Political Economy Of Inequality At Rutgers: Course Analysis

Broadening the Study of the Political Economy of Inequality at Rutgers This course on inequality has been a useful introduction to one of the biggest contemporary issues in our society. However, there is only so much that can be taught in a short amount of time. Luckily, Rutgers has a diverse set of majors, and as an issue that is relevant to many subjects and disciplines, there are numerous opportunities to expand our knowledge of the political economy of inequality. There were three classes in particular that stood out to me as classes I would be interested in taking, that would fill in the gaps that this course could not: “International Political Economy”, “Wealth and Culture”, and “Global Inequalities”. “International Political Economy”

The course description claims that the class would focus on the “Interdependence of political and economic structures and processes in the development and management of the modern world economy.” This shows that the course may focus more on international politics, and therefore, implies that it would either discuss inequality on a global scale, or focus on the effect of inequality on international affairs and international political economy. Comparing different structures and varying attitudes towards inequality between countries would not only deepen our understanding by providing new perspectives, but would also illustrate the global impact of unequal distributions of wealth. However, since domestic affairs influence foreign policy, the course would definitely consider what domestic problems impact decisions that are made within organizations should as the World Trade Organization or the European Union. Inequality may be a domestic concern, especially for us in the United States, but we have learned in this class that almost all of the OECD countries are experiencing

As a result, the cultures we are raised in affect our views and knowledge of wealth, class, and inequality. The relationship between culture and economy is a two way street, and therefore, this course would also examine how inequality may affect certain aspects of culture, such as discrimination based on social status, or traditions and rituals. For example, I learned last year that India used to have a caste system, where the least wealthy group of people were treated as “untouchable”, simply because they could not afford a place of their own and wandered the streets, unable to care for themselves. I believe that this course would emphasize the importance of culture in our everyday lives and how it affects almost everything we interact with. Even though culture and economics do not seem to be related at all, this class would definitely educate others about how much they intertwine and affect each