Global economic and political integration have important consequences for the distribution of wealth and power worldwide. Thus, at the start of the twenty-first century, inequality is emerging as one of the prevailing social, political, and economic issues of our time. Contentious interpretations of both what is happening to global patterns of poverty and inequality, as well as their causes and effects are being advanced in both academic and policy-making circles - for example, in debates about the distribution of winners and losers over the course of globalization, foreign aid and world trade, the global AIDS epidemic, international migration, and human rights and social justice. This course will consider and critically examine some of the complex debates within the social sciences over the impact of globalization on poverty and inequality, both between- and within- nations. We will discuss different interpretations of what these three concepts mean, the various ways scholars measure them, the prevailing theories that seek to explain how they are linked, and the types of data being advanced as evidence. In the end, participants will get a sense of how the extremely important questions - Does globalization increase or decrease poverty? Does it raise or lower inequality? - are as much intricate, nuanced, and political as they are seemingly straightforward. The short-course will present ideas for bringing global themes into courses that focus on local- or national-level phenomenon, and is relevant for those teaching courses on social problems, economy and society, politics, and international relations, among others. Tuition: $210