Economic Inequality: Perspectives & Practices

Catalog description

This course invites students to consider the causes and consequences of economic inequality from a variety of analytic perspectives, to judge the current situation based on their own ethical values, and to take concrete actions to bring about positive change in the world. The format includes a discussion seminar and two major research projects. In the seminar, students become familiar with relevant terms and concepts drawn from disciplines including economics, political science, sociology, organization studies and philosophy. Informed by these diverse perspectives, students undertake two major research projects. The first project focuses on the causes and consequences of inequality in the various contexts of individual students’ own hometowns. The second project focuses on possible points of leverage with the market, government and community sectors, and encourages students to work in groups and use these points of leverage to bring about a more just society. The overall learning objectives are for students to become more familiar with the complexity of economic inequality as an empirical phenomenon, and more empowered to contribute pragmatically to a just society.