Published Paper
Published Paper
Keywords: Racial inequality beliefs; Diversity and inclusion; Popular culture; Quasi-experiment
Abstract: This study examines how heightened racial representation shapes beliefs about the causes of racial inequality. To explore this, it focuses on the unprecedented diverse racial representation in the 2016 Tony Awards, a prominent American entertainment award celebrating excellence in Broadway theater. Leveraging the 2016 General Social Survey data in a quasi-experimental setting, the analysis investigates the change in beliefs among respondents interviewed before and after the Tony Awards. The results indicate that individuals are less likely to perceive discrimination as the primary cause of African Americans' social disadvantage after the Awards. This effect is heterogeneous across demographic and social groups, particularly impacting white individuals and Republicans. This study suggests that engagement with cultural products highlighting progress toward diverse racial representation may lead to a temporary underestimation of persistent racial discrimination, even in the presence of enduring inequality.
Keywords: Racial Segregation; Ethnic Diversity; Population Growth; Rank
Abstract: As the United States undergoes demographic shifts where multiple racial and ethnic groups increasingly coexist, understanding how these changing compositions affect residential segregation is crucial. We demonstrate that segregation responds to the rank of racial minority groups by population size---not only their absolute group population sizes. We use U.S. census data from 1990, 2000, and 2010 to show that segregation follows rank-triggered tipping: segregation increases when the relative ranking of minority groups changes. Holding group population shares constant, both across groups within the same county and within the same group over time, a higher rank is associated with higher segregation. Ranks concentrate neighborhood change in specific locations: White flight and minority clustering intensify in census tracts where the higher-ranked group already has a substantial presence. Our findings reveal that residential sorting operates through two complementary mechanisms: traditional share-based tipping (driven by absolute population sizes) and rank-triggered tipping (driven by relative group size). These findings help explain the persistence of segregation across different minority groups and temporal variation in segregation within the same locations, advancing our understanding of how demographic diversity translates into segregation.
Keywords: Workplace Gender Inequality; Social Movement; Sexual Harassment
Abstract: While progress has been made toward gender equality, gender gaps in the workplace persist despite legal protections and organizational interventions. This study examines social movements as an underexplored factor shaping labor market outcomes by analyzing the #MeToo movement, during which women shared their experiences of sexual harassment on online platforms. Exploiting temporal variations before and after the #MeToo movement and geographical variations in #MeToo interest across the United States, the analysis shows that the #MeToo movement increases female labor market participation in metro areas with high #MeToo interest relative to ones with low #MeToo interest. Wages for female workers also rise, particularly in gender-segregated occupations. These changes are accompanied by increases in reporting of workplace sex crime and female managerial representation. The findings suggest that the #MeToo movement helps address sexual harassment and underlying gender inequality, leading to improvements in female labor market outcomes. Overall, this paper underscores the economic impact of public collective action.