WINTER 2001

This information effective for Winter 2001.
Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.

Economics

[ECON-180]

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180. Labor

Instructor: David E. Kaun

The syllabus for last year's Labor Economics (Econ 180) class follows. This winter's class will be much the same in terms of written assignments and material covered. The text used in this class follows a fairly rigid neo-classical approach to the subject. The course itself will amplify on this approach to include Marxist and Social-Democratic perspectives. It is also worth noting that students will be encouraged to use film as a basis for their final paper. There are a wealth of labor related films (particularly regarding unions, and discrimination), both fictional and documentary, that offer valuable insights into the subject matter that are absent in traditional written materials.

Required Texts:

George J. Borjas; Labor Economics (GB), 1st edition
Randy Albelda, Drago and Shulman, Unlevel Playing Fields (ADS)
Journal Article Reader (available at Slug Books)

Course Outline

Estimated No. of Class Meetings	NOTE: All articles "..." below are in Reader
1	Introduction GB, Ch 1, and ADS, Ch 6
2	Demand for Labor GB, Ch 4 (pp. 101-130)
3	Supply of Labor GB, Ch 2, 3, 4 (pp. 130-151)
2	Labor Market Equilibrium/ Noncompetitive Markets GB, Ch 5 and "Myth and Measurement..."
1	Compensating Wage Differentials GB, Ch 6
3	Human Capital and Mobility GB, Ch 7,8,9 and "The Effects of Tastes and Motivation..."; "The Labor Market Status of Immigrants..."
2	Discrimination GB, Ch 10, ADS, Chs 1 and 2 and "Racial Differences in Professional Basketball..."; "Heterogeneous Human Capital..."; and "Beauty and the Labor Market"
3	Unions GB, Ch 11; Working USA and "Review Symposium: What Do Unions Do?" and "Where Have All the Union Members Gone?"
1	Unemployment (and other topics) GB, Ch 13 (and 12)
2	TBA, but hopefully, class discussion of final papers

Written Work

Please note: decent quality writing is a necessary condition for passing this course. To that end, you will be asked to write a short essay (2-3 typed pages) discussing the article by Orwell, "Politics and the English Language," which is in your reader. This essay should be turned in no later than the third class meeting.

Mid-term exam: Three short in-class exams will be given through the first half of the quarter, announced in advance. These exams will cover material from the text (Labor Economics) up through Chapter 6 and class lectures.

Journal Article Critiques: two short (2-page) responses to any two of the empirical articles in the reader. These short papers should provide an outline of the author's basic argument, with your own brief commentary to the extent possible. First of these papers due by the end of the 5th week of the quarter; second by the 8th week of the quarter.

Final Paper: Using material from The Unlevel Playing Fields and the last section of the reader (Neo-Classical Theory and its Detractors), contrast what you think are the essential differences between the strict neoclassical approach to labor issues, as given by Borjas in Labor Economics, and the left/radical and institutional alternatives to these views. This paper should be about 7-10 pages and is due on the last day of class, March 14. Note: As an alternative to the issues of minimum wage effects and increasing inequality, you may use examples from film or literature in contrasting the alternative theories.

Final Exam:

Option I. Take home essay exam. Study questions will be available well before the end of the quarter. A subset of these questions will be given immediately following the last class meeting, Tuesday, March 14; answers will be due in my office no later than 5:00 pm, Friday, March 17.

Option II. "Perfect" attendance during second half of course (meaning missing no more than one class for whatever reason), and doing well on first-half quizzes.