There is growing inequality of income and wealth, between rich and poor, within the United States and between the richer and poorer countries of the world. We will draw on political economy, history, literature and anthropology to address this growing disparity, nationally and globally. What are the causes, consequences and solutions to this growing division between the haves and havenots? This will be the focus of this program as will be analysis of the persistence of racial and gender inequalities.

This two quarter program will examine differing meanings of inequality and equality in the past and present, and in different societies. We will study the differential access to rewards and representation by oppressed groups within the U.S. We will investigate the impact of neo-liberalism and structural policies and resistance to them.