This course will explore the definition, measurement, causes and consequences of inequality in both high income and low/middle income countries.

■ On-campus lectures: 10 x 2-hours

■ Seminars: 2 x 2 hours

■ Asynchronous activities 20 hours: Asynchronous activities will be integrated to support student engagement with course material and preparation of assessments. Examples of such activities are online discussion forums, readings from articles and other relevant sources and reflective journals or blogs.

None.

1. Written assignment, including essay; Individual; 1000 words; 30%; ILOs 1-5.

2. Degree exam: in-person; Individual; 120 minutes; 70%; ILOs 1-5.

The aims of this course are as follows:

■ To review the various definitions and approaches to measurement of economic inequality and poverty.

■ To consider the patterns of inequalities between different countries and over time.

■ To examine a variety of causes of inequality within different subgroups of the population.

■ To examine the empirical evidence in relation to the causes of inequality.

■ To assess the effectiveness of policy measures aimed at reducing inequality and poverty with a particular focus on current approaches.

By the end of this course students should be able to:

1. Critically assess the various definitions of inequality and poverty.

2. Critically analyse the different patterns of inequalities in the UK; between the UK and other countries and over time.

3. Critically assess the literature on the causes of inequality.

4. Describe, explain and critically evaluate the empirical evidence in relation to the causes of inequality.

5. Describe, explain and critically evaluate any policy measures aimed at reducing poverty and inequality.