Excavating for economics in africana studies

Mason, Patrick L. (2008): Excavating for economics in africana studies. Published in: Journal of Black Studies , Vol. 38, No. 5 (2008): pp. 731-757.

Abstract

For 30 years, Africana Studies has developed as an interdisciplinary field. Although much attention has been paid within the field to the humanities and arts, much less has been paid to the social sciences, particularly economics. This analysis documents the presence of economists and economics course content among Africana Studies programs. The authors also discuss the presence of economists and economic content among leading general interest journals in Africana Studies and of economics content in several influential Africana Studies texts. Only 1.72% of the faculty members in leading Africana Studies departments are economists, and economics course content among Africana Studies programs is anemic. Also, there is little economics content in Africana journals, particularly peer-reviewed journals. Recommendations include incorporating accessible economics texts into course reading lists; encouraging African American students to take economics, calculus, and statistics; teaching statistics and economic theory in the context of course content; and adding economists to the editorial boards of Black Studies journals.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: black studies; Africana studies; African American studies; interdisciplinary studies; Black political economy; African American economists; Africana Studies; African American intellectual history
• Subjects: J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J15 - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants ; Non-labor Discrimination; A - General Economics and Teaching > A2 - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics; A - General Economics and Teaching > A1 - General Economics > A14 - Sociology of Economics

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