Understanding and Solving Poverty and Inequality (FutuLearn)

Offered by University of York,
Understanding and Solving Poverty and Inequality (FutuLearn)

Delve into the history of poverty and inequality across the globe, and explore potential solutions to these social issues. Develop your understanding of current social issues. The understanding and dissection of poverty and inequality are fundamental to understanding how people’s experience of the welfare state differ.

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On this course, you’ll explore these concepts in detail and take a look at how these social issues could be solved. You’ll also consider the difficulties that might be faced when developing solutions.
Discover the global history of poverty and inequality
You’ll delve into the history of both poverty and inequality, with a focus on child poverty and health inequalities in the UK. Alongside a global look at the issues, you’ll look at why these problems matter and the social policies surrounding them.
Explore possible solutions to social problems in the UK
Many arguments have been made about both concepts, both critical and theoretical. You’ll engage and assess these different arguments before reflecting on the insights they bring to the discussion.
The final part of the course will guide you through using these insights to offer solutions to these issues. You’ll look through the lens of different perspectives, such as Prime Minister, Activist, Student, and Footballer to see how we might solve poverty and inequality in the UK.
Learn from the experts from SPSW at York
The Department of Social Policy and Social Work (SPSW) at York is one of the leading UK centres for teaching and research in social policy, social work, and applied social science.
On this course, you’ll be taught by academics possessing wide-ranging expertise on a range of topics, from child poverty to global inequalities in health.

What topics will you cover?

  • Poverty: history of the concept, a global look at the issue, a focus on child poverty in the UK, an exploration of why it matters;
  • Inequality: history of the concept, a global look at the issue, a focus on health inequalities in the UK, an exploration of why it matters;
  • Solving Social problems: a look through the lens of different perspectives, Prime Minister, Activist, Student, Footballer…

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explain the concepts of poverty and inequality
  • Present an overview of the two concepts from a historical perspective
  • Engage with key critical and theoretical arguments about both concepts
  • Reflect on why both concepts are important
  • Explore these insights to offer solutions from multiple perspectives as to how we might solve such issues
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