6. Racial and Ethnic Inequality

In recent years, issues of poverty and inequality have become increasingly common topics of public debate, as academics, journalists, and politicians attempt to come to terms with growing income inequality, with the increasing salience and visibility of inter-country differences in wealth and income, and with the persistence of extreme forms of racial, ethnic, and gender stratification. The purpose of this course is to study these various forms of inequality more closely and to introduce students to ongoing social scientific debates about their sources and consequences as well as the types of public policy that might appropriately be pursued to reduce (or increase) inequality. These topics will be addressed through the vehicle of public debate and discussion among world renowned scholars.