Unequal Childhoods

(3 Credits)

This course explores childhood development and emerging adolescence through case studies and field experiences focused on rural and urban Rwanda. It examines the specific inequalities that Rwandan children and adolescents experience at multiple stages of the life course, analyzing their drivers and the policies enacted to target them, with a deep focus on grassroot community initiatives. Drawing upon multidisciplinary sources spanning sociology, economics, global health, international development, and anthropology, the course places emphasis on axes of inequality particularly relevant to the Rwandan context, such as poverty, ethnicity, nutrition, gender, reproductive health, and disability. We will analyze local manifestations of these unequal trajectories, including low human capital, child malnutrition, specific demographic factors (e.g., household sizes), teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. Students will be able to think critically about the linkages between research, policymaking, community efforts, and practice aimed at improving child development and successful transitions to adulthood within Rwanda. The primary focus will be on successful grassroot policies. This is an Away course taking place in Rwanda.