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CS92PROD
Poverty in the United States
HIST 142
Fall 2007 not offered
Crosslisting: AMST 142, FGSS 121

Who are the poor, and what historic function has poverty served for the larger social, economic, and cultural order in the United States? This seminar will address knowledge about poverty and poor people's movements from the late 19th to the late 20th century. The course will address shifts in capital accumulation, class formation, and industrial organization that produce, or change the conditions for, poverty. Attempts to redress poverty, through welfare and self help, will also be a focus. Our readings will combine structural and political analyses with cultural theory that addresses the meaning of work, ideologies of self-improvement and community empowerment, public responsibility for the poor, and struggles over the meaning and ethics of welfare.

Essential Capabilities: Effective Citizenship
Students will research the historical causes of poverty in their home communities, using government documents available at Olin library as their main primary source material.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS HIST
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Student Option
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None

Last Updated on MAR-29-2024
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