Inequality, Opportunity, and Social Policy, from the Bottom to the Top

SUP 208 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Even in rich countries, many people are poor, and their chances of moving from poverty to affluence are constrained. What policies and structures shape people's opportunities to climb up socioeconomic ladders---and their chances of facing ladders with large amounts of inequality? How can these policies and structures be changed? In this course, we will consider how social and economic inequalities develop, how they persist across generations, and how people make socioeconomic progress over the course of their lives. This course provides a strong foundation in the area of Social and Urban Policy (SUP). We will cover a wide range of topics, surveying many issues you will encounter in social policy. For each topic that we cover, we will consider both how past policy choices contributed to present inequalities and how new policy solutions can enhance social and economic opportunity. We will consider the U.S. in cross-national context and we will learn lessons from around the world and from history. Class sessions will revolve around active learning, lecture, and discussions in small and large groups.