ANTH 0450: Inequality, Sustainability, and Mobility in a Car-Clogged World

Catherine A Lutz
The global car population is predicted to reach two billion by the year 2020. The social, political, health, and environmental consequences are immense. These, as well as the cultural and political economic explanations for the car population explosion, will be explored in this class, as will alternative futures for transit.

EDUC 0620: Cradle of Inequality: The Role of Families, Schools, and Neighborhoods

David Rangel
This seminar examines the contours of inequality that begin in early childhood and accumulate over time, with particular focus on issues of race, class, and gender. The factors that matter in early childhood and the role of families, schools, and neighborhoods in shaping, ameliorating, and propagating larger inequalities will also be discussed. Through our reading and active discussion, we will develop answers to questions that motivate much inquiry into inequality: Who gets what, and why?

RELS 0200A: Christianity and Economic Inequality

Andre Willis
In the face of the vast, increasing economic inequality, this sophomore seminar interrogates the role of religious institutions and individuals. Do our religious institutions sustain or challenge economic inequality, and how? We will attempt to answer this question with a focus on three types of texts: classical texts that shaped 20th Century U.S. Christian consciousness (e.g., Weber, Niebuhr, and Ayn Rand); contemporary works that analyze the effects of economic inequality on the social fabric (e.g., Stiglitz, Freeland, Wilkinson/Picket); and texts that clarify the vital roles some contemporary religious movements are playing in supporting economic inequality (e.g.,Bowler, Walton, Byrne). Enrollment limited to Sophomores

SOC 0300N: Social Inequality: Change and Continuity in the U.S

Emily Rauscher
Although we like to believe the U.S. is the land of opportunity, it has lower equality of opportunity than most developed countries. What does inequality of opportunity in the U.S. look like and how has it changed or remained stable over the last several decades? We will examine theories, characteristics, and trends of socioeconomic inequality in the U.S., focusing on how this inequality shapes children’s life chances. In the process, this course will help us think about what an ideal level of equality of opportunity might look like and social changes that could help us achieve it. First-Year Seminar