Poverty and economic security
Bachelor's degree
In Maynard (USA)
Description
-
Type
Bachelor's degree
-
Location
Maynard (USA)
-
Start date
Different dates available
This course explores the evolution of poverty and economic security in the United States, within a global context. It examines the impact of recent economic restructuring and globalization, and reviews the current debate about the fate of the middle class, sources of increasing inequality, and approaches to advancing economic opportunity and security. In this class, students will study the topic of poverty and economic security through the lens of the lived experience of Americans: individuals, families, and households; exploring the history, geography, and forces shaping the likelihood of being poor in America.
Facilities
Location
Start date
Start date
Reviews
Course programme
Two lectures/week, 1.5 hours/lecture
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Discussions preceding the upcoming presidential election (2016) reveal discontent and feelings of insecurity among Americans. Individuals, families and households are anxious, finding it difficult and in some places impossible to earn a living wage no matter how hard they work. Uncertainty about one's respective economic circumstances is growing, and a lack of clear explanation for rising economic disparity is raising questions about individual prospects for membership in the middle class. At the same time, Americans living at income levels at or below the poverty line - the truly poor exist in the shadows and are mostly silent and often utterly ignored by the general population. In this class, we will study the topic of poverty and economic security through the lens of the lived experience of Americans: individuals, families, and households. We will explore the history, geography, and forces shaping the likelihood of being poor in America.
Courtesy of the United States Census Bureau. This image is in the public domain.
Don't show me this again
This is one of over 2,200 courses on OCW. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left.
MIT OpenCourseWare is a free & open publication of material from thousands of MIT courses, covering the entire MIT curriculum.
No enrollment or registration. Freely browse and use OCW materials at your own pace. There's no signup, and no start or end dates.
Knowledge is your reward. Use OCW to guide your own life-long learning, or to teach others. We don't offer credit or certification for using OCW.
Made for sharing. Download files for later. Send to friends and colleagues. Modify, remix, and reuse (just remember to cite OCW as the source.)
Learn more at Get Started with MIT OpenCourseWare
Poverty and economic security