Prof. James Manor


Political science

1991 Views Tackling Poverty and Inequality -Lecture 2

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Since 2000 or so,governments in four countries – Brazil,India,China and South Africa (the BRICS) – have intensified efforts to tackle poverty and inequality. They have created new programmes and increased funding and administrative support for existing programmes. This course compares these efforts by assessing the political and policy processes in the four countries,which have both similarities and differences. Both the contrasts and the parallels between India and the other three countries will help Indian students to learn things about India which are not obvious when only India is studied. The course will be based on the findings of a 19-member international team from six countries which has completed a four-year research project. In each of the four countries,five programmes or initiatives were analysed. The course is designed to equip students to undertake comparative political analysis,to examine case studies from BRICs countries,to understand multiple dimensions of poverty and inequality,to familiarise students with different aspects of study of policy processes and to explain to the students the link between policies,democratic politics and social dynamics. The course will be a combination of classroom lectures followed by discussion with participants. Pre-circulation of relevant materials will ensure that the discussions are focused around specific issues.

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