Poverty, Inequality, and Social Welfare in Comparative Perspective

This course is organized as an intensive, 2-week program in Hong Kong and Vietnam and will include students from the University of Chicago Crown Family School, Hong Kong Polytechnic University Department of Applied Social Sciences, and Peking University Department of Sociology. The intent of the program is to provide students with the opportunity to learn about key issues concerning the nature, contributing factors, and state and community responses to poverty and inequality in different national and local contexts. It is intended to be both locally grounded (in Hong Kong and Vietnam) and explicitly comparative (incorporating material and discussion comparing circumstances and responses in the US and mainland China). The program combines lectures, seminar discussion, and site visits to provide students with an intensive introduction to the ways in which poverty and inequality are viewed and responded to in different contexts. Enrollment is limited to eight students from each university.

It will take place December 4 (arrival in Hong Kong December 3) through December 13. This means students enrolled may need to make special arrangement to take exams or deliver final papers earlier (or later) than their peers, and will be engaged in the program through the first week of winter break.