Racism can be a tough thing to study. In situations where all things appear even, they might not be even at all. For example, in situations where employers are refusing to hire minority candidates, the argument could sometimes be made (although maybe not successfully) that there are extenuating circumstances. A truly successful study of race should be made in a laboratory of sorts. The only difference between two people should be skin color.
Well, thanks to the internet, the great equalizer, we do have such a situation, eBay. Three Yale and Harvard researchers conducted a study called, “Race Effects on Ebay.” The results? Americans are racist.
Even when selling the exact same items, buyers responded more favorably to white people than to black. From Good Technology:
The researchers auctioned off moderately priced baseball cards, which were photographed held in either a dark black hand or a white hand. Though the cards themselves were the same, cards held in a black hand sold for about 20 percent less than cards held in a white hand. What’s more, “the race effect was more pronounced in sales of minority player cards.”
The eBay study mimics a similar one from 2010. While that experiment, from the Centre for Economic Policy Research, focused on iPods sold via general online classified ads, the results were sadly the same: Black sellers received fewer responses and fewer cash offers than white sellers, and the cash offers they did receive were significantly lower. Beyond that, buyers corresponding with black sellers “exhibited lower trust,” according to the researchers. In other words, they were far less likely to accept delivery by mail (44 percent) and far more likely to object to the idea of making a long-distance payment (56 percent).
The 2010 study also found that there were regional discrepancies. The Northeast part of the U.S. was the worst, where black people received 32% fewer offers. The Midwest had a 23% gap and the South, 15%. There was virtually no difference in the West.
While I’m sure this is relevant, wouldn’t it be MORE telling to know the race of the buyers and not just the sellers?
What would that tell us?
The best way to deal with trolls like Peter Happe is to block them. They won’t show up on facebook. You can also report all his racist statements, forcing him to use one of his other troll identities. And don’t feel sorry for the trolls – the Kochs pay good money for the trolls to lie online. And like a smelly fungus, they will find a way back to stench up any serious discussion. So block trolls or report them, but don’t reply to them.
I slowly, and perhaps the hard way, learned that engaging them (trolls)only eggs them on. I still fall into this trap occasionally, as some trolls are quite sneaky. Long story made short: Be vigilant, non-trolls!
I buy and sell on EBay all the time-I have no idea who I am buying from or selling to and frankly, I don’t give a damn. I am just glad to sell my stuff and to have the buyer pay for it and to get bargains.
Fascinating! And NOT surprising…