Why Diversity Matters
The field of economics touches upon all aspects of life- from an individual's consumption choice to global trends spanning countries. And yet, the economists who constitute this social science are not representative of the very society they study.
This lack of diversity in the economics profession, relative to a diverse society, points to inefficiencies in the allocation of talent within the labor market. Compounding this inefficiency, is the missed opportunity for better research; diversity in researcher background leads to diversity in research topics and approaches.
This lack of diversity in the economics profession, relative to a diverse society, points to inefficiencies in the allocation of talent within the labor market. Compounding this inefficiency, is the missed opportunity for better research; diversity in researcher background leads to diversity in research topics and approaches.
Our Mission
Our goal is to increase representation in economics by dismantling barriers to participation in our field and confronting bias. We recognize that we operate within a discipline with a long history of systemic exclusion of students and scholars based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, or other historically oppressed identities. Making economics more inclusive will require breaking down these systems and building new ones that facilitate broader, more diverse, and more equitable scholarship.
We provide academic opportunities and a supportive community for women and members of all gender identities/expressions who are part of traditionally underrepresented groups to successfully complete their Ph.D. in economics. Looking past the Ph.D. program, we are invested in building an inclusive economics community through diverse faculty recruitment, graduate admissions, and undergraduate mentorship. We maintain a public and vocal presence advocating for underrepresented economists through this website and our associated blog.
We provide academic opportunities and a supportive community for women and members of all gender identities/expressions who are part of traditionally underrepresented groups to successfully complete their Ph.D. in economics. Looking past the Ph.D. program, we are invested in building an inclusive economics community through diverse faculty recruitment, graduate admissions, and undergraduate mentorship. We maintain a public and vocal presence advocating for underrepresented economists through this website and our associated blog.
BEE is committed to upholding values that reflect the gender diversity of our society. We welcome feedback on promoting non-gender conforming language. Research on discrimination in the social sciences shows that identity matters in the market economy; for that reason, we inevitably use language that reflects the binary or categorical nature in which gender, race, and ethnicity are treated in the marketplace.