Unlevel Playing Fields

Understanding Wage Inequality and Discrimination

By Randy Albelda, Robert Drago, and Steven Shulman

unlevel playing fields cover
Edition:
3rd
Date of publication:
January 2010
ISBN:
978-1-878585-95-0
Pages:
193
Price:
$34.95


Unlevel Playing Fields is an exceptionally accessible, one-volume introduction to wage inequality and discrimination in the United States labor market. The authors contrast two economic theories—neoclassical and political economy—and show how each theory explains labor market inequalities. The authors also offer bold policy proposals to rectify these inequalities. The thoroughly updated third edition includes more than 50 years of employment trends and data.


Praise for Unlevel Playing Fields:

"I used this book as part of a course on poverty and discrimination. The students love it. Many have said it is the best economics book they have ever read."
—Doug Orr, Assistant Professor of Economics, Eastern Washington University

"Unlevel Playing Fields is a great text for introductory-level students. It is very successful in giving students the necessary analytical tools for grappling with important debates about racial and gender wage gaps, labor market discrimination, and affirmative action policies. It is an excellent book to teach from, since the theory is so well presented and it is always grounded in real world issues."
—Carole Biewener, Simmons College

"Unlevel Playing Fields is an excellent, accessible theoretical survey of the economic analysis of race and gender for students with a wide range of backgrounds in economics, including those with no exposure to economics at all. I recommend it very highly."
—Mary King, Portland State University

About the authors:

Randy Albelda is Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Robert Drago is Research Director at the Institute for Women's Policy Research in Washington, DC. Steven Shulman is Professor of Economics at Colorado State University.