Fall Quarter, part II
Weeks 5-10: Poverty in America
Why
does poverty persists in our "affluent society"? Is it structural,
a consequence of large features of our social organization? Is it the result,
rather, of "self-defeating behaviors" of those who remain poor
or slide into poverty? Or do these factors interact, and if so how? We will
examine several different theories about the causes of poverty and the possible
ways of amelioerating it. Students should be prepared to argue for and against
each position, regardless of their own views on the matter.
