Thread by @Noahpinion

1/Some random anecdotal/impressionistic/cultural observations from the big annual economics convention last weekend:

2/A substantial minority of older economists have a certain look about them - a physically imposing white man with a severe haircut who walks around with a sort of combative sneer on his face.

I am seeing much less of this sort of person walking the halls these days.

3/The younger people in the profession are much more diverse, both in terms of gender and race. A lot more Asian and Black people. A lot more women.

Everyone is still really clean-cut, though. It remains the one near-universal identifier of economists. :-)

4/Personality-wise, the shift to empiricism has led to a change in the ways people discuss econ. Instead of arguing theory on the fly, economists are more likely to tell each other about their results. There's less impromptu one-upmanship as a result.

5/There is the interesting nucleus of a subculture growing around @equitablegrowth. Their annual reception is now the most interesting and fun event of the entire conference. A really good mix of people.

6/Econ Twitter/blog culture continues to be a punk subculture within the discipline. But awareness of blogs and Twitter has spread essentially everywhere. It's a standard part of econ now, even if most don't directly participate.

7/It might be my imagination, but the Olympian regard in which Nobel winners are traditionally held might be eroding a little bit. More casual mingling between the luminaries and the rank and file.

8/Econ is definitely paying a LOT of attention to the following things:
1. Gender
2. Race
3. Inequality
4. Poverty

So many sessions and panels were about these things.

9/Overall, my personal impression is the econ profession is becoming a more reasonable and pleasant one. The tangle of methodological arrogance, political conservatism, sexism, and status-worship for which it has become notorious is slowly receding into history.

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