Question

Please I need answer for This question I have assignment for this subjects . Please be brief and to the point . Write than 3 pages (maximum),but It is enough to give the name of the authors Only legible answers will be considered.Thanks in advance/Ha

!-What are Structural discrimination in the housing market in Sweden?.Give an overview of the theories of discrimination used in economics. What are the main differences between these theories?

Answer 1

Discrimination means treating a person or a particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way from the way in which one treat other people because of their skin color, creed, sex, religion etc.It's affects people's opportunities ,their well-being, low self esteem, fear and stress as well as poor health.

Structural discrimination is a general and indirect form of discrimination.It can be defined as a form of institutional discrimination against individuals of a given protected characterstic such as race or gender which has the effect of restriciting their opportunities.It primarily relates to the ways in which common behavior and equal legislation and norms for everybody can affect and obscure discriminatory intent.It refers to rules, norms,routines and pattern of attitudes and behavior in institutions and other societal structures that represents obstacles to groups or individuals in achieving the same rights and opportunities that are available to the majority of the population. It may be either intentional or nonintentional and it may involve either public or private institutional policies.

Structural discrimination consisit of institutional discrimination and cultural discrimination.Institutional discrimination includes norms, rules, regulations, procedures and defined positions that determine access to resources.Cultural discrimination is the widely shared system of categorization, stereotypes and social paradigms, that among other things distinguishes 'us' and 'them'.The result of structural discrimination is that the patterns of interaction among groups within society exclude identified groups or individuals on the basis of concrete traits.

Nature of structural discrimination

-General and indirect in nature

-it occurs intentionally or unintentionally but the intention does not change its consequences.

-it can be hidden and perceived as normal or natural.

Structural discrimination in the housing market in Sweden

Sweden is a country that located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe.Sweden is a land where culturally related racism is common.It is formulated in terms of stereotypical assumptions concerning the cultures of immigrants and and the cultures of swedes, often as completely different and incompatible.There are so many events that have functioned in Sweden for eradicating this discrimination,but they not have functioned as 'eye openers' in the same way.The main reason for this is a widespread denial.

Sweden is popularly assumed, lacks a history of racism and oppression of ethnic minorities.Sweden's history is a part of Europe's history.The same racism that arose and spread in Europe has thus occured, and occurs in Sweden.For example, people from Africa and Asia has been widely disseminated in Sweden, being almost a part of popular culture.In Sweden, the immigrants considered as a threat or a problem.Immigrant men are often pictured as prone to crime and immigrant women are often pictured as passive and repressed.Some groups clearly have harder time establishing themselves on the housing market.That cities are ethnically segregated in apparent , as well as connection between segregation class and the situation on the labor market.

Even in regard to the segregation that exists in Sweden, an ethnic hierarchy can be seen.A person's labor market situation explains some of the segregation, but since some groups of immigrants have a worse housing situation inspite of a better work situation, it is reasonable to conclude that the surrounding society's views concerning a person's physical characterstics and culture affects their housing opportunities.

Housing market discrimination occurs when individual receive differential treatment based on personal factors such as ethnicity or gender.The increased difficulties of some groups face in gaining access to a suitable and well located apartment is an example of such discrimination.Compare to the ethnic majority potential tenants belonging to an ethnic minority usually receive fewer respose to their inquiries on apartments and shown and offered fewer housing units and may be invited to less apartment viewings.

Theories of discrimination in Economics

In Economics dicrimination is associated with the factors that includes job availability, wages,price and availability of goods and services and the amount of capital investment funding available to minorities for business.This can include discrimination against workers,consumers and minority owned businesses.Economists have proposed a number of theories about discriminations in the labour market.Following are the main discrimination theories that used in Economics:

-neoclassical theory

-institutional theory

-Theory of statistical discrimination

Neoclassical theory

According to neoclassical theory it predicts that the profit maximisation considerations by competitve firms would ensure that all workers are paid their marginal revenue product.If one group od workers systematically paid less than another it should be that the group differ in their productivity. But if workers of equal productivity are paid differently, then there is discrimination.Therefore, discrimination is due to a failure of competition that allows non profit maximising behavior to persist.

Institutional theory

According to this theory it believe that the causes of labor market disadvantage are structural, built into the institutions of the economy , therefore, efforts has to be put into tackling the low pay and poor working conditions of secondary labor market jobs.Competiton alone will not do this, nor will remove the barriers that workers trapped in such jobs face in getting into better jobs.The theory tend to focus more on explaining why there are some jobs in which workers suffer labor market disadvantage.

theory of statistical discrimination

According to this theory ineqaulity may exist and persist between demographic groups even when economic agents are rational and non-prejudiced.

Difference between theories of discrimination in Economics

Neoclassic theory handle with the result of differences between individuals in inherent abilities or in taste that lead individuals to invest differently in human capital.It explain labot market disadvantage by the characterstics of the individuals filling the jobs. They focus on supply side of the labor market.It is more individual based concept.They also explain why some employers may discriminate in their employment practises.

In other hand institutional theory explained  why workers of certain jobs face suffer labor market disadvantage and why members of a group or individuals face institutional barriers to move into better jobs.This theory is also limited in generalisation.It also describe the interrelations of the combined forces like monopolistic industries, trade unions,government regulations etc.

Statistical discrimination theory based upon the fact that even the economic agents are rational certain demographic groups may face inequality.Here the discriminated groups are discouraged from participating in the market or from improving their skills.