Assets and Inequalities
The Assets and Inequalities policy concentration will enable students to develop a theoretical and empirical understanding of the causes, manifestations and consequences of social and economic inequalities, and prepares them for challenging careers developing research and policy that addresses and aims to eliminate these inequalities.
Focus of the Concentration
Students in the concentration will grapple with questions such as:
- What are the causes and consequences of social and economic inequalities associated with race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, social class, and age?
- How are aging and disability, health, mental health and substance abuse, and children, youth, and family policies and programs shaped by current social and economic inequalities, and how may these programs and policies best contribute to reducing and eliminating such inequalities?
Students will also participate in research that seeks to understand and address the causes and consequences of inequalities in health and human services.
Graduates of the program assume roles as policy analysts, researchers, educators, program planners, and advocates. The concentration helps students achieve their goals through mentoring and advising, formal courses, colloquia, research responsibilities, and interaction with faculty.
Program of Study
The concentration emphasizes four core areas:
- Causes of inequalities
- Measurement of inequalities
- Applied policy research to reduce inequalities
- Social movements galvanized by inequalities or that seek to redress inequalities
Like the other concentrations, the concentration in Assets and Inequalities builds on the theoretical grounding in economics, political science, and sociology, as well as skills in both qualitative and quantitative research, required by the PhD program of study. The goal of the Assets and Inequalities concentration is to prepare students for careers in university teaching and research, government agencies, and other research and service settings where, as graduates, they will frame new questions and bring their knowledge and analytical skills to bear on social programs and policies related to alleviating social and economic inequalities.
Doctoral Seminar
Resident students are required to attend the weekly non-credit doctoral seminar in their concentration.
Led by concentration faculty, the doctoral seminar is devoted to presentation and discussion of research in the area of the concentration by Heller faculty, invited speakers, and advanced doctoral students. Students are expected to discuss their progress in developing dissertation ideas, research questions, and research design at least once each semester. In addition, at least two joint seminars each semester cover subjects such as dissertation processes, peer-reviewed publication, and doctoral career choices, valuable for all in-residence doctoral students.
Dissertation
The final requirement is the successful defense of a dissertation presented to the Heller faculty. Dissertation titles have included:
- Homeless Prevention: Back in Community Hands
- A Study of the Under-Representation of Latinos and African Americans on Local Boards and Commissions
- Building Immigrant Political Power Through Participatory Democratic Co-Construction of Knowledge
The Institute on Assets and Social Policy
The concentration in Assets and Inequalities is based in the Institute on Assets and Social Policy, a research institute dedicated to promoting a better understanding of how assets and asset-building opportunities improve the well-being and financial stability of individuals and families left out of the economic mainstream. IASP, led by Professor Thomas Shapiro, pursues its mission through original research, policy analysis, program evaluation, technical assistance, community engagement, organizational capacity building, and leadership development to:
- create new measures and evidence of asset well-being
- generate analysis of asset formation opportunities
- evaluate and improve the scope and delivery of asset building programs and services
- form partnerships and collaborations with policy-makers, constituency organizations, and communities
- disseminate resources, tools, and products to expand knowledge, practice, and action
- train future leaders in asset development
Assets and Inequalities concentrators benefit from this research by directly participating in projects, learning from ongoing work through colloquia, seminars, and required coursework, and observing how IASP's research translates into the world of solution-oriented practice.
