Discriminatory Practices

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations
commentary
What the First-Ever EU LGBTIQ Strategy Means for Rainbow Families with Children
Natalie Picken
Dec 21, 2020
EU Observer
Rainbow families can face challenges because of ongoing discrimination against LGBTIQ people. The first-ever EU strategy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, nonbinary, intersex, and queer equality unveiled in November sets out actions and initiatives to ensure the safety and equal rights of LGBTIQ people in the EU.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
RAND Commentary Highlights from 2020
Dec 18, 2020
The roughly 400 op-eds and blog posts published by RAND researchers during the year reflected an enormous variety of expertise and perspectives, from remote education to election cybersecurity to the economic harms of racial disparities. Here are 10 highlights that landed in high-profile news outlets.
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Employment and Unemployment
commentary
'Holes Just Big Enough': Unemployment's History with Black Workers
Kathryn A. Edwards @keds_economist
Oct 5, 2020
Los Angeles Times
There's a long-standing accusation leveled at the U.S. unemployment insurance system: that it's structurally racist, deliberately discriminatory from the outset, and remains so today. That claim has been met with doubt. But why doesn't unemployment insurance treat all workers and all earnings the same?
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Black Populations
commentary
Laid Off More, Hired Less: Black Workers in the COVID-19 Recession
Jhacova Williams
Sep 29, 2020
The RAND Blog
As the U.S. economy tries to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are adding workers to their teams, yet one group is being picked last: Black workers. Getting back into a job later could do lasting harm to millions of Black Americans' incomes and wealth accumulation for years.
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Gender Equity in the Workplace
commentary
The Link Between Workplace Diversity and the Gender Pay Gap
Christopher M. Whaley @cm_whaley, Anupam B. Jena
Aug 15, 2020
USA Today
Many factors explain the gender earnings gap, including workplace biases, differences in how credit is attributed, and differences in how men and women negotiate. But another factor could influence the pay women receive: the number of men in their workplace.
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Incarceration
commentary
Elevating Equity in Los Angeles Juvenile and Criminal Justice Reform
Margaret Chamberlin, Stephanie Brooks Holliday
Aug 12, 2020
The RAND Blog
At age 13, Black children are placed in juvenile detention at nearly 3.5 times the rate of white children. By age 17, that ratio increases to 4.5 to 1. And the trend continues into adulthood. Without ongoing attention and deliberate policies and programs, injustices are likely to persist.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Reopenining Schools, Affordable Housing, Unemployment: RAND Weekly Recap
Jul 24, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on the debate about reopening schools, how a decline in commercial real estate demand could help address the housing crisis, challenges facing the U.S. unemployment system, and more.
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Summer Learning
blog
COVID Learning Loss, Russian Trolls, Artificial Intelligence: RAND Weekly Recap
Jul 17, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on helping students recover learning losses, fighting Russian trolls, racial disparity in unemployment benefits, the race for AI leadership, and more.
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Racial Discrimination
commentary
Confederate Statues Symbolize Role of Racism in America
Thomas S. Szayna
Jul 16, 2020
United Press International
Monuments are public art and symbols important to those who hold power. The renewed debate about monuments to historical figures associated with the Confederacy is part of the larger debate about the role of racism in the United States and the treatment of African Americans by institutions.
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Racial Discrimination
commentary
The Racial Disparity in Unemployment Benefits
Kathryn A. Edwards @keds_economist
Jul 15, 2020
The RAND Blog
Economic racial inequality in America cannot be solved through unemployment insurance, but it certainly shouldn't be exacerbated by it. And yet, Black workers are less financially supported during unemployment, simply by virtue of where they live.
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Police-Community Relations
blog
Protests and Police Reform, Facial Recognition, Gun Policies: RAND Weekly Recap
Jun 19, 2020
This weekly recap focuses on protests and police reform after the killing of George Floyd, facial recognition bans, gun policies that likely reduce deaths, and more.
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Police-Community Relations
q&a
Protests and Police Reform: Q&A with RAND Experts
Jun 18, 2020
The RAND Blog
After the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and subsequent nationwide protests, the United States is seeing urgent action to reform policing. Here are insights from four RAND researchers who work on policing and community safety issues.
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Emerging Technologies
commentary
Bans on Facial Recognition Are Naive. Hold Law Enforcement Accountable for Its Abuse
Osonde A. Osoba @OsondeOsoba, Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung
Jun 17, 2020
The Hill
Broader police reform may be difficult to achieve. But in the long run, it will be more effective than any specific technology ban.
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Gender Equity in the Workplace
commentary
Equal Pay for Equal Work: How Binding Pay Transparency Measures May Help
Michaela Bruckmayer
May 12, 2020
Encompass
More than 60 years ago, the EU introduced the principle of equal pay for equal work for men and women. But a gender pay gap persists in most countries. In 2014, a European Commission Recommendation encouraged measures to aid pay transparency, but implementation has been limited.
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Immigrants and Emigrants
commentary
The Public Charge Rule's Likely Hazard to Our Nation's Health During COVID-19
Kathryn Pitkin Derose
Apr 6, 2020
The Hill
The Public Charge rule makes immigrants who receive Medicaid and other publicly-funded benefits potentially ineligible for green cards, and, in some cases, subjects them to deportation. Fear and reluctance to seek assistance among immigrants is likely to worsen during the COVID-19 epidemic.
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Health Disparities
commentary
Incarceration Rates: A Key Measure of Health in America
Carolyn E. Miller, Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung
Apr 3, 2020
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health blog
There's widespread agreement that incarceration has adverse effects on health and health equity, not just for prisoners but also for families and communities. That's one important reason why incarceration in the United States needs to be reduced.
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Discriminatory Practices
commentary
Did No One Audit the Apple Card Algorithm?
Osonde A. Osoba @OsondeOsoba
Nov 21, 2019
The RAND Blog
Complex, opaque technologies like artificial intelligence provide significant benefits to society. But those benefits don't eliminate the need for accountability and transparency.
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Health Care Costs
blog
Drug Prices, China, Workplace Harassment: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 27, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on U.S. prescription drug prices, how not to confront China, sexual harassment in today's workplace, and more.
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Sexual Harassment
q&a
Sexual Harassment in Today's Rapidly Changing Workplace
Sep 23, 2019
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Carra Sims, a senior behavioral and social scientist, has studied sexual harassment in the workplace for over a decade. In this Q&A, she discusses the changes that have taken place in recent years and the issue of accountability in matrixed organizations and in the gig economy.
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Afghanistan
blog
AI Bias, Opioids, Afghanistan: RAND Weekly Recap
Mar 15, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on the danger of artificial intelligence bias, infants with opioid withdrawal symptoms, peace talks in Afghanistan, and more.
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Artificial Intelligence
q&a
The Promise and Perils of AI: Q&A with Douglas Yeung
Feb 27, 2019
Douglas Yeung, a social psychologist at RAND, discusses how any technology reflects the values, norms, and biases of its creators. Bias in artificial intelligence could have unintended consequences. He also warns that cyber attackers could deliberately introduce bias into AI systems.
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Female Populations
commentary
Book Review: 'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone
Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc
Feb 19, 2019
Modern War Institute (West Point)
'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone is the story of Elizebeth Friedman, the mother of modern cryptoanalysis and cryptography. She broke coded messages of organized crime, broke the Nazi Enigma cryptography machine, and deciphered, mapped, and monitored Nazi activities in South America, though it is her husband William who often gets credit.
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Migrants
commentary
Berlin Protests Highlight Need for Sound Employment Discrimination Laws in Germany
Laura Kupe
Nov 15, 2018
American Institute for Contemporary German Studies
Germany has a legal tradition and a strong constitution that promotes equality for all those living within its borders. That tradition could end up being a factor as German policymakers consider whether it is advantageous for the nation as a whole that the newest members of its society should have the necessary legal protections to succeed socially and economically.
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Discriminatory Practices
commentary
Intentional Bias Is Another Way Artificial Intelligence Could Hurt Us
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung
Oct 22, 2018
Scientific American
Conversations about unconscious bias in artificial intelligence often focus on algorithms unintentionally causing disproportionate harm to entire swaths of society. But the problem could run much deeper. Society should be on guard for the possibility that nefarious actors could deliberately introduce bias into AI systems.
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Artificial Intelligence
commentary
Keeping Artificial Intelligence Accountable to Humans
Osonde A. Osoba @OsondeOsoba
Aug 20, 2018
TechCrunch
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are often only as intelligent and fair as the data used to train them. To enable AI that frees humans from bias instead of reinforcing it, experts and regulators must think more deeply not only about what AI can do, but what it should do—and then teach it how.
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Immigration Legislation
commentary
Restoring Asylum Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence
Douglas C. Ligor @DougLigor, Lisa H. Jaycox
Jun 25, 2018
The Hill
Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded asylum protections earlier this month for victims of domestic violence. The decision and the supporting analysis goes against decades of research on violence against women. Congress could reverse the decision by amending the asylum law.
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Civil Rights
commentary
From Florida's Farm Fields, Lessons for #MeToo and Other Movements
Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis
Jun 15, 2018
United Press International
Organizers who want to bring about social change would do well to look to Florida farmworkers. They took on the low wages, physical abuse, and vulnerability that have long characterized agricultural labor in the United States—and won, changing the culture for the better.
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Artificial Intelligence
q&a
The Human Side of Artificial Intelligence: Q&A with Osonde Osoba
May 1, 2018
Osonde Osoba has been exploring AI since age 15. He says it's less about the intelligence and more about being able to capture how humans think. He is developing AI to improve planning and is also studying fairness in algorithmic decisionmaking in insurance pricing and criminal justice.
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Data Privacy
blog
'Alexa, What Do You Know About Me, and Who Are You Telling?'
Mar 1, 2018
RAND experts held a wide-ranging discussion about artificial intelligence and privacy. They raised questions about fairness and equity regarding privacy and data use, while also highlighting positive trends and developments across the evolving AI-privacy landscape.
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Racial Discrimination
commentary
Discipline Disparities and Discrimination in Schools
Nathan Barrett, Andrew McEachin @AJMcEachin, Jonathan Mills, Jon Valant
Nov 21, 2017
Brookings Institution's Brown Center Chalkboard
In the United States, black and poor students are suspended at much higher rates than their white and non-poor peers. While the existence of these disparities is not controversial, how to interpret the disparities is bitterly disputed.
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Community Health and Well-Being
commentary
Should the Definition of Health Include a Measure of Tolerance?
Robert H. Brook
Feb 15, 2017
The Journal of the American Medical Association
Involving the medical community in helping to measure and increase tolerance could help make individuals and communities healthier. Since hate is both deadly and contagious, now is the time to engage the medical profession in eradicating it.
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Military Personnel
essay
Transgender Troops: Fit to Serve
Aug 18, 2016
The Pentagon's decision to open the ranks to transgender service members was informed by months of RAND research into the costs and numbers involved.
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Discriminatory Practices
commentary
Revisiting Restrictions on Blood Donations from Gay and Bisexual Men
Sarah MacCarthy
Jul 5, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
The FDA does not accept blood from male donors who have had sex with a man in the last 12 months. Is this restriction supported by scientific evidence? Or, is it related to lingering stigma and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS?
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Special Operations Forces
blog
Special Ops Women: A Conversation with Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Apr 26, 2016
Best-selling author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon discusses how recent conflicts changed the role of U.S. military women, the missing story about women in uniform, and more.
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Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations
commentary
At the 2016 Oscars, Transgender Health Issues Are in the Spotlight
Sarah MacCarthy
Feb 26, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
By inviting 'The Danish Girl' to Hollywood's most prestigious awards party, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is helping to shine a spotlight on transgender issues – and reflecting a larger cultural moment at the same time.
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Gender Equity in the Workplace
announcement
RAND Studies Help Inform Pentagon Decision to Open Combat Roles to Women
Feb 5, 2016
RAND researchers addressed topics such as whether members of U.S. special forces are ready to integrate women into their ranks and what lessons may be learned from other militaries that already have integrated women into combat positions.
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HIV and AIDS
commentary
Charlie Sheen and the Enduring Stigma Attached to HIV
Sarah MacCarthy
Dec 29, 2015
KevinMD.com
HIV-related stigma and discrimination remains pervasive despite strides that have been made in fighting the disease. Charlie Sheen reported paying more than $10 million in bribes to keep his HIV status secret before going public recently to put an end to the extortion.
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Military Families
q&a
From Combat to Caregiving: Q&A with Kayla Williams
Mar 6, 2015
Kayla Williams talks about being a female soldier and the spouse of a wounded warrior, why veterans aren't broken and caregivers aren't saints, and more.
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Discriminatory Practices
commentary
'Product of Mexico': Why Have Corporate/Social Responsibility Programs Failed?
Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis
Dec 12, 2014
Newsweek
The Fair Food Program has been a leader in using cooperation, visibility, and accountability to meet the needs of workers, growers, and buyers. Can it be a model for addressing these critical issues in Mexico as well?
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Police-Community Relations
commentary
Data Key to Tackling Racial Profiling in Ferguson
K. Jack Riley @K_Jack_Riley
Aug 21, 2014
Cincinnati Enquire
Authorities in Ferguson would be wise to consider following Cincinnati's example in dealing with mistrust between police and citizens after the police shooting of a young black man. The city embarked on a thorough examination of racial profiling by its police force and took steps to deal with the perception that bias was influencing the way police officers performed their duties.
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Discriminatory Practices
commentary
Wal-Mart Chooses Fairness, Giving Farmworkers a Boost
Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis
Feb 7, 2014
Orlando Sentinel
The recent commitment by Wal-Mart Stores to the Fair Food Program is a transformational moment in the decades-long struggle for fair treatment of agricultural workers in America but the decision is hardly the last human-rights battle to be won on behalf of this long-oppressed work force.
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Terrorism Threat Assessment
commentary
More Secure or Less Free?
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis
Dec 17, 2012
The RAND Blog
It is thus not surprising that people report a willingness to trade convenience, money, and liberty for security. Legal precedent reinforces that decreased civil liberties may be accepted when confronting existential threats with demonstrably effective security—to a point, writes Henry H. Willis.
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Religion and Civil Society
commentary
Victims of Terrorism-by-Mistaken-Identity
Jonah Blank
Aug 8, 2012
The RAND Blog and GlobalSecurity.org
Perpetrators of hate-crimes against Sikhs often think they're attacking Muslims. This may not make the slaughter any more or less heinous, but it's another example of hatred flowing from ignorance, writes Jonah Blank.
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Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation
essay
Gays in the Military: New Facts Conquer Old Taboos
Bernard D. Rostker, Susan D. Hosek, Mary E. Vaiana
Apr 29, 2011
RAND's updated research on sexual orientation and U.S. military personnel policy played a role in the likely repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' But it also tells a story of how public opinion has shifted on the issue since we first studied it in 1993.
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Law Enforcement
commentary
The Decline of Racial Profiling
Greg Ridgeway, Nelson Lim
Jul 30, 2009
CNN.com
President Obama called the arrest of Professor Henry Gates a "teachable moment." This is a moment to learn the facts of race and policing these days. Racial profiling has indeed been an ugly reality for many years. But our research finds little evidence that it continues to be a major problem, write Greg Ridgeway and Nelson Lim.
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Police-Community Relations
commentary
Police Need to Do a Better Job of Explaining Stop-and-Frisk
K. Jack Riley @K_Jack_Riley, Greg Ridgeway
Dec 6, 2007
New York Daily News
Good relations between the police and the public are a cornerstone of civil society. Everyday interactions between cops and citizens are at the heart of what defines those relations, write Jack Riley and Greg Ridgeway.
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commentary
Racial Profiling Won't Stop Terror
K. Jack Riley @K_Jack_Riley, Greg Ridgeway
Oct 11, 2006
The Washington Post's Think Tank Town
Logical as it may seem to a fearful traveling public, a profiling policy focusing on people who appear to be “flying while Muslim” would be extraordinarily difficult to implement and counterproductive. There are more than 1 billion Muslims in the world and only a tiny fraction are members of a terrorist group.
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commentary
Selecting for Security
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Jul 26, 2005
Newsday
The recent decision to conduct random searches of backpacks and packages carried by passengers on New York and Boston subways, commuter trains, and buses has provoked controversy. Americans want better security, but remain wary about how it is provided.
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commentary
Measuring Racial Profiling by Police
K. Jack Riley @K_Jack_Riley, Greg Ridgeway
Jul 6, 2004
Law Enforcement News
We all want to know whether racial profiling is taking place in communities, but we won't get those answers from incomplete data. Unless we take the time to ask the right questions and get the right answers, the truth about how much racial profiling is really going on will remain unknown.
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