This course explores continuities and changes in ways that people have thought about and acted upon the problems of human poverty. Although the major focus will be on Western (Europe and the United States) traditions, students will have the opportunity to explore other societies and cultures. We discuss ways that poverty was conceived of and treated in medieval society; transformations in these views under the impacts of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations; and the development of modern welfare policy. We ask such questions as: what have been the major schools of thought on the causes of poverty? How have organized programs for the poor developed in the West and other cultures? What have been the main differences between religiously inspired and secular programs of aid to the poor? What accounts for the growth of "welfare states" in the twentieth century? Coursework includes readings, lecture and discussions, quizzes, and a research paper
