Fall 2012
RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
New Brunswick, NJ 08903
Fall 2012: Course # 10:762:303
Class meets: Monday, 6:10 pm – 9:00 pm
Scott Hall 221
Email: anngraham.ny@gmail.com
Instructor: Ann Graham
Office hours: By
appointment
Phone: 201-424-0485
GLOBAL POVERTY
10:762:303.
This course focuses on poverty, its causes and consequences throughout the world.
We will have an opportunity to explore in depth the issues of poverty and inequity
in developing nations and in the United States. We will analyze the larger economic,
social and political forces that shape the lives of the poor. The goal is to give
students a positive appreciation of the social and economic contributions of the
poor, an understanding of the problems they face ,and how they are addressed.
The requirements.
1. All students are expected to read the assignments before class and come prepared to
discuss the material. This is a participatory seminar, not a lecture course. Do not expect
that you can complete the readings in one night simply because there are only two
chapters or articles to read. Some class time will also be dedicated to discussions of
current news, group activities and multi-media presentations. When you are reading
materials for the course, please keep in mind the following questions:
a. Who are the important actors in this narrative? What are the assumptions in
their discussion or definition of poverty? Who is impacted by such assumptions?
How do such assumptions or definitions of poverty influence policies and
responses? How does who is involved in the debate impact resulting definitions and
policy or project responses to poverty? Who actually benefits from a policy or
project? Who does not?
2. Written requirements include two reviews of the weekly readings, which will be
collected, graded, and returned the following week, one in-class mid term exam, and
a final examination. Deadlines are firm: all work is due on the date indicated.
3. Class participation is a major requirement. If you want to get an A in this class,
you will need to participate actively. Even if the class is large, I still expect you to
contribute. Attendance is also mandatory, and I will take attendance at the
beginning of each class. Students are expected to arrive on time and not depart
before the end of the double class period. Lateness will also result in a reduced
grade. If you expect to miss a class, please use the University absence reporting
website (https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra) to indicate the date and reason for your
absence. An email is automatically sent to me. Please note that all absences must
be excused.
My policy concerning missed exams is:
1. a make-up exam will be allowed only for those with an official excuse
because of university activity (letter required from university director);
2. university approved personal reasons (personal illness or death in the
immediate family)
3. Two points will be deducted from your final grade for any absence not
covered by a note from a doctor or dean, and lateness will be penalized.
Grades are calculated as follows: two written reviews of the weekly readings: 10% for
first, 20% for second, and 20% for the mid-term; final examination 25%; class attendance
and class participation 25%. Final grades: 90-100% = A; 85-89% = B+; 80-84% = B; 7579% = C+; 70-74% = C; 65-69% = D; <65 = F. I will send information about the
requirements of each written assignment.
Academic honesty: All members of our community must be confident that each
person has responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented his/her
work. Any effort to gain advantage not given to all students is dishonest, whether or
not the effort is successful. A violation of academic honesty is a breach of trust and
will result in penalties, including possible suspension or expulsion. When in doubt
about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration, you may consult me or
you can go to: http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/students.shtml for further info.
Cell phone and laptop policy: Please turn off and put away your cell phones before
class starts. No cell phone use is permitted in class including texting and facebook.
Laptop use is for note-taking only.
One required text is available in the Rutgers Bookstore: Banerjee, Abhijit V. and
Esther Duflo. Poor Economcs. New York: Public Affairs, 2011
Other required readings are posted on the class Sakai site. Other readings may be
assigned to compliment and integrate current events into the course discussions.
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Week 7:
Week 8:
Week 9:
Week 10:
Week 11:
Week 12:
Week 13:
Week 14:
Outline
What is Poverty
What Drives Poverty/ Overview of the International AID System
The Challenge of Hunger
The Challenge of Health
The Challenge of Education
Women, Poverty and Reproductive Rights
Mid-Term Examination (In-Class)
Risky Lives of the Poor
Poverty in America: Children, Poverty and Foster Care
Poverty in America: Do Poor Neighborhoods equal Poorly Educated
Children?
Microfinance for the Poor: Does it Work?
Solving Poverty: The Aid Debate, NGOs, and International and
National Policies
Solving Poverty: What Can We Do?
Final Examination
Week 1: Monday, September 10: Introductions, Overview: What and Where is
Poverty?
Sachs, Jeffrey. The End of Poverty. New York: Penguin Press, 2005. Chapter 1
Cassidy, John Relatively Deprived, The New Yorker Magazine, April 2006.
Week 2: Monday, September 17: What Drives Poverty/Overview of the
International AID System
Poor Economics: Forward and Chapter 1: Think Again, Again
The End of Poverty, Chapters 2-3
Collier, Paul. The Bottom Billion, Oxford University Press, 2007. Chapter1
Week 3: Monday, September 24: The Challenge of Hunger
Poor Economics, Chapter 2: A Billion Hungry People?
Global Health Watch, The Global Food Crisis, pp. 165-178
Week 4: Monday, October 1: The Challenge of Health
Poor Economics, Chapter 3: Low-Hanging Fruit for Better (Global) Health?
Black, R.E., S.S. Morris and J. Boyce. 2003. “Where and why are 10 million
children dying every year?” The Lancet 361, 28 June: 2226-2234
Global Health Watch, Free Universal Health Care in Ghana, pp. 119-124
Assignment One due today
Week 5: Monday, October 8: Poverty and Education: How does Education
Suffer? What is the Impact of targeting the education of Adolescent Girls?
Poor Economics, Chapter 4: Top of the Class
Winthrop, Rebecca. Fostering Africa’s Growth through Education, Brookings
Institution
Lloyd, Cynthia, New Lessons: The Power of Educating Adolescent Girls,
Population Council, 2009. Chapters 3 and 4
Week 6: Monday, October 15: Women, Poverty, and Reproductive Rights
Poor Economics, Chapter 5: Pak Sudarno’s Big Family
Kristof, Nicholas and Sheryl WuDunn. Saving the World’s Women, New York
Times Magazine, 2009.
Global Health Watch, Maternal Mortality, pp. 124-133
Week 7: Monday, October 22: Mid-Term Examination (In-Class)
Week 8: Monday, October 29: Risky Lives of the Poor
Poor Economics, Chapter 6: Barefoot Hedge-Fund Managers
Collins, Daryl, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orland Ruthven.
Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 2009, Chapter Three
Week 9: Monday, November 5: Poverty in America: Children, Poverty and Foster
Care
Edelman, Peter. So Rich, So Poor: Why it’s so hard to end poverty in America,
New York: New Press. 2012. Chapters 1-3
New York Times: Recession Study Finds Hispanics Hit the Hardest, July 26,
2011
Week 10: Monday, November 12: Poverty in the US: Do Poor Neighborhoods
Equal poorly educated children?
Edelman, Peter. Chapters 6-7.
Assignment Two due today
Week 11: Monday, November 19: Microfinance for the Poor: Does it Work?
Poor Economics, Chapters 7, 8, and 9
Week 12: Monday, November 26: Solving Poverty? The Aid Debate and
International and National Policies and Governments
Poor Economics, Chapter 10: Policies, Politics
Collier, Paul. The Bottom Billion, Chapter 7
Week 13: Monday, December 3: Solving Poverty? What can we do?
Kristoff, Nicholas and Sheryl WuDunn, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into
Opportunity for Women Worldwide. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.
Chapter 14
Poor Economics – Conclusion
Week 14: Monday, December 10-Final Examination (TBA)