Broadening the Economic Perspective on Discrimination

Aislinn Bohren, associate professor of economics at the University of Pennsylvania, will examine new approaches in economics to the study of discrimination. From outlining how economics has traditionally measured discrimination as a causal concept stemming from taste-based and statistical sources, as well as more recent accounts involving biased or inaccurate beliefs, Bohren will expand to broader definitions, drawing on examples from economics, legal contexts (e.g., disparate impact) and computer science (e.g., algorithmic fairness) which motivate a framework that incorporates both direct and systemic components. She will conclude by presenting recent work in this area and connecting these ideas to related fields.