RACE, POVERTY AND PUBLIC POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES

COURSE CONTENT

In this course we will focus upon the "social disease" of poverty. We will begin with a consideration of the responsibility that society may (or may not) have to assist its least advantaged citizens. We will then explore the concept of "poverty," what it means and how different conceptions of poverty shape society's sense of obligation to assist its poor. We will turn next to issues of identification - who are the individuals or groups of individuals who are most susceptible and vulnerable to poverty? Why are some individuals much more susceptible to poverty than others? How do race, social class, gender, residence, marital status and age influence the causes of poverty? How has the face of poverty changed over time? Who are the poor today and how do they compare to those who were poor thirty years ago?

In this course we will also examine and evaluate how the government has addressed and tried to reduce or eliminate poverty. What are the factors which have determined policy choices? What are the factors which explain program success or failure?

COURSE OBJECTIVES

You should develop a sophisticated understanding of the complex nature and causes of poverty to gain a better understanding of how and why we make specific policy choices in response to the problem of poverty. You should be able to analyze and evaluate theories about the poor which appear constantly in newspapers, magazines and on television. In addition to these cognitive goals, you should gain an experiential sense of the problems, hardships and hassles that confront the poor every day of their lives. By working as a volunteer for an agency which assists low income individuals you will be involved with the poor. For some of you this may be the first time in your life that you will see the faces behind the poverty statistics. To a limited degree you will vicariously come to share the life experiences of the "other America."

COURSE TOPICS

	  1. Does or should society have an obligation to help its most 
	     disadvantaged citizens?
	  2. What is poverty?   
	  3. Who are the poor and why are they poor? 
	  4. How and why has government responded
	     to the needs and problems of the poor?
	  5. How effective (or ineffective) has public policy been in 
	     alleviating or eliminating poverty in America?

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