The Mixtape with Scott S3E1: Richard Freeman, Labor Economist, Harvard
Jan 9, 2024
In this engaging discussion, Richard Freeman, a prominent labor economist and professor at Harvard, shares insights from his extensive career. He reflects on how his childhood in New Orleans shaped his moral views and his rebellious academic journey. Freeman highlights the impactful role of unions in reducing wage inequality and boosting productivity, while also addressing challenges in the private sector's unionization. With humor and candor, he encourages young economists to pursue questions based on personal experience rather than just academic trends.
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Segregation Moment That Shaped Empathy
- As a child in 1950s New Orleans Richard B. Freeman was shocked by segregation and white audiences cheering Confederate symbols at a movie.
- That experience shaped his lifelong empathy for marginalized people and interest in others' lives.
Rebel Reader Who Lifted Classmates
- In high school Freeman rebelled by reading literary giants under his desk and sharing answers so classmates could learn.
- That behavior pushed him into advanced classes and revealed an early taste for independent intellectual curiosity.
Let Behavior Lead Theory
- Marty Siegel taught Freeman to think like an economist by asking what behavior would generate observed facts.
- Observing behavior before theory guided Freeman's empirical approach throughout his career.
