S. Poverty

Although varied in its particulars, poverty in the United States is extensive. It is also disproportionately spread across the population: African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans experience much higher levels of poverty, and a greater persistence of poverty, than other demographic groups; and children are more likely to be poor than adults. In this seminar, we will examine the extent of poverty in the United States and its root causes, as well as the historical development of social welfare policy. We will focus on the legal responses to poverty, exploring how the law shapes the lives of low-income people and communities. In particular, we will explore a rights-based approach to ameliorating poverty and the relevance of family form to poverty. Students will write individual, original research papers.

Please note that as a tutorial seminar, the demands of this course are considerably greater than a typical two-credit seminar. Students are expected to (1) complete and be prepared to discuss lengthy readings every week, (2) write original, in-depth research papers, and (3) provide detailed feedback to classmates on all draft papers.

The writing credit is automatic for minor writing.