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How to reduce discrimination? Evidence from a field experiment in amateur soccer

Author

Listed:
  • Robert Dur

    (Erasmus University Rotterdam)

  • Carlos Gomez-Gonzalez

    (University of Zurich)

  • Cornel Nesseler

    (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

A rich literature shows that ethnic discrimination is an omnipresent and highly persistent phenomenon. Little is known, however, about how to reduce discrimination. This study reports the results of a large-scale field experiment we ran together with the Norwegian Football Federation. The federation sent an email to a random selection of about 500 amateur soccer coaches, pointing towards the important role that soccer can play in promoting inclusivity and reducing racism in society and calling on the coaches to be open to all interested applicants. Two weeks later, we sent fictitious applications to join an amateur club, using either a nativesounding or a foreign-sounding name, to the same coaches and to a random selection of about 500 coaches who form the control group. In line with earlier research, we find that applications from people with a native-sounding name receive significantly more positive responses than applications from people with a foreign-sounding name. Surprisingly and unintentionally, the email from the federation substantially increased rather than decreased this gap. Our study underlines the importance of running field experiments to check whether well-intended initiatives are effective in reducing discrimination.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Dur & Carlos Gomez-Gonzalez & Cornel Nesseler, 2022. "How to reduce discrimination? Evidence from a field experiment in amateur soccer," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-005/VII, Tinbergen Institute.
  • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20220050
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Nesseler, Cornel & Gomez-Gonzalez, Carlos & Parshakov, Petr & Dietl, Helmut, 2023. "Examining discrimination against Jews in Italy with three natural field experiments," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 106(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ethnic discrimination; intervention; field experiment; correspondence test; amateur soccer.;
    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
    • Z2 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics

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