Understanding Poverty and Inequality

An intermediate-level course by SDGAcademyX and the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution

Course Description

This comprehensive course delves into the complex world of global poverty and inequality, aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 1 and Goal 10. The course provides a deep dive into the multifaceted nature of poverty, exploring its various dimensions, causes, and the intricate relationships between poverty, inequality, and sustainable development.

What Students Will Learn

  • A thorough understanding of global poverty and exclusion as multidimensional issues
  • The history, achievements, and ongoing challenges in addressing poverty and inequality worldwide
  • Root causes of poverty and inequality
  • The interconnectedness of sustainable development issues, including identity-based discrimination and climate vulnerability
  • Measurement techniques for poverty and inequality
  • Policy approaches and tools for tackling poverty and inequality in diverse contexts

Prerequisites

This course is designed for intermediate-level learners and does not have any specific prerequisites. However, a basic understanding of social sciences, economics, or development studies would be beneficial.

Course Coverage

  • Definitions, scale, and scope of various forms of poverty and inequality globally
  • Links between poverty, inequality, and well-being
  • Opportunities for socioeconomic mobility
  • Challenges facing women, minorities, Indigenous people, and vulnerable populations
  • Connections between poverty, inequality, climate change, migration, and conflict
  • Multidimensional poverty measures and their importance
  • Global and within-country inequality
  • Subjective well-being and its relation to poverty
  • Identity-based exclusion and its impact on poverty and inequality
  • Contemporary issues such as COVID-19, climate change, and their effects on poverty and inequality
  • Policy interventions, including fiscal policy and cash transfers

Target Audience

  • Policy professionals seeking to design effective interventions for poverty alleviation and inequality reduction
  • Development practitioners looking to enhance their knowledge of poverty alleviation strategies
  • Advanced undergraduate and graduate students interested in economics, development, and key concepts related to poverty and inequality

Real-World Applications

  • Designing and implementing effective poverty reduction strategies in different contexts
  • Developing policies that address multiple dimensions of poverty and inequality
  • Conducting research on the impacts of climate change, migration, and conflict on vulnerable populations
  • Creating targeted interventions for marginalized groups, such as women, minorities, and Indigenous people
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of existing poverty alleviation programs
  • Collaborating on international development projects focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
  • Advising governments and organizations on resource mobilization for poverty reduction initiatives
  • Analyzing the potential impacts of fiscal policies on inequality and poverty in low and middle-income countries

Syllabus

The course is divided into six modules and a conclusion:

  1. An Introduction to Poverty and Inequality
  2. Multidimensional Measures of Poverty
  3. Explaining Global Inequality
  4. Poverty and Subjective Well-being
  5. Identity and Exclusion
  6. Poverty and Inequality, Today and Tomorrow

Each module contains multiple chapters covering specific topics, case studies, and policy approaches. The course concludes with a comprehensive overview of the material covered.

By enrolling in "Understanding Poverty and Inequality," students will gain a holistic understanding of these critical global issues and be better equipped to contribute to sustainable development efforts worldwide.