Length Length

6 modules, accessible at any time

Effort Effort

2-4 hours per module

Price Price

FREE

Languages Languages

English

Video Transcripts Video Transcripts

English

Prerequisites Prerequisites

None

Requirements Requirements

An internet connection to access course materials

Learn the
causes of

POVERTY AND INEQUALITY

Learn the
Key elements
of the

REMAINING CHALLENGES

Key elements
Case Studies
on poverty reduction

AROUND THE WORLD

Case Studies
Discover opportunities
to help

ENSURE NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND

Discover opportunities

Overview

This course is self-paced – you can enroll immediately and complete the course materials at any time before August 31, 2025.

In September 2015, 193 member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and committed themselves to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are interconnected, recognizing that poverty cannot be eradicated without improved health and education, sustainable economic growth cannot occur on a planet under threat of climate change, and so forth.

Goal 1, “End poverty in all its forms everywhere,” calls on stakeholders at every level to drastically reduce the number of people living in poverty, provide services and assistance to those in need, and ensure the resilience of the poor and vulnerable in times of crisis. SDG 1 builds on earlier calls to cut poverty in lower-income countries by, first, calling for the elimination of extreme poverty worldwide by 2030, and for every country to cut all dimensions of nationally-defined poverty by half by the same date. Goal 1 further draws linkages between poverty and climate disasters, and sets targets for social protection, resource mobilization and policy development. Likewise, Goal 10, “Reduce inequality within and among countries,” calls on stakeholders at all levels to empower the economic, political, and social inclusion of all people; and for governments to work together to provide pathways of opportunity across the world.

This course will present an overview of the definitions, scale, and scope of different forms of poverty and inequality across the world. It will examine links between poverty, inequality, and well-being; opportunities for socioeconomic mobility; the particular challenges facing women, minorities, Indigenous people, and vulnerable populations; and how poverty and inequality link to issues like climate change, migration, and conflict. Finally, the course will conclude with a look at policy approaches and tools for addressing poverty and inequality in a variety of contexts.

Understanding Poverty and Inequality was created by the SDG Academy in partnership with the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution.

structure

  • Pre-recorded lectures
  • Readings
  • Activities
  • Quizzes and final exam
  • Discussion forum

Lead Faculty

  • Faculty Image

    John McArthur

    Brookings Institution

  • Faculty Image

    Chandrika Bahadur

    SDG Academy

  • Faculty Image

    Sabina Alkire

    University of Oxford

  • Faculty Image

    Homi Kharas

    Brookings Institution

  • Faculty Image

    Carol Graham

    Brookings Institution

  • Faculty Image

    Makada Henry-Nickie

    Brookings Institution

  • Faculty Image

    Caren Grown

    World Bank

  • Faculty Image

    Alpa Shah

    London School of Economics and Political Science

  • Faculty Image

    Haroon Bhorat

    University of Cape Town

  • Faculty Image

    Rashawn Ray

    Brookings Institution

  • Faculty Image

    Andre Perry

    Brookings Institution

  • Faculty Image

    Heriberto Tapia

    United Nations Development Programme

  • Faculty Image

    Amar Bhattacharya

    Brookings Institution

  • Faculty Image

    Dany Bahar

    Brookings Institution

  • Faculty Image

    Nora Lustig

    Tulane University

  • Faculty Image

    Michael Cooke

    GiveDirectly

  • Faculty Image

    Wing Thye Woo

    Sunway University

  • Faculty Image

    Addisu Lashitew

    Brookings Institution

This course is for

Policy professionals who want to understand the scale and scope of poverty and inequality in order to design effective interventions

Development practitioners seeking knowledge on poverty alleviation

Advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in economics, development, and other key concepts related to the poverty and inequality

Questions?

Course logistics and requirements

This course is self-paced. All course components are available now and can be completed at any time that is convenient for the students. Please note that this course is not facilitated by a course team. We encourage students to engage with one another via the discussion forum. Any specific questions can be sent to the SDG Academy team at courses@sdgacademy.org.

Certificates

Learners who successfully complete the course will be eligible to purchase a Verified Certificate signed by the course instructors.

syllabus

Module 1: An Introduction to Poverty and Inequality

1.1

What do we mean by “poverty” & “inequality”?

1.2

Measurement, trends, and rates of change

1.3

How does economic growth affect poverty and inequality?

1.4

Case study: Poverty reduction in East Asia

1.5

Case study: Broad-based growth in Ethiopia

Module 2: Multidimensional Measures of Poverty

2.1

Multidimensional poverty vs. income poverty: why it matters

2.2

Measuring multidimensional poverty

2.3

The MPI information platform

2.4

Policy approaches to multidimensional poverty

Module 3: Explaining Global Inequality

3.1

Defining inequality

3.2

Measuring income inequality

3.3

Global versus within-country inequality

3.4

Winners and losers in the global economy

3.5

Convergence and poverty hotspots

3.6

Tackling inequality

Module 4:Poverty and Subjective Well-being

4.1

Introducing well-being

4.2

Measures of well-being

4.3

The U Curve

4.4

The Adaptation Conundrum and Progress Paradoxes

Module 5: Identity and Exclusion

5.1

Inequality, poverty, and social identity

5.2

Race and financial inequality

5.3

Gendered dimensions of poverty

5.4

Inequality and indigenous experience

5.5

Case study: Exclusion and inequality in South Africa

5.6

Case study: Policing, racism, and colorism in America and beyond

5.7

Case study: Worthy of investment: The devaluation of assets in Black American communities

Module 6: Poverty and Inequality, Today and Tomorrow

6.1

New inequalities of the 21st-century

6.2

Poverty, inequality, and the COVID-19 pandemic

6.3

Why climate matters for poverty and inequality

6.4

The evolution of the global middle class

6.5

Mobility, migration, and opportunity

6.6A

Fiscal policy, inequality and poverty in low and middle income countries

6.6B

Fiscal policy reforms: is UBI a good idea?

6.7

Cash transfers for poverty alleviation