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Source: Digital Commons@ Illinois Wesleyan University (DC@IWU)
Resulting in 6 citations.
1. De Serf, Megan
The Effects of Family, Social and Background Factors on Children's Educational Attainment
Honors Project Paper 8, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2002.
Also: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/econ_honproj/8
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Digital Commons@ Illinois Wesleyan University (DC@IWU)
Keyword(s): Educational Attainment; Parental Influences; Racial Differences; Socioeconomic Background; Undergraduate Research

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

In a perfect world, children of all races, socioeconomic backgrounds, and family types would not only have the opportunity to receive a higher education, but they would also take full advantage of these opportunities. The educational level of children in the ghettos of Chicago or St. Louis would be equal to their suburban counterparts. However, it is not a perfect world, and educational attainment of children and young adults from varying backgrounds differ greatly. Do some children have advantages that are not available to other children with differing backgrounds? In educational and economic studies, it has been found that background variables including family income, family type, family size, and parents' education are determinants of the amount and quality of education children receive over their lifetime (Jones, 1999; Rosetti, 2000). It is evident that familial and parental factors can either benefit or harm the chances of children receiving an education and excelling in a scholastic environment. More importantly to this paper, the disparity in educational levels among children and adults of different racial backgrounds has led scholars to question whether the background variables mentioned above have different effects dependent on specific racial groups.
Bibliography Citation
De Serf, Megan. "The Effects of Family, Social and Background Factors on Children's Educational Attainment." Honors Project Paper 8, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2002.
2. Hample, Kelsey
Intergenerational Transfer of Human Capital among Immigrant Families
Honors Project Paper 105, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2010.
Also: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/econ_honproj/105
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Digital Commons@ Illinois Wesleyan University (DC@IWU)
Keyword(s): Earnings; Human Capital; Immigrants; Intergenerational Patterns/Transmission; Parental Investments; Undergraduate Research

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

While immigrants in the United States tend to earn less than comparable natives, their children close the earnings gap. The purpose of this study is to determine how differences in intergenerational transfer of human capital between immigrant families and native families affect different earning outcomes for respondents of each group. Specifically, this study uses a human capital framework to analyze both the direct effect of parental education on respondent earnings and the indirect effect on earnings by first affecting respondent education, which in turn affects respondent earnings. Data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth allows background variables within a family from 1979 to be related to respondent earnings in 2006. Thus, human capital investments made by parents can be linked to respondent outcomes several years later. The analysis shows that while parental education is a strong predictor of respondent education and earnings in the native population, it is weaker for second generation immigrants. Perhaps second generation immigrants overcome deficiencies in their parents' human capital through higher levels of motivation.
Bibliography Citation
Hample, Kelsey. "Intergenerational Transfer of Human Capital among Immigrant Families." Honors Project Paper 105, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2010.
3. Ingrum, Adrienne
High School Dropout Determinants: The Effect of Socioeconomic Status and Learning Disabilities
The Park Place Economist, Volume XIV, 73-79. Honors Project Paper 24, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2006.
Also: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/econ_honproj/24
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Digital Commons@ Illinois Wesleyan University (DC@IWU)
Keyword(s): Disability; Disadvantaged, Economically; High School Dropouts; Modeling, Logit; Socioeconomic Status (SES); Undergraduate Research

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Considering the growing importance of higher education due to increased global competition, one might wonder why some students still opt to drop out of high school. Previous literature has focused on a number of determinants of high school dropouts, such as socioeconomic status and learning disabilities. However, this literature has not systematically explored the interaction between these two variables. Therefore, my research extends past literature by focusing on this interaction. A logit model is used to predict the dichotomous variable, high school dropouts, and to run simulations with varying values of the independent variables. The results show that low socioeconomic status, learning disabilities, and most importantly the interaction between these two variables increase the likelihood of dropping out of high school for students facing these challenges.
Bibliography Citation
Ingrum, Adrienne. "High School Dropout Determinants: The Effect of Socioeconomic Status and Learning Disabilities." The Park Place Economist, Volume XIV, 73-79. Honors Project Paper 24, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2006.
4. Kirkpatrick, Britanny
The Gender Wage Ratio: Does it Differ Between Races?
Honors Project Paper 20, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2006.
Also: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/econ_honproj/20
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Digital Commons@ Illinois Wesleyan University (DC@IWU)
Keyword(s): Economics of Gender; Economics of Minorities; Gender Differences; Undergraduate Research; Wage Gap; Wages, Men; Wages, Women

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

In 1964 the Civil Rights Act made it illegal for employers to discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin (Coleman, 2003). This act was passed to help bring equality to men and women of all races; however, a gender wage gap still exists. Up until the 1970s it was estimated that women made only 60% compared to their male counterparts in earnings. Since then the wage difference between men and women has continually decreased due to the large number of women entering the labor force, the outlawing of gender discrimination, and an increase in the number of women attending colleges and professional schools (Stone, 2004). According to Blau, in 2003 women earned 76% of men's wages (2006).

An even more interesting aspect of the gender wage gap is the way it differs between blacks and whites. For instance, in 1975 white women earned 42.5% less than white men, while today white women earn only 21 % less than white men (Green, 2005). Similarly, black women also earn less than black men, but not by as much of a margin. In fact, in 1975 black women earned 24.9% less than black men and in 2003 they earned only 10.7% less (Green, 2005). Although there have been many studies to understand why the gender wage gap exists, there have been few studies done to understand how the gap differs across racial groups and the role that labor force attachment plays in explaining the female-male wage ratio.

This study examines the effects of labor force attachment in determining wages for black women, black men, white women, and white men. It follows a cohort of black and white men and women from 1980 through 2002 in order to explore the effect of labor force attachment on the female-male wage ratio. Section II reviews the related literature, section III explains the empirical model, section IV reveals the results, and section VI conducts counterfactual analysis of the results.

Bibliography Citation
Kirkpatrick, Britanny. "The Gender Wage Ratio: Does it Differ Between Races?." Honors Project Paper 20, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2006.
5. Munday, Amber
Neighborhood Effects and the Development of Cognitive Ability: A Re-examination of The Bell Curve
Honors Project Paper 78, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2001.
Also: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/econ_honproj/78
Cohort(s): NLSY79
Publisher: Digital Commons@ Illinois Wesleyan University (DC@IWU)
Keyword(s): Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT); I.Q.; Neighborhood Effects; Racial Differences; Schooling; Undergraduate Research

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

"The average black and white differ in IQ at every level of socioeconomic status..." state Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray in 1994's controversial book, The Bell Curve (269). Implicit in this statement is the idea that blacks are genetically less intelligent than whites, and it is because of this, that the gap in black and white median incomes persists. Herrnstein and Murray believe that the portion of IQ, as measured by the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT), that is influenced by environmental factors is virtually irrelevant. This is due to the fact that less intelligent people live in less desirable environments because of their lower earning potential. My research provides a more optimistic conclusion regarding the future earnings potential of the youth of the rmdisadvantaged. Regression analysis shows that AFQT scores are, in fact, dependent on neighborhood characteristics, especially measures of school quality. The data also show that poor neighborhood conditions affect whites as well as blacks. The resulting implications suggest that the racial divergence in AFQT scores, and the future earnings that they predict, could be the culminating result of the years of segregation of blacks into areas with poorer neighborhood conditions, rather than a function of some genetic difference. Policy implications of this research support the need to equalize public schools and other neighborhood conditions in order to provide equal opportunities for all.
Bibliography Citation
Munday, Amber. "Neighborhood Effects and the Development of Cognitive Ability: A Re-examination of The Bell Curve." Honors Project Paper 78, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2001.
6. Oehrlein, Paul
Determining the Future Income of College Students
Honors Project Paper 99, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2009.
Also: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/econ_honproj/99
Cohort(s): NLSY97
Publisher: Digital Commons@ Illinois Wesleyan University (DC@IWU)
Keyword(s): College Education; Financial Investments; Income Distribution; Modeling, OLS; Undergraduate Research

Permission to reprint the abstract has not been received from the publisher.

Many people invest a lot of money in order to go to college with the hope that they will eventually be rewarded with higher salaries. This paper attempts to determine what aspects of college are most important in determining the future income of students. In particular, this paper studies whether GPA is an important determinant of income as well as whether some majors are better investments than others after controlling for other factors. In addition, the effect of math and verbal ability on income and how they interact with different fields of study are studied. The data comes from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth database and ordinary least-squares regressions are used. The regressions show that grades, natural ability, and major all significantly affect income.
Bibliography Citation
Oehrlein, Paul. "Determining the Future Income of College Students." Honors Project Paper 99, Department of Economics, Illinois Wesleyan University, 2009.