Debt and inequality rank among society's most pressing problems. Global socio-economic inequalities are on the rise and more people and countries than ever are indebted. These problematic tendencies recently spawned a new wave of reflection, spearheaded by the British-American anthropologist David Graeber and the French political-economist Thomas Piketty. Their work suggests a close, yet complex relation between debt and inequality. Consider, for instance, the ownership of public debts by small but powerful economic elites, serviced by ordinary tax payers, resulting in a massive transfer of capital. Or consider how personal debts that result from costly yet mandatory expenses, such as on healthcare and higher education, limit people%E2%80%99s ability to take out a mortgage and thus to build up capital through home ownership.The contributions of Graeber and Piketty also show that debt and inequality are not autonomous, external forces, but that they enter the lives of ordinary men and women as concrete challenges that they give meaning to within their own frame of reference. For instance, while in many societies debt is understood as an exchange that has not been brought to completion, it is the particular class, ethnic or religious orientation of people that determines whether this is seen as a desirable condition, or whether it brings along the moral duty to repay. Also, whether the socio-economic inequalities following from debt are considered a private problem that individual persons or countries must resolve (the neoliberal position), or whether the preferred response is a more collective approach that seeks to redress structural imbalances in society, depends on ideas about fairness engrained in the underlying symbolic order.In this course you will learn to disentangle the complex web of relations between debt and inequality, with special reference to the cultural meanings attached to these notions in a wide variety of societies across the globe. You will explore major trends with regarding debt and inequality in the 21st century, looking at both its global dimensions and its local implications.The course consist of morning lectures by faculty staff and invited speakers, offering you a thorough exposure to key insights from scholars such as Graeber, Piketty, and others. Furthermore, you will meet practitioners representing relevant institutions, such as a social investment bank, debt counselling bureau, or 'Big Capital' watchdog organisation.During the afternoon sessions you will sharpen your own ideas on debt and inequality in the form of small research projects, exploring different types of empirical material (statistics, interviews, historical archives and photographic imagery) with qualitative and quantitative methods. You will present your results to a panel at the end of the course for further discussion.

Course leader
Dr. L. (Lau) Schulpen, senior researcher, Department of Cultural Anthropology & Development Studies,Faculty of Social SciencesRadboud University

Target group
Students towards the final stages of their Bachelor's programmes who want to prepare for a Master's that touches on socio-economic inequality and/or cultural aspects of debt. Master's students from any discipline, who would like to specialise in themes related to public or private debt and/or inequality. Entry levelAdvanced Bachelor's Master's

Course aim
After this course you are able to:Grasp the complexity of the relationship between debt and inequality, based on recent key insights Understand the cultural meanings attached to debt and inequality across a diversity of societies Develop an empirically informed position in discussions related to debt and inequality using qualitative and quantitative research methods Disseminate and defend this position towards fellow students, academic experts, and practitioners



Credits info
2 ECTS European Credits

Fee info
EUR 400: The course fee includes the registration fee, course materials, access to library and IT facilities, coffee/tea, lunch, and a number of social activities.Possible discounts10% discount for early bird applicants. The early bird deadline is 1 April 2015 15% discount for students and PhD candidates from partner universities

Radboud University
Address: P.O Box 9102 Nijmegen
Postal code: 6500 HC
City: Nijmegen
Country: Netherlands
Website: http://www.ru.nl/radboudsummerschool/
E-mail: radboudsummerschool@ru.nl
Phone: +31 (0)24 8187706