Economics of Gender Work & Family ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

This course covers selected topics in labor economics, including the economic experiences of women, men, and ethnic minorities in the United States and economic theories that explain recent trends in work and family life. Basic economics concepts will be introduced: rational choice, opportunity costs, incentives and tradeoffs, comparative advantage, benefits and costs of marriage and children, labor supply and demand, wage determination, pay gaps, compensating wage differentials, labor unions, efficiency wage, minimum wage, unemployment, household production, human capital investment, and theories of discrimination.  Using these tools, we will examine causes and consequence of gender and racial differences in wealth, earnings, labor force participation, marriage, divorce, fertility, longevity, and educational attainment. Economic policies related to labor markets and family will also be discussed. The course satisfies economics skills in BME guidelines.