The Sociology of Poverty

Catalog description

This seminar will provide a graduate-level overview of and training in the sociology of poverty. It takes a comparative perspective by examining poverty across different theoretical perspectives, dimensions, and substantive domains as well as across different time periods and place contexts. This course will cover a range of topics pertaining to poverty such as the conceptualization and measurement of poverty, poverty levels and trends, and disparities in poverty. We will study how poverty research has evolved, various theories of the causes of poverty, and the consequences of poverty for individuals and society. We will explore the link between poverty and place, including poverty within urban, suburban, and rural contexts and across different sub-national units (e.g. regions, states, neighborhoods). While we will focus much attention to poverty in the U.S., we will also examine poverty across rich democracies and in less developed countries to gain a better understanding of global poverty and its broader impact. We will also explore how poverty is produced and maintained through various domains such as the family, education, the labor market, housing, the criminal justice system, and the welfare state. Finally, we will assess the effectiveness of poverty policies as well as other anti-poverty strategies. Throughout the course, we will use an intersectional lens that considers the roles of race/ethnicity, gender, age, and other axes of inequality in the perpetuation of poverty. By the end of this course, students will be able to draw on different perspectives and methodological approaches to critically discuss poverty and issues pertaining to poverty. Course requirements include weekly readings, class participation, critical responses, and a research paper.