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Bridging barriers: how COVID-19 changed racial diversity in economics seminars

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  • Biermann, Marcus

Abstract

In this paper, new facts are documented on the racial distribution of seminar speakers in economics. From a sample of 270 institutions, I determined that before the COVID-19 pandemic, 82.5% of seminars were given by White speakers, 13.9% of seminars were given by Asian speakers, and 3.6% by speakers with a Hispanic-Latino or Black background. The racial distribution of speakers did not change globally. However, the share of speakers from underrepresented minorities in the United States almost doubled with the introduction of virtual seminars during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Biermann, Marcus, 2025. "Bridging barriers: how COVID-19 changed racial diversity in economics seminars," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 128118, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:128118
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/128118/
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Biermann, Marcus, 2024. "Remote talks: Changes to economics seminars during COVID-19," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    2. Catherine Porter & Danila Serra, 2020. "Gender Differences in the Choice of Major: The Importance of Female Role Models," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 226-254, July.
    3. Marianne Bertrand & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2004. "Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(4), pages 991-1013, September.
    4. Amanda Bayer & Cecilia Elena Rouse, 2016. "Diversity in the Economics Profession: A New Attack on an Old Problem," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 30(4), pages 221-242, Fall.
    5. Marlène Koffi & Roland Pongou & Leonard Wantchekon, 2024. "The Color of Ideas: Racial Dynamics and Citations in Economics," NBER Working Papers 33150, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Marlène Koffi & Roland Pongou & Leonard Wantchekon, 2024. "Racial Inequality and Publication in Economics," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 114, pages 300-304, May.
    7. Amanda Bayer & Gary A. Hoover & Ebonya Washington, 2020. "How You Can Work to Increase the Presence and Improve the Experience of Black, Latinx, and Native American People in the Economics Profession," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(3), pages 193-219, Summer.
    8. Benjamin Edelman & Michael Luca & Dan Svirsky, 2017. "Racial Discrimination in the Sharing Economy: Evidence from a Field Experiment," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(2), pages 1-22, April.
    9. Matt Marx & Qian Wang & Emmanuel Yimfor, 2024. "Minimum Viable Signal: Venture Funding, Social Movements, and Race," NBER Working Papers 33227, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Patrick L. Mason & Samuel L. Myers Jr. & Margaret Simms, 2022. "Racial Isolation and Marginalization of Economic Research on Race and Crime," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 60(2), pages 494-526, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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