Unequal Childhoods

Catalog description

How and why does childhood unfold so differently across societies? This course explores patterns, drivers, and consequences of child development and emerging adolescence comparatively across high- and low-income societies, drawing upon multidisciplinary sources spanning sociology, economics, international development, anthropology, psychology, fiction, and literature. We first consider the kinds of inequalities that children and adolescents experience at multiple stages of the life course, alongside their drivers and some of the policies enacted to target them. We then turn to case studies from and field experiences in the UAE and rural Rwanda. Emphasis will be placed on axes of inequality such as poverty, race/ethnicity, migration status, gender, and disability, as well as on manifestations of unequal trajectories such as low human capital, child malnutrition, demographic factors (e.g., household sizes), teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Students will be able to think critically about the linkages between research, policymaking, and practice in improving child development and successful transitions to adulthood in various contexts, including rural sub-Saharan Africa. This course includes a regional academic seminar to Rwanda. This course will be offered in June-Term 2025.