Global Perspectives on Racism, Poverty, and Power

SBS 535 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This course explores how systems of oppression, organized across race, caste, ethnicity, class, and gender, shape health, well-being, education, and life opportunities. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship, political theory, and case studies, students will examine how structural inequities are created, sustained, and challenged in various geographic and political settings. 
Designed as an introduction to critical frameworks in structural and social inequity, the course is organized around four interconnected themes:
1. Systems of Oppression
We begin by examining how systems of oppression operate across and are embedded in institutions and societies. Particular attention is given to their measurable and lived impacts on health inequities, educational access, and long-term outcomes. 
2. Racialized and Gendered Poverty
Moving beyond conventional poverty metrics, this section interrogates how inequity is structured across generations and social identities. Students will evaluate existing tools (e.g., multidimensional poverty index) and explore alternative approaches to capture wealth inequity, spatial disadvantage, and intersectional forms of deprivation.
3. Power
We examine how power and privilege are sustained over time, not only through economic capital but also via social networks, cultural norms, and institutional structures. This section explores how power functions both as a structural and a relational phenomenon.
4. Responses and Interventions
The course ends with a critical analysis of efforts to tackle structural inequities, including public policy, social movements, and community-led projects. Students will analyze why some interventions succeed while others fail, focusing on the effects for health equity and social justice.
Throughout the course, students will engage with theoretical frameworks, empirical research, lived experiences of oppression, and policy documents to develop tools for analyzing and addressing inequity in real-world contexts.