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CEE 265I: Poverty, Infrastructure and Climate (ESS 264)

Lack of access to physical infrastructure such as roads, water supply and electricity is a key element of how 'poverty' is often defined. At the same time, the causal pathways that link infrastructure and economic development are not well understood, and are likely being re-shaped by a changing climate. Students in this course will contribute to a new initiative on poverty, infrastructure and climate change by (1) reviewing and synthesizing literature from relevant scholarly communities, (2) co-creating a conceptual causal model of the ways in which infrastructure (particularly roads and water assets) contributes to poverty alleviation, and (3) contributing to the design of applied research effort on these topics in sub-Saharan Africa. Students who opt for the 3-unit enrollment will have an additional supervised project that could take the form of a review paper, research proposal, or analysis of secondary data. There are no formal pre-requisites for the class; students from all schools and departments are welcome. Enrollment requires permission of the instructors. Interested students are invited to submit an application at https://tiny.cc/EPIC-Stanford.
Last offered: Spring 2023 | Units: 2-3 | Repeatable 2 times (up to 6 units total)

ECON 118: Development Economics

The microeconomic problems and policy concerns of less developed countries. Topics include: health and education; risk and insurance; microfinance; agriculture; technology; governance. Emphasis is on economic models and empirical evidence. Prerequisites: ECON 50, ECON 102B.
Terms: Spr | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-AQR, WAY-SI
Instructors: ; Saavedra Pineda, S. (PI)

ECON 214: Development Economics I

This course uses microeconomic theory and empirical analyses to understand barriers to human and economic development in lower income countries, as well as how public policies are formulated and their effectiveness at alleviating poverty. Topics include institutions and governance; human capital accumulation; productivity; inequality; poverty traps. Prerequisites: 202 or 202N, 270.
Last offered: Autumn 2021 | Units: 3-5

EDUC 207: Education and Inequality: Big Data for Large-Scale Problems (EDUC 107, SOC 107E, SOC 205)

In this course, students will use data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA) to study the patterns, causes, consequences, and remedies of educational inequality in the US. SEDA is based on 200 million test score records, administrative data, and census data from every public school, school district, and community in the US. The course will include lectures, discussion, and small group research projects using SEDA and other data.
Last offered: Autumn 2022 | Units: 3

HISTORY 226E: Famine in the Modern World (HISTORY 326E, PEDS 226)

Open to medical students, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Examines the major famines of modern history, the controversies surrounding them, and the reasons that famine persists in our increasingly globalized world. Focus is on the relative importance of natural, economic, and political factors as causes of famine in the modern world. Case studies include the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s; the Bengal famine of 1943-44; the Soviet famines of 1921-22 and 1932-33; China's Great Famine of 1959-61; the Ethiopian famines of the 1970s and 80s, and the Somalia famines of the 1990s and of 2011.
Terms: Win | Units: 3 | UG Reqs: WAY-SI
Instructors: ; Patenaude, B. (PI)

INTLPOL 281: Global Poverty and the Law

(Formerly IPS 281) With more than a billion people living on less than $2 a day, global poverty is one of the biggest challenges currently facing humanity. Even though those who suffer the most are located in the developing world, many of the policies, economic opportunities, and legal actions that offer the biggest potential for global poverty alleviation are made in the United States. This course will provide an introduction to the study of global poverty. What causes poverty? Why have some parts of the developing world done better at alleviating poverty than others? Can the world ever be free of poverty, as the World Bank's official motto suggests? How is the COVID pandemic affecting global poverty, and how should policymakers think about any potential tradeoffs? More generally, what can aspiring lawyers do to improve the condition of the world's impoverished? These are some of the questions this course is designed to address. This course is intended especially for future lawyers and policymakers who seek a deeper understanding of the developing world. After a brief overview that will familiarize students with the major concepts and empirical debates in poverty and development studies, we will examine a variety of 'causes' of poverty, from poor governance to lack of economic opportunity to the role of society. Since this course is just as much about what can be done, we shall also consider applied approaches to poverty alleviation. These types of interventions include political/legal reforms such as anti-corruption initiatives, 'rule of law' interventions, right to information programs, privatization, and community-driven development models; economic solutions such as cash transfers and microfinance; and technological approaches such as new methods for measuring policy impact and the application of new technologies for state identification and distribution programs. In addition to more typical scholarly readings, students will review poverty alleviation policy proposals and contracts made by various stakeholders (academics, NGOs, states, international bodies, etc.). Grading is based on participation, a presentation of research or a proposal, and, in consultation with the professor, a research paper. The research paper may be a group project (Section 01) graded MP/R/F or an individual in-depth research proposal either of which could be the basis for future field research (Section 02) graded H/P/R/F. Students approved for Section 01 or Section 02 may receive R credit. Automatic grading penalty waived for research paper. Cross-listed with LAW 5025. This course is taught in conjunction with the India Field Study component (Law 5026). Students may enroll for this course alone or for both this course and Law 5026 with consent of the instructor (12 students will come to India). CONSENT APPLICATION: To apply for this course, please complete and submit a consent application available at https://forms.gle/kHTHK5c7UE1aKRi2A.
Last offered: Winter 2023 | Units: 3

MGTECON 327: U.S. Inequality: What Can Business and Policy Do?

This class will analyze the growth in inequality in the US over the last several decades and how that trend is likely to continue or change in the future. We will ask if and how public policy can affect inequality. We will also focus on business's role -- what are the responsibilities of private sector companies, how does inequality affect them, and how should the growth in inequality affect their strategies? We will look at inequality in income, some of its potential sources, and its effects in other areas. Specifically, we will look at education, housing, the social safety net, migration, and the job market. The class will be very interactive and will be based on readings drawn from academic research, case studies, news, and opinion readings. We will also have guest speakers from industry, government, and non-profits. The class will be co-taught by a GSB labor economist and an advisor to policy makers with decades of business experience.LOGISTICAL NOTE: During the week of May 13, the class will not meet during the regular time slots. Instead, there will be a mandatory, all-day class field trip to explore inequality issues in depth and in person on Wednesday, May 15. If you have an academic-related reason you cannot make the trip, we will assign alternative work. However, the trip is required unless you have a conflicting class or academic obligation.
| Units: 3

MGTECON 526: Inclusive Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries

Poverty rates have fallen markedly in countries around the world, as more households have joined the lower middle-class. Indeed, though U.S. income inequality has increased, inequality has fallen around the world. However, by developed country standards, poverty remains pervasive. What has caused the decline in rates of poverty and can we expect further decreases or can we act to accelerate the improvements? One answer is that countries that have experienced 'inclusive growth'?, in which the growth of the economy (i.e., GDP) has elevated the incomes of the poor, have done better at creating jobs for the poor, especially in the private sector. Therefore, the class will consider the evidence on the factors that have contributed to inclusive economic growth in developing countries. A second answer as to why poverty has fallen, but remains at high levels, is that governments and aid agencies and foundations have targeted programs to the poor. This course discusses macroeconomic policy, targeted government policies, aid, and entrepreneurship in developing countries. Examples will be given from Latin America, South Asia, and Africa. The course is co-taught by a Stanford economist and a World Bank consultant and will build on examples from recent experiences. The class is aimed at GSB students who are either intellectually curious about the topic or anticipate doing business in developing countries.
Terms: Win | Units: 2

SOC 135: Poverty, Inequality, and Social Policy in the United States (SOC 235)

Over the last three decades, inequality in America has increased substantially. Why has this happened, and what can be done about it? The course will begin by surveying the basic features of poverty, inequality, and economic mobility in the 21st century. From here we will discuss issues related to discrimination, education and schools, criminal justice, and the changing nature of the family as forces that shape inequality. We will also focus on the main social policy options for addressing inequality in the United States, including income support for the poor, taxing higher incomes, efforts to encourage philanthropy, and other institutional reforms.
Last offered: Winter 2019 | Units: 3-4 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-SocSci, WAY-SI

SOC 350W: Workshop: Migration, Ethnicity, Race and Nation

Weekly research workshop with a focus on ongoing research by faculty and graduate student participants, new theory and research, and recent publications. Workshop participants will present their own work, and read and critique the research-in-progress of their peers. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Sociology doctoral student or consent of instructor.
Terms: Win, Spr | Units: 1-3 | Repeatable 20 times (up to 60 units total)
Instructors: ; Asad, A. (PI); Hwang, J. (PI)
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