CTSJ 311 Children, Poverty, and Public Policies

In this course, students examine contemporary child poverty, both in the United States and abroad. Topics include: how poverty is defined, both locally and globally; the numbers and distribution of poor children; as well as the causes of child poverty. Readings explore poverty in relation to education, economics, homelessness, child labor, family, gender, and race. Students analyze historical anti-poverty policies, such as: the New Deal, the War on Poverty, and the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child, as well as contemporary proposals to reduce child poverty, such as: childcare, welfare, job training, job creation, and tax policy.