kirwin, Rebecca Blank, Charles Betsey, Alvin Thornton, Leibert Morris, Maude Toussaint-Comeau, Simone Wegge, James Wilbanks, Thomas Maloney, and William Collins for their insightful comments. I would also like to thank participants in workshops and seminars at the Ohio State University, Howard University, University of Michigan, American Economic Association Summer Program and Pipeline Conferences, Western Economics Association International meetings, and Social Science History Association meetings. I would also like to thank James Curtis Sr, K D Curtis, Karen Curtis (deceased), Lariece Grant-Brown, Barbara Broadnax, Dwayne Broadnax, Rudy Broadnax, Zee Curtis-Grant, Raymond Tillery, Chris Cooper, Dr. K A Troy, Dr. H. Beecher Hicks, Reverend Charles Lewis, Reverend Cornelius Wheeler, Reverend James Lewis, Elder David Treadwell, Dr. Stephen Tucker and Roberta Tucker, Minister Charles Webb, Minister David Surles, and Elder Gregory Strong for their support. This draft is a revision of a November 2010 paper and August 2001 paper.

Research on mining of medium thick coal seam under pedal condition based on fuzzy evaluation

In a coal mine, the 15# coal seam is first exploited, and the 6# coal above the 15# coal is not exploited, so the 6# coal seam above the 15# coal belongs to the kicking mining. It is necessary to judge the feasibility of the coal seam. On the basis of the analysis of the coal seam occurrence conditions in this mine, the factors affecting the kicking of 6# coal seam are analysed, and the feasibility of the 6# coal bed kicking feasibility is preliminarily judged by using the ratio discrimination method, the “three band” discriminant method, the surrounding rock balance discrimination theory and the mathematical statistics analysis method, and the fuzzy evaluation algorithm is used for the 6# mining. The feasibility of the implementation of coal mining is further demonstrated. The analysis results show that it is feasible to implement comprehensive mechanized coal mining in 6# coal seam.

Open field, panel length discrimination by homing pigeons (Columba livia)

Pigeons were trained to find a food reward in a square environmental space where two opposing walls had longer panels attached to them, and the other two opposing walls had shorter panels attached to them. Magnitude discrimination theory would lead to the prediction that there would be asymmetrical discriminative performance between experimental groups; rewarded associations with longer panels were expected to yield better correct choice performance than to shorter panels. Interestingly, pigeons trained with food rewards abutting the long panels did not outperform pigeons trained with food rewards abutting the short panels, although discrimination performance in both groups at the end of training was modest. Reversal training following the initial discrimination training provided the strongest evidence of successful initial learning, and more importantly, that there was no difference in learning performance between the two groups. The difference in the performance of pigeons compared to previous studies in rats is most easily explained by the different experimental procedures employed, most notably the use of appetitive (pigeons-food reward) compared to aversive (rats-escape in a water maze) motivation. Alternatively, the data support the hypothesis that in similar training environments pigeons, compared to rats, are more likely to combine panels of different lengths into a more holistic geometric representation of space.

A Dynamic Neural Gradient Model of Two-Item and Intermediate Transposition.

Transposition is a tendency for organisms to generalize relationships between stimuli in situations where training does not objectively reward relationships over absolute, static associations. Transposition has most commonly been explained as either conceptual understanding of relationships (Köhler, 1938) as nonconceptual effects of neural memory gradients (as in Spence's stimulus discrimination theory, 1937 ). Most behavioral evidence can be explained by the gradient account, but a key finding unexplained by gradients is intermediate transposition, where a central (of three) stimulus, "relationally correct response," is generalized from training to test. Here, we introduce a dynamic neural field (DNF) model that captures intermediate transposition effects while using neural mechanisms closely resembling those of Spence's original proposal. The DNF model operates on dynamic rather than linear neural relationships, but it still functions by way of gradient interactions, and it does not invoke relational conceptual understanding in order to explain transposition behaviors. In addition to intermediate transposition, the DNF model also replicates the predictions of stimulus discrimination theory with respect to basic two-stimulus transposition. Effects of wider test item spacing were additionally captured. Overall, the DNF model captures a wider range of effects in transposition than stimulus discrimination theory, uses more fully specified neural mechanics, and integrates transposition into a wider modeling effort across cognitive tasks and phenomena. At the same time, the model features a similar low-level focus and emphasis on gradient interactions as Spence's, serving as a conceptual continuation and updating of Spence's work in the field of transposition.

Regional ethnic diversity and the employment prospects of immigrants

ABSTRACTThis paper develops a model based on statistical discrimination theories which predicts that higher educated immigrants have better and less educated immigrants have worse employment prospects in ethnically more diverse regions. Evidence consistent with this hypothesis is found in an empirical analysis. These results, however, also show that even the least educated recent immigrants have higher employment probabilities in ethnically more diverse regions. This suggests that the positive effects of ethnic diversity on overall labour demand compensate for any negative effects on less educated recent immigrants.

Aristotle on Perceptual Discrimination

AbstractIt is commonly assumed that Aristotle defines a sense by reference to its ability to perceive the items that are proper to that sense, and that he explains perceptions of unities of these items, and discriminations between them, by reference to what is called the ‘common sense’. This paper argues in contrast that Aristotle defines a sense by reference, not only to its ability to perceive the proper items, but also to its ability to discriminate between them, and thus aims to show that Aristotle’s theory of sense perception is basically a theory of perceptual discrimination.

Automatic Adviser on Mobile Objects Status Identification and Classification11The work was supported by Russian Fundamental Research Fund, project No. 17-20-01040.

A mobile object status identification task is defined within the image discrimination theory. It is proposed to classify objects into three classes: object operation status; its maintenance is required and object should be removed from the production process. Two methods were developed to construct the separating boundaries between the designated classes: a) using statistical information on the research objects executed movement, b) basing on regulatory documents and expert commentary. Automatic Adviser operation simulation and the operation results analysis complex were synthesized. Research results are commented using a specific example of cuts rolling from the hump yard.

The nature and limits of Gary Becker’s theory of racial discrimination

To what extent does Gary Becker’s model of discrimination capture “the essence of prejudice and discrimination”? After providing a general outline of Becker’s original model and summarizing some subsequent developments, this paper takes a critical perspective on the model to suggest that the absence of imperfect information in his approach unhelpfully limits its explanatory power. Instead, an approach that allows for the possibility of genuine error and draws on Adam Smith’s analysis of the impact of markets on one’s moral sense offers a deeper, more realistic understanding of what it means for people to express their prejudice (or not) through their choices.

Discrimination and Administrative Burden in Public Service Markets: Does a Public–Private Difference Exist?

Public services are often provided in markets where both public and private providers operate. Irrespective of ownership status, public services ought to be accessible regardless of clients’ race, gender, ethnicity, or age. However, as theories of statistical discrimination and cream skimming suggest, market-based incentives may lead service providers to focus on non-minority clients because they perceive them as easier-to-serve and therefore less costly. This may lead to discrimination and hence jeopardizes equal access. In this study, we ask whether private, for-profit providers are more likely to discriminate on ethnic grounds compared to publicly owned providers. We implement a field experiment within the Flemish elderly care market by sending out email requests with either a Flemish or a Maghrebian name to all public and privately owned nursing homes. For overall response rates, no statistically significant differences between senders were found. However, we do find that privately owned facilities are about 20 percentage points less likely to provide information on how to enroll when the request is send from a Maghrebian name alias, and blinded coders perceive the information sent to the Maghrebian alias as less comprehensive. In publicly owned facilities, no such differences exist. We conclude that a public-private difference does exist, but that the mechanism of discrimination is subtler than expected. Rather than directly refusing to respond, nursing homes increase administrative burdens and learning costs for minority applicants.

The Earnings Effect of Sexual Orientation: British Evidence from Worker‐Firm Matched Data

AbstractUsing the British Workplace Employment Relations Study (WERS) with its preferred self‐identified measure of sexual orientation as well as its organizational‐level variables, we find that gay men earn about the same as heterosexual men and lesbians earn significantly more than heterosexual women. Working in an organization with a diversity and equity management (DEM) policy generally has a positive effect on the earnings of gay men and lesbians, especially if they are single. Implications for theories of diversity management, discrimination and market versus household production are discussed.

Sexual Orientation and Earnings: New Evidence from the UK

Most prior work on sexual orientation and labour market earnings has relied either on individual-level surveys with small samples of sexual minorities or has used large samples of same-sex couples. We use a large individual-level dataset that allows us to measure both constructs. We replicate the well-documented lesbian advantage and gay male penalty in couples-based comparisons but show that these effects are absent in similarly specified models of non-partnered workers. This suggests both that couples-based samples overstate the true earnings differences attributable to a minority sexual orientation and that household specialisation plays an important role in the lesbian earnings advantage. Finally, we discuss how the effects reconcile with theories of specialisation and discrimination.

Neighbor discrimination theory and evidence from the French rental market

This paper describes a novel concept of customer discrimination in the housing market, neighbor discrimination. We develop a matching model with ethnic externalities in which landlords differ in the number of apartments they own within the same building. Larger landlords are more likely to discriminate only if some tenants are prejudiced against the minority group. Observing that minority tenants are less likely than majority group tenants to live in a building with a single large landlord is thus evidence of neighbor discrimination. We show empirically that African immigrants in France are significantly less likely to live in a building owned by a single landlord. This increases the probability that African immigrants live in public housing in localities with more single-landlord private apartment blocks.

Gender Norms and the Motherhood Penalty: Experimental Evidence from India

This paper uses a field experiment to study the effect of perceived gender norms on the motherhood penalty in the Indian labor market. We randomly reported motherhood on fictitious CVs sent to service sector job openings. We generated exogenous variation in gender norms by prominently signaling patrilineal or matrilineal community origins of applicants. Employers are less likely to callback mothers relative to women or men without children, but only if they are of patrilineal origin. Mothers of matrilineal origin face no such penalty. We discuss the results in relation to the competing influence of ethnicity, the Indian context and theories of discrimination.

Accounting Ratio Analyses of Inequality of Minority Lawyers

With the expansion of clientele’s demographics and international transactions, many law firms began to open doors to non-mainstreamers—minority lawyers to join the legal workforce. Decades have passed and the inequality in compensation between minority and non-minority attorneys is still one of the most controversial issues in the legal profession. Based on human capital and labor discrimination theory, we examine the productivity and compensation differences between minority attorneys and non-minority counterparts. The sample consists of 554 firm-year observations of the 200 largest U.S law firms from 2013 to 2016. We use OLS with clustered standard errors by year. We find minority partners are more likely to provide relatively routine and template-based services, which do not command fee premium, which results in low productivity of minority partners. We find that minority partners are compensated less than their non-minority counterparts after controlling for productivity. This paper aids in the understanding of diversity in the workplace and the effect of diversity on a firms’ productivity and the type of services to provide. Also, this paper has implications on the compensation gap between minorities and their non-minority counterparts.

Piper-PCA-Fisher Recognition Model of Water Inrush Source: A Case Study of the Jiaozuo Mining Area

Source discrimination of mine water plays an important role in guiding mine water prevention in mine water management. To accurately determine water inrush source from a mine in the Jiaozuo mining area, a Piper trilinear diagram based on hydrochemical experimental data of stratified underground water in the area was utilized to determine typical water samples. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) was used for dimensionality reduction of conventional hydrochemical variables, after which mutually independent variables were extracted. The Piper-PCA-Fisher water inrush source recognition model was established by combining the Piper trilinear diagram and Fisher discrimination theory. Screened typical samples were used to conduct back-discriminate verification of the model. Results showed that 28 typical water samples in different aquifers were determined through the Piper trilinear diagram as a water sample set for training. Before PCA was carried out, the first five factors covered 98.92% of the information quantity of the original data and could effectively represent the data information of the original samples. During the one-by-one rediscrimination process of 28 groups of training samples using the Piper-PCA-Fisher water inrush source model, 100% correct discrimination rate was achieved. During the prediction and discrimination process of 13 samples, one water sample was misdiscriminated; hence, the correct prediscrimination rate was 92.3%. Compared with the traditional Fisher water source recognition model, the Piper-PCA-Fisher water source recognition model established in this study had higher accuracy in both rediscrimination and prediscrimination processes. Thus it had a strong ability to discriminate water inrush sources.

Room rate parity vs. Rate fences in the context of price discrimination theory: the case of the Polish hospitality market

Rate parity is still a very controversial issue, thus many researchers and industry professionals study it with respect to several aspects: whether it is beneficial for the hotel and/or for the customers. However, despite the necessity to respect rate parity, many hotels do not apply this requirement. Therefore, the authors have attempted to assess this phenomenon in the Polish hospitality market. The aim of the study was to determine the scope of applying rate parity by Polish hotels and using the price discrimination in a variety of direct and indirect channels of electronic distribution. The purpose was to state how the restriction to respect rate parity by the hotels affects the possibility of using price differentiation. The research material involved prices available on-line across various distribution channels. The research methods were based on a critical analysis of literature and on the observation of the prices on the websites of 311 hotels and e-intermediaries. The collected data were analyzed statistically by means of SPSS software. The relationships between the characteristics of the hotels (the category and belonging to a chain) and the variables were determined. The analysis indicates that the necessity of applying rate parity paradoxically often leads to using price differentiation and rate fences by the hotels. Among the hotels applying rate parity (i.e. the same standard room rate as in other distribution channels) as many as 61% of enterprises use rate fences (mainly non-physical – transaction features) in order to improve the competitiveness of their prices in relation to other distribution channels.

Blocked vs. interleaved presentation and proactive interference in episodic memory

ABSTRACTAlthough a number of theoretical accounts of proactive interference (PI) in episodic memory have been proposed, existing empirical evidence does not support conclusively a single view yet. In two experiments we tested the predictions of the temporal discrimination theory of PI against alternative accounts by manipulating the presentation schedule of study materials (lists blocked by category vs. interleaved). In line with the temporal discrimination theory, we observed a clear buildup of (and release from) PI in the blocked condition, in which all the lists of the same category were presented sequentially. In the interleaved condition, with alternating lists of different categories, a more gradual and smoother buildup of PI was observed. When participants were left free to choose their presentation schedule, they spontaneously adopted an interleaved schedule, resulting again in more gradual PI. After longer delays, we observed recency effects at the list level in overall recall and, in the blocked condition, PI-related effects. The overall pattern of findings agrees with the predictions of the temporal discrimination theory of PI, complemented with categorical processing of list items, but not with alternative accounts, shedding light on the dynamics and underpinnings of PI under diverse presentation schedules and over different time scales.

Do tax officials use double standards in evaluating citizen‐clients? A policy‐capturing study among Dutch frontline tax officials

In line with psychological and economic discrimination theories, street‐level bureaucracy studies show a direct effect of citizen characteristics on officials' judgements, or show how street‐level bureaucrats employ stereotypical reasoning in making decisions. Relying on sociological double standards theory, this study hypothesizes that citizen‐clients' status characteristics influence officials' evaluations not only directly, but also indirectly and more pervasively by influencing the interpretation of other signals. By means of a policy‐capturing study among Dutch frontline tax officials, this study takes a first step in testing double standards propositions in the context of official–citizen encounters. The findings support only some hypotheses, but indicate that citizen‐clients' level of education could serve as a moderating context affecting the interpretation of cues. The article provides important theoretical and methodological guidelines for future research on stereotyping at the front line.

The Dangers of Counterfactual Causal Thinking about Detecting Racial Discrimination

The model of discrimination animating some of the most common approaches to detecting discrimination in both law and social science—the counterfactual causal model—is wrong. In that model, racial discrimination is detected by measuring the “treatment effect of race,” where the treatment is conceptualized as manipulating the raced status of otherwise identical units (e.g., a person, a neighborhood, a school). Most objections to talking about race as a cause in the counterfactual model have been raised in terms of manipulability. If we cannot manipulate a person’s race at the moment of a police stop, traffic encounter, or prosecutorial charging decision, then it is impossible to detect if the person’s race was the sole cause of an unfavorable outcome. But this debate has proceeded on the wrong terms. The counterfactual causal model of discrimination is not wrong because we can’t work around the practical limits of manipulation, as evidenced by both Eddie Murphy’s comic genius in the Saturday Night Live skit “White Like Me” and the entire genre of audit and correspondence studies. It is wrong because to fit the rigor of the counterfactual model of a clearly defined treatment on otherwise identical units, we must reduce race to only the signs of the category, meaning we must think race is skin color, or phenotype, or other ways we identify group status. And that is a concept mistake if one subscribes to a constructivist, as opposed to a biological or genetic, conception of race. The counterfactual causal model of discrimination is based on a flawed theory of what the category of race references, how it produces effects in the world, and what is meant when we say it is wrong to make decisions of import because of race. I argue that DISCRIMINATION is a thick ethical concept that at once describes and evaluates the actions to which it is applied, and therefore, we cannot detect actions as discriminatory by identifying a relation of counterfactual causality; we can only do so by reasoning about the action’s distinctive wrongfulness by referencing what constitutes the very categories that are the objects of concern. An adequate theory of discrimination must rest upon (1) an account of the system of social meanings or practices that constitute the categories at issue and (2) a moral theory of what is fair and just in various state and private arenas given what the categories are.

Adjudicating Equality: Antidiscrimination Education Jurisprudence in the European Court of Human Rights

This Article examines the state of antidiscrimination education jurisprudence in Europe by analyzing several prominent cases brought before the European Court of Human Rights. In those cases, the applicants alleged that they were discriminated against in the exercise of their right to education based upon their ethnicity in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Novel aspects of the cases include the Court’s recognition of the theory of indirect discrimination and its imposition of positive obligations. The cases examined have a broader application that has yet to be explored at the higher education level and by other racial minority groups. Focusing on the legal principles of proportionality, the margin of appreciation, and consensus, this Article analyzes the Court’s reasoning and delineates its framework for cases of this type. The paper offers insights concerning the Court’s theory of racial discrimination, highlights issues arising out of the theory and its application, and concludes with recommendations for the Court’s future trajectory in this realm.