IIMB to host research seminar titled Discrimination by teachers: Role of attitudes, beliefs, and empathy
The session will be led by Prof. Devesh Rustagi, University of Warwick, on August 28
21 August, 2025, Bangalore: The Office of Research and Publications (R&P) at IIMB to host a research seminar titled Discrimination by Teachers: Role of attitudes, beliefs, and empathy by Prof. Devesh Rustagi, Economics area, University of Warwick, on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 4:00 PM in Room P22, IIMB.
This seminar explores a pressing question: Do teachers discriminate against students from marginalized groups? Drawing on a large-scale correspondence study with 1,700 teachers in India, Prof. Rustagi and his co-authors uncover that teachers systematically assign lower grades to students with lower-caste surnames.
The study further reveals that many teachers hold pessimistic views regarding the ability, perseverance, occupational prospects, and ritual cleanliness of individuals from lower castes. Importantly, those with stronger pessimistic views engage in greater discrimination. However, the research offers a hopeful insight: an intervention designed to activate empathy effectively eliminates discriminatory behavior, particularly among teachers with higher baseline empathy. These findings provide a proof-of-concept for how understanding mental processes can help design impactful programs to reduce discrimination.
About the Speaker
Prof. Devesh Rustagi, Economics area, University of Warwick, and an invited researcher at J-PAL, MIT. His research lies at the intersection of behavioral economics, development economics, economic history, environmental economics, and political economy.
Prof. Rustagi investigates the origins and persistence of civic values and institutions, how they interact, and how these dynamics shape development, environmental, and political outcomes. He leverages quasi-experimental methods and randomized field experiments, complemented by behavioral experiments, to generate insights that inform public policy.
His ongoing projects span Ethiopia, Germany, India, Switzerland, and the UK. His work has been published in leading journals, including Econometrica, American Economic Review, Journal of Development Economics, and Science.
Click here: Visit his webpage
IIMB to host research seminar titled Discrimination by teachers: Role of attitudes, beliefs, and empathy
The session will be led by Prof. Devesh Rustagi, University of Warwick, on August 28
21 August, 2025, Bangalore: The Office of Research and Publications (R&P) at IIMB to host a research seminar titled Discrimination by Teachers: Role of attitudes, beliefs, and empathy by Prof. Devesh Rustagi, Economics area, University of Warwick, on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 4:00 PM in Room P22, IIMB.
This seminar explores a pressing question: Do teachers discriminate against students from marginalized groups? Drawing on a large-scale correspondence study with 1,700 teachers in India, Prof. Rustagi and his co-authors uncover that teachers systematically assign lower grades to students with lower-caste surnames.
The study further reveals that many teachers hold pessimistic views regarding the ability, perseverance, occupational prospects, and ritual cleanliness of individuals from lower castes. Importantly, those with stronger pessimistic views engage in greater discrimination. However, the research offers a hopeful insight: an intervention designed to activate empathy effectively eliminates discriminatory behavior, particularly among teachers with higher baseline empathy. These findings provide a proof-of-concept for how understanding mental processes can help design impactful programs to reduce discrimination.
About the Speaker
Prof. Devesh Rustagi, Economics area, University of Warwick, and an invited researcher at J-PAL, MIT. His research lies at the intersection of behavioral economics, development economics, economic history, environmental economics, and political economy.
Prof. Rustagi investigates the origins and persistence of civic values and institutions, how they interact, and how these dynamics shape development, environmental, and political outcomes. He leverages quasi-experimental methods and randomized field experiments, complemented by behavioral experiments, to generate insights that inform public policy.
His ongoing projects span Ethiopia, Germany, India, Switzerland, and the UK. His work has been published in leading journals, including Econometrica, American Economic Review, Journal of Development Economics, and Science.
Click here: Visit his webpage