By the onset of the 21st century, African American history and interdisciplinary programs in Black Studies had emerged at the center of our reinterpretation of the American experience. With this new understanding of the nation’s history, there has been a growing interest in the relationship of history to public policy, racial inequality, and movements for the redressal of past atrocities. This course explores the case for African American reparations by analyzing the inequities of enslavement, Jim Crow, and post-industrial capitalism right up to the Black Lives Matter Movement. In addition to examining the experiences of African Americans, we will look at the experiences of some other communities and their movements for reparative justice; these include Indigenous Americans and Japanese Americans; Holocaust survivors; descendants of the Herero and Nama peoples in Namibia; and Black South Africans following the end of apartheid. Note: This course is offered exclusively as part of the Duke Immerse program and cannot be taken individually. As one of four interrelated courses, it must be taken simultaneously with the others to provide a fully integrated, immersive academic experience.

What is the place and impact of morally charged activism against inequality and injustice over time and across cultures? This is the key question that this course explores by turning to a long- standing tradition of resistance named as “civil disobedience.” Traceable back to classical Greece and re-stated in 1849 by Henry David Thoreau, “civil disobedience” is exemplified in two important mass movements of the twentieth century led by Mohandas K. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. respectively.  Drawing upon the anti-colonial movement against imperial domination in British India, and the struggles against racial segregation in the US South, the course will examine the economic, political, legal, symbolic, and psychological means variously used in non-violent resistance. Students in this course will study the philosophical underpinnings, historical contexts, and ethical implications of civil disobedience through a multidisciplinary lens. Methodologically and conceptually, our goal is to track an “arc” and “archive” of disobedience to consider how and whether willful acts of dissidence, of “sitting apart,” and refusing to comply with inequities and oppression have resulted in a more equal and just world.  Note: This course is offered exclusively as part of the Duke Immerse program and cannot be taken individually. As one of four interrelated courses, it must be taken simultaneously with the others to provide a fully integrated, immersive academic experience.

This course will explore the scope of intergroup (e.g., based upon race, ethnicity, and/or gender) wealth and income inequality across countries. Particular attention will be given to the conditions producing those disparities in each case to provide a framework for understanding the causes of unequal wealth and income across social identity groups. To the extent those inequalities are the consequence of injustice, remedy is warranted. Three categories of potential remedies will be considered and evaluated both in terms of effectiveness and political feasibility: universal measures that may disproportionately benefit the subordinate group, indirect measures like more education or more financial literacy for the subordinate group, or direct measures including policies like “baby bonds” and reparations. Note: This course is offered exclusively as part of the Duke Immerse program and cannot be taken individually. As one of four interrelated courses, it must be taken simultaneously with the others to provide a fully integrated, immersive academic experience.

The course examines social science research methods as they pertain to inequalities of race, gender, ability, and class. Students will learn to approach interdisciplinary social science research from the perspective of inequality studies and to deploy quantitative, archival, and qualitative methods. Work will include consideration of diverse research paradigms, ethical dilemmas in the field, and theories and methods to undertake systematic modes of inquiry. It is a required course for the minor in Inequality Studies.  Note: This course is offered exclusively as part of the Duke Immerse program and cannot be taken individually. As one of four interrelated courses, it must be taken simultaneously with the others to provide a fully integrated, immersive academic experience.

The course examines social science research methods as they pertain to inequalities of race, gender, ability, and class. Students will learn to approach interdisciplinary social science research from the perspective of inequality studies and to deploy quantitative, archival, and qualitative methods with appropriate consideration of social inequality. Work will include consideration of diverse research paradigms, ethical dilemmas in the field, and theories and methods to undertake systematic modes of inquiry. It is a required course for the minor in Inequality Studies.

This course familiarizes students with the field of Inequality Studies through examination of the causes and consequences of social inequality throughout history. It addresses theories of group and sub-group social stratification and ways that disparity operates across multiple axes of stigmatized identities. This is a required course for the minor in Inequality Studies.

This course explores environmental justice, from its roots in social movements to its significance in policy making, covering evolution, climate and energy justice, and systemic inequalities. It delves into the socio-political drivers of environmental disparities, the environmental justice movement's strategies, and policy solutions like the Justice40 initiative. Highlighting the role of universities and research in addressing these issues, the course encourages critical thinking and includes a research component where students work on a project aimed at publication. Through interdisciplinary lenses, it equips students with the knowledge and skills to analyze and understand environmental justice efforts. Learn more here.  

This course familiarizes students with the field of Inequality Studies through examination of the causes and consequences of social inequality throughout history. It addresses theories of group and sub-group social stratification and ways that disparity operates across multiple axes of stigmatized identities. This is a required course for the minor in Inequality Studies.

The Global Inequality Research Initiative: Gender and Development aims to examine how gender influences and is influenced by social and economic development processes. The course will begin by providing an overview of gender inequalities in various aspects of welfare and economic life around the world. This will include an exploration of the disparities that exist in areas such as education, healthcare, and work. Following this, the concept of development will be explored, with a specific emphasis on how gender is incorporated into the development discourse. We will also study diverse approaches to gender and development, highlighting how these approaches have evolved over time. Crosslisted as: AAAS 425, ECON 436, POLSCI 425, SOCIOL 442, RIGHTS 444

This course familiarizes students with the field of Inequality Studies through examination of the causes and consequences of social inequality throughout history. It addresses theories of group and sub-group social stratification and ways that disparity operates across multiple axes of stigmatized identities. This is a required course for the minor in Inequality Studies.