Insegnamento a.a. 2023-2024

1. We cover several dimensions of diversity and present a global panorama of unequal treatment worldwide from a geographical and historical perspective.
   • Definitions and Measurement
   • Notions of Fairness and Efficiency
   • Historical Trends and Geographical Heterogeneity
2. We discuss why governments, companies, and organizations could value diversity.
   • Governance
   • Economic Performance
   • Sustainability, Inequality, and Well-being

3. We study the determinants of observed differences in outcomes.

   • Socio-psychological Factors

   • Culture, Norms, and Stereotypes

   • Institutions (effects of institutional persecution, healthcare, education)

   • Discrimination (theory and empirical evidence)

   • Home Production and Family Life (theory and empirical evidence)

4. We review different policies and their effectiveness in promoting diversity.

   • Corrective Policies – Affirmative Action

   • The Role of Public Policy – Pensions and Fiscality

   • The Role of Public Policy – Family Policies

   • The Role of Firms – Part-time and Smart Work

   • The Role of Civil Society – Social Movements

5. We conclude with some recent issues surrounding diversity and fairness.

   • Algorithmic Bias

• Define diversity, equity, equality, and fairness.
• Explain trends in diversity from a global perspective.
• Explain why diversity can benefit societies, companies, organizations, and individuals.
• Explain why we observe differences in outcomes across groups.
• Explain which policies and interventions help promote diversity and which don't, depending on the context.

• Analyze empirical evidence of academic research that evaluates discrimination and the effects of corrective policies.
• Evaluate to what extent there is discrimination against specific groups.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of policies aimed at improving diversity.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)

An expert studying diversity and economics will deliver a guest lecture.

The examinations assess students' knowledge acquired during the course, that is, their ability to:

• Define diversity, equity, equality, and fairness.
• Explain why diversity can benefit societies, companies, organizations, and individuals.
• Explain why we observe differences in outcomes across groups.
• Explain which policies and interventions help promote diversity and which don't.

They also assess whether students can successfully apply this knowledge to a given context, that is, their ability to:

• Analyze empirical evidence of academic research that evaluates discrimination and the effects of corrective policies.
• Evaluate to what extent there is discrimination against specific groups.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of policies aimed at improving diversity.

One final exam at the end of the course amounts to 100% of the grade. For both attending and not-attending students, the written individual exam is a mix of open-ended, numerical, multiple-choice, and "True" or "False" questions. The questions will concern both theory and empirics discussed in class.

In addition, two multiple-choice quizzes will be administered in class via Bboard. Each one is made up of 15 questions (30Q in total). Students scoring at least 20/30 will get an extra point +1 on their final grade.

Profeta, Paola. Gender equality and public policies. Measuring progress in Europe, Cambridge University Press 2020.