California State University, Bakersfield

AECO 380: MWF 2:00 pm -3:25 pm – ITV Room A

Gender and Diversity in the Workplace

Dr. Jennifer VanGilder Spring 2006

Phone: 654-2026 Office: BDC 230

Fax: 654-2438 Office Hours: MWF 10:00 am – 11:00 am

E-mail: MW 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

http://www.csub.edu/~jvangilder and by appointment

Course Description:

The demographic composition of the labor force is changing around the world. In the United States, an increasing number of individuals who are demographically dissimilar from each other, are working together, more than at any time since the Industrial Revolution. Yet despite these developments in the workplace, economic inequalities along the lines of race, ethnicity and gender, persist. The course addresses the issues of labor market race and gender discrimination. Throughout this course we will seek to examine the economic and societal impacts of differential treatment. We will address these differences from the views of the organization, individual, and society. Finally, we will evaluate the effectiveness of public policies designed to address discrimination will be evaluated using various measurable indicators such as labor for participation rates, income differentials, occupational distribution, human capital accumulation, and household production and time allocation.

Attendance Policy:

Students are responsible for making themselves aware of all California State University – Bakersfield and Economic Department rules and procedures regarding class attendance. Attendance is a key part to a successful grade in this class. Although attendance will not be taken, in-class activities are a percentage of your final grade (i.e. you must be in class to participate in the in-class activities). It is important to note however, when attendance is low, tardiness is becoming a problem, or people decide that only part of the class is worth their time, I have been known to give extra credit points to those present.

Textbooks:

  1. Powell, Gary N., Handbook of Gender and Work, California: Sage Publications, 1999.

**This book is available in the University Bookstore**

  1. Daly, Alfrieda (ed.), Workplace Diversity: Issues Perspectives, Washington, DC: NASW Press, 1998.
  2. Essed, Philomena, Diversity: Gender, Color & Culture, Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1996.
  3. Blau, Francine D., Ferber, Marianne A., and Winkler, Anne E., The Economics of Women, Men, and Work third edition, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998.

**Selected readings from these books will be available at the library circulation desk**

Examinations:

There will be two examinations (midterm and final) given during the quarter. The midterm will be on Monday May 1st. The final will be during the final examination period on Wednesday June 7th from 2:00pm – 4:30pm. The midterm will be a combination of short answers and essay questions of topics covered in class lectures. No make-up exams will be given without a compelling reason which must include supporting certification. Given this information, the instructor reserves sole right to make decision on whether make-up is granted.

In-Class Activities:

You will be expected to participate in in-class activities. These activities will include case studies, worksheets, videos, short group projects, exercises, and discussions. Some activities may require a little out-of-class preparation. There will be no way to make-up missed activities, but each student will be able to drop one missed activity at the end of the quarter. Only compelling reasons with supporting certification will be considered.

Paper:

You have been hired as a consultant by XYZ corporation. Your job is provide an economic analysis in the form of a memorandum of a current event that this firm is experiencing (ie. discrimination charge, reorganization, sexual harassment charge, etc.). Specifically you must:

  1. Choose a current event to be discussed. The event must have been previously described in a newspaper or magazine article published between October 1st 2005 and February 1st 2006. A copy of the article must be attached to your final report.
  2. Briefly review the event you will be discussing
  3. Identify the part(s) of the firm that the event impacts
  4. Utilize the tools of microeconomics (most likely supply and demand) and/or your knowledge of diversity concepts to explain the impact of the event. Be sure to explain clearly how the event impacts the behavior of producers and/or consumers.
  5. Write a memo to the CEO of the corporation including your analysis of the event and any recommendation that you have about how to correct the problem or reduce the chance of the event happening again in the future. The memo should not exceed five pages.

Remember: you have been hired as a MICROECONOMIST. Be sure you do not attempt to provide an analysis of a macroeconomic event.

The report must be completed by May 26th at 1:30 pm

Each day the report is late will result in a reduction of 10% the student can potentially receive for the paper.

If the report is turned in by May 19th by 1:30 pm you will receive a 5% bonus on the paper.

If the report is turned in by May 12th at 1:30 pm you will receive a 10% bonus on the paper

Only hard copies of the report will be accepted, i.e. no e-mail submissions.

Basic Rules to follow for a successful paper
  1. The report must not exceed five pages in length. There will be no minimum page requirement. You must decide how much is necessary to cover your topic.
  1. The report must be typed, double-spaced, in 12 point Times New Roman, with one inch margins, have a title page, and include a bibliography.
  1. The report must have page numbers and be stapled
  1. The report length refers to the length of the text, and does not include illustrations, list of references, or attached article.
  1. All quotations, paraphrases, and ideas that are not your own must be properly cited. Within the text a proper citation should take the following form:

[Authors last name (year published): page numbers]

For example: [VanGilder (2001): 123-134]

  1. Plagiarism is defined as claming ideas as your own that are not your own. If plagiarism is found in your paper you will be penalized to the fullest extent allowed by CSUB. You must clearly cite ideas and words that are not your own. Paraphrasing the ideas of others must also be cited and it must be clearly a restatement of idea (not simply the substitution of one or two words into another person’s statement). If you have questions please come see me.
  1. At the conclusion of the report you will need to include a list of any references you utilized.

For books, please use the following form:

Author’s name. Year published. Title of book. Book publisher. Location of Publisher

For example:

Gould, Stephen Jay. 1996. Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin. Three Rivers Press: New York, New York.

For articles, please use the following form:

Author’s name. Year published. “Title of article.” Title of Journal or Newspaper. Date of Journal or Newspaper article. Location of article in Journal or Newspaper.

For example:

VanGilder, Jennifer and John Robst. (2000) “Atrophy Rates in Male and Female Occupations.” Economic Letters, v.69, n3, pp

  1. All reports should be clear, consistent and correct. You will be graded on how well you communicate your material.

Consider the following outline:

1.  Introduction:
In the introduction you should briefly explain to the reader the event the report is examining
  1. The sections following should take the reader through the main arguments your are offering.
  1. Conclusion

The final section of your report should summarize what your paper examined but also include any concluding remarks

The report should be free of grammatical and spelling errors.

Grade Breakdown:

Midterm ………………….. 30% Monday May 1st

In-class activities……………15%

Term paper ………………… 20%

Final Examination………….. 35% Wednesday June 7th 2:00pm – 4:30pm

Grading Scale:

The grading scale used for this class will be as follows:

100-95 = A

94-90 = A-

89-85 = B+

84-80 = B

79-75 = B-

74-70 = C+

69-65 = C-

64-60 = C

59-50 = D

< 49 = F

Although this is the grading scale slated for this course, the instructor reserves the right to alter the scale to fit the structure of the class.

Academic Dishonesty:

A zero tolerance policy towards academic dishonesty will be utilized within this classroom. Academic dishonesty in this context refers to all aspects of cheating including making information available to another student and plagiarism. The student is responsible for making themselves aware of all California State University – Bakersfield’s policies on academic honesty. Any academic dishonesty detected will immediately result in a grade of F (for the course) for all involved parties.

Classroom Conduct:

Although this class may involve discussion of controversial subjects, it is the instructor’s responsibility to uphold the integrity of the learning environment. Opinions within a discussion framework are encouraged and welcome. As adults we must understand and respect other’s opinions. If confronted with an unreasonable disruption of the classroom, the instructor reserves the right to take action. Such actions can result in disciplinary action ranging from removal from the classroom to suspension from the campus. Please reference the 2001-2003 catalog for additional university policies on classroom behavior.

Disabilities:

If you have a disability or challenge which may require accommodation with respect to completing the requirements of this course under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Office of Disability Services, please contact the instructor immediately.

Course Framework:

  1. Introduction
  2. Examining the Intersection of Gender and Work (Powell p. ix-xx)
  3. Common Sense about the “Other” (Essed p. 6-13)
  4. Women and Men: Changing Roles in a Changing Society (Blau p.12-29)
  5. Gender and Other Identities
  6. Sex and Gender in the New Millennium (Powell p.3-16)
  7. “The Measurement of Psychological Androgyny” (Sandra L. Bem p. 155-162 Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology v42, 1974)
  8. The Color and Culture of Gender in Organizations: Attending to Race and Ethnicity (Powell p. 17-36)
  9. Social Issues, Social Policy, and Workplace Diversity (Daly p. 88-102)
  10. The Economic and Societal Context
  11. Gender and the Changing Nature of Work (Powell p. 37-46)
  12. The Gender Gap in Earnings: Trends, Explanations, and Prospects (Powell p. 95-124)
  13. Trends in Female and Male Wages (Blau p. 235-242)
  14. Differences in Occupations and Earnings: The Human Capital Model (Blau p. 141-183)
  15. The Sex Segregation of Occupations: Prospects for the 21st Century (Powell p. 125-143)
  16. Differences in Occupations and Earnings: Overview (Blau p. 123-140)
  17. Organizational, Group, and Interpersonal Processes
  18. Gender Bias in Interviewers’ Evaluations of Applicants: When and How does it Occur? (Powell p. 145-164)
  19. Group Gender Composition and Work Group Relations: Theories, Evidence, and Issues (Powell p. 179-202)
  20. Working it Out: What Managers Should Know about Gay Men, Lesbians, and Bisexual People and Their Employment Issues (Daly p. 103-115)
  21. A Multiperspective Framework of Sexual Harassment: Reviewing Two Decades of Research (Powell p. 263-280)
  22. Sexual Harassment in a Racial Context (Essed p. 46-56)
  23. Romantic Relationships in Organizational Settings: Something to Talk About (Powell p. 281-306)

If you are having problems with any aspect of the class, PLEASE feel free to come talk to me. I am here to help you.