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Detecting discrimination against homosexuals: Evidence from a field experiment on the Internet

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This paper presents the first field experiment studying discrimination against homosexuals. The study is conducted on the rental housing market in Sweden using the Internet as a research platform. Two fictitious couples, one heterosexual and one male homosexual, apply for vacant rental apartments advertised by landlords on the Internet. Our findings show that homosexual males are discriminated on the Swedish housing market, since the homosexual couple gets far fewer call backs, invitations to further contacts and to showings of apartments than the heterosexual couple.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmed, Ali M. & Hammarstedt, Mats, 2007. "Detecting discrimination against homosexuals: Evidence from a field experiment on the Internet," CAFO Working Papers 2007:2, Linnaeus University, Centre for Labour Market Policy Research (CAFO), School of Business and Economics.
  • Handle: RePEc:hhs:vxcafo:2007_002
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    1. Erik Plug & Peter Berkhout, 2004. "Effects of sexual preferences on earnings in the Netherlands," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 17(1), pages 117-131, February.
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    4. Sylvia A. Allegretto & Michelle M. Arthur, 2001. "An Empirical Analysis of Homosexual/Heterosexual Male Earnings Differentials: Unmarried and Unequal?," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 54(3), pages 631-646, April.
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    7. Ahmed, Ali M. & Hammarstedt, Mats, 2008. "Discrimination in the rental housing market: A field experiment on the Internet," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 362-372, September.
    8. M. V. Lee Badgett, 1995. "The Wage Effects of Sexual Orientation Discrimination," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 48(4), pages 726-739, July.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sexual orientation; Discrimination; Field experiments; Housing market; Internet;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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