Geography of Race, Class, and Poverty in America

Catalog description

This class examines the spatial interactions of race, class and poverty in the United States. GEOG 425 Geography of Race, Class, and Poverty in America (3) (US)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. The terms 'race,' 'class,' and 'poverty' are often discussed in the same breath in academic scholarship. Research portrays the interwoven relationships between economic status, economic security, and ethnic heritage. Despite this powerful and abundant literature, few scholars examine the spatial interactions among race, class, and poverty. The class introduces students to a range of literatures on the meaning of race, class, and poverty in the contemporary United States. We will situate these terms in their local spatial context and investigate how location influences perceptions of the meaning of race, class, and poverty. We will blend historical, contemporary, theoretical and empirical scholarship as we investigate the meaning, understanding and manifestation of race, class and poverty in the U.S. Beginning with history, we will move through the 20th century examining how economic and political cycles have influenced social understanding of these terms. There will be a particular focus on deconstructing the measurement and meaning of the terms and their use in public policy discussions based on perceptual understandings of the terms 'race' , 'class' , and 'poverty.' We will examine powerful historical and contemporary media images of race, class, and poverty as seen through the lens of place and identity.