SOC 320 - Sociology of Poverty

This course will provide an overview of international and national trends in wealth distribution, with a focus on poverty in rural Maine. Theories of poverty, its definition, nature and causes will be reviewed from a sociological perspective, exploring the intersections of gender, race, ethnicity and class as they impact those in poverty. Students will engage in a self-reflective process, identifying their own class status and the ways in which class has enhanced or constrained personal development. In this course, poverty is viewed as a socially structured phenomenon, influenced by social, economic and political forces in historical context.

Prerequisites: SOC 114 and sophomore standing, or permission of instructor.

Course Typically Offered Variable

Credits: 3