| Carolyn Wheat | 210-999-8406 | cwheat@trinity.edu |
| Maverick Economist to Discuss His Original Work |
| March 23, 2000 - Gary Becker, recipient of the 1992 Nobel Prize in Economics, will discuss his work and the sources of his ideas and discoveries when Trinity University presents the 16th annual Nobel Economist Lecture on April 13, at 8 p.m. in Chapman Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.
Becker is widely recognized as possessing one of the most original minds in modern social science, extending the boundaries of economics to aspects of human behavior which were formerly the concern of sociologists, anthropologists, and psychologists. His research is founded on the idea that the behavior of an individual adheres to the same fundamental principles in several different areas. Thus individual agents, regardless if they are households, firms, or other organizations, are assumed to behave rationally, i.e., purposefully. Becker applied this principal to areas where researchers formerly assumed that behavior was habitual and often downright irrational. Becker's applications of his basic model to different types of human behavior can be accounted for by distinguishing among four research areas: investments in human capital; behavior of the family, including marriage, divorce, and the decision to have and to educate children; crime and punishment; and discrimination in the markets for labor and goods. His current research focuses on habits and addictions, formation of preferences, human capital, and population growth. Becker is University Professor of Economics and Sociology at the University of Chicago. In 1987 he was elected president of the American Economic Association. He is author of several books, including The Economics of Life, Accounting for Tastes, A Treatise on the Family, and the award winning Human Capital. He also is a featured monthly columnist for Business Week magazine. For more information on Becker's lecture, contact the department of economics at (210) 999-7373. |
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Last updated on November 8, 2000 by the Office of Public Relations |