SOC 275 Sociology of Social Welfare
People in the U.S. struggle every day to get the care they need. Why, in such a wealthy country, do so many go without healthcare, eldercare, childcare, food, housing, and more? This course surveys, from a comparative-historical perspective, social welfare provision in the United States. We dissect debates about the value of welfare and explore the implications of various arrangements between civil society, the market, and the state. In so doing, we consider critical race, Marxist, and feminist theories of social welfare as a tool of racial, economic, and gender power. Students use theoretical lenses developed in class to assess contemporary welfare policy interventions.