#EconTwitter #CEA2021 A short Live Tweet about this amazing panel on diversity and inclusion! Chaired by Thomas Lemieux (UBC), featuring @bdhuey (UofT, @CdnWomenEcon) Césaire Meh (BoC) @DiegoRestuccia (UofT) & Erin Strumpf (McGill). Thank you for organizing @CanEconomics!
Beth Dhuey is sharing personal experience and bad climate in economics.
https://twitter.com/CdnWomenEcon/status/1328374638716530696
Beth worked so hard on the climate survey. We have to move forward on the conversation on whether there is an issue. The climate survey shows that #cdnecon is not better than the US and there is a climate problem. More info on the survey here: economics.ca/cpages/cwec-wo…
Césaire Meh is sharing *his* thoughts. First, the benefits of diversity (a fact) and inclusion (and act). Diverse and inclusive groups make better decisions as shown by research. Diverse and inclusive groups make creative decisions and leads to economics gains!
Second, it is important to *value the research* on diversity and inclusion. The pressure of tenure might discourage people to work on those key issues!
Third, being an allie is a critical element!
Fourth, the power of role models. Students and equity seeking groups need models. It is important to visit high school students and other young groups to be role models to them!
Diego Restuccia is talking about the importance of diversity and inclusion. Research topics must better represent the world. Césaire and Diego both refer to the paper by Hsieh, Hurst, Jones and Klenow (2019). See the article published in Econometrica: klenow.com/HHJK.pdf
Economics does not stand very well in diversity. There has been improvement in the environment, but not enough.
Diego is also talking about the importance of unconscious bias referring to the respective work of Claudia Goldin and Heather Sarsons.
Erin Strumpf is talking about her joint appointment at McGill and how it shows the differences between different departments.
Reference suggested by Erin Strumpf: diversifyingecon.org/index.php?titl…
Dr. Strumpf is referring to the State of the Art Lecture by Dr. Adriana Lleras-Muney. If all the people talking about education, health and childcare have parents with a PhD, we might not have the full view of the situation. That's why it is important to diversify Economics!
Next step is a discussion among the panelists!
Dr. Dhuey is sharing how people often question if her research on childcare and education *is* economics. But thinking about the pandemic, those *are* the key questions we are asking right now! Health care, education, women and labour force, childcare!
All the panelists agree: more diversity in the profession is key to answering the right research questions!
Next question: What can be done to make econ departments more diverse and inclusive?
Dr. Strumpf: Make econ accessible; be creative; recognize it is opportunity and talent, not gender and talent; shift the way of thinking; as an allie, you must prepare ahead what you will say in situations where someone has to stand up.
Dr. Dhuey: Stop engaging with people who are not allies; decolonize the undergrad curriculum; we must be teaching diversity; get diverse scholars in the earlier classes AND reward those scholars for that! 👏👏👏👏
Dr. Restuccia: the profession is very decentralized making the issue of unconscious bias particularly problematic; gender biases in letters of recommendations; fight the aspects we think are not there, but are! See the article by Romer and Wolfers aeaweb.org/content/file?i…
Dr. Meh: departments must implement the best practices for conducting research by AEA aeaweb.org/resources/best…; departments must have targets and clear plans to achieve the targets and be accountable for those plans.
A good question from the audience on whether it should be a choice by departments/institutions or if it should be enforced. Dr. Restuccia recognize that people agree on making the changes, but that imposing changes might not be ideal. e.g. journal referee system in economics
Dr. Meh highlights that it is an even better outcome whether initiatives to diversity come from the department itself rather than imposed by the university.
Dr. Dhuey: It is not a diversity vs. quality debate!
The emphasis on top 5 publications and work that replicates in the US should be requestioned. Perhaps there is too much weight on a narrow set of topics.
We need disaggregated data on diversity! - Dr. Meh
A key question on why there is no committee in Canada on racialized economists. Dr. Dhuey recognizes that she cannot talk on behalf of all minority groups.
Dr. Meh is discussing the practices implemented at the Bank of Canada. For example, the Bank recently hired a Diversity and Inclusion expert. Dr. Dhuey acknowledges that econ departments should take example of the Bank's initiatives!
And that's the end of the panel. We hope you enjoyed the live tweet, especially those who could not attend the panel! :)
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