Unequal Societies

This course compares nation-states in terms of various forms of inequality and assesses theories explaining international inequalities. It examines why poverty, income inequality, and poor health are greater in the United States than in comparably affluent countries, why intergenerational mobility varies, and why some societies treat women more equally or are more accepting of immigrants and cultural minorities than others. It asks whether the high standard of living in the Global North comes at the expense of the Global South. What holds unequal societies together and pulls them apart? Can inequalities be reduced?