Increasing Participation and Access to Economic Associations and Their Services

Elaine F Frey; Jill L Caviglia-Harris; Patrick Walsh

doi:10.1017/age.2020.21

Increasing Participation and Access to Economic Associations and Their Services

Agric Resour Econ Rev. 2020 Oct 29;50(1):1-21. doi: 10.1017/age.2020.21.

Authors

Elaine F Frey^{1

2}, Jill L Caviglia-Harris³, Patrick Walsh⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Economics, California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA.
² California State University, Fullerton, CA, USA (current affiliation).
³ Department of Economics and Finance and Department of Environmental Studies, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA.
⁴ Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research, Lincoln, New Zealand.

Abstract

Discussions about increasing diversity in economics have ignored the role that associations play in the engagement of underrepresented economists. We continue work on diversity and inclusion in the Northeastern Agriculture and Resource Economics Association (NAREA) and other associations by analyzing membership and meeting attendance to promote diversity in economics. We estimate a vector error correction model (VECM) to identify the determinants of membership and meeting attendance and use member survey data to model membership and meeting attendance behavior. We find inequalities across gender, income, and professional status. Recommendations include locating meetings in accessible cities, increasing networking opportunities, and providing more services supporting underrepresented groups.

Keywords: A11; J71; diversity; economists; inclusion; professional development.

Grants and funding

EPA999999/ImEPA/Intramural EPA/United States