The Measurement of Discrimination and Inequality
Seminar, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, 2026
A seminar on the conceptual and methodological challenges involved in measuring inequality and discrimination across the social sciences.
Download syllabus (updated weekly)
Description
Measuring inequality and discrimination is a difficult endeavour in which each methodological choice is also an ethically loaded choice. We will read approaches from economics and sociology, as well as recent texts from philosophers who have entered the debate. The goal is to learn to read social-scientific studies with a critical eye, and to gain a sophisticated understanding of the methodological, conceptual, and ethical problems associated with them.
Requirements
- Prepare for the seminars. Read the assigned readings and come with at least one question about them.
- Give a presentation (up to 15 minutes, 30% of the final grade) at the student colloquium in week 12 (11 January) and possibly week 13. Let me know your preferred topic by 30 November.
- Write a term paper based on your presentation, recommended length around 4000 words. See the grading criteria. You may submit an initial version for (ungraded) feedback by 22 February 2027. The deadline is 22 March 2027.
Key dates
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| 30 November 2026 | Preferred presentation topic |
| 11 January 2027 | Student colloquium (presentations) |
| 22 February 2027 | Optional draft of term paper for feedback |
| 22 March 2027 | Term paper deadline |
Schedule
Week 1 (12.10.2026): Introduction and Causal Measurement
Week 2 (19.10.2026): Causal Graphs
Coming soon.
Slides for later weeks will be added here as the course progresses.