SOCY 79.14 Growth and Its Critics
The purpose of this course is to explore economic growth as a broader human phenomenon. From being an unprecedented achievement with the Industrial Revolution, growth gradually became a policy lever for addressing a multitude of social and political objectives in the rich world, as well as a vital imperative for less developed countries. All the while, it never ceased to be a source of public controversy. What forces prevented the discovery of growth for so long? What factors bring it into being where and when it does emerge? What effects does growth have on those who experience it in a sustained way? Why has such a breakthrough so regularly drawn such passionate criticism and resistance? Above all, how might a study of growth and its critics prepare us for the policy debates of the future?
In the Long Stagnation before the Industrial Revolution, humans were caught in a so-called Malthusian Trap, in which every temporary trend toward improved living standards was met with an increase in population that tended to restore subsistence living. After reviewing this historical background, the course will touch upon four triggers for debate over growth since the dawn of the industrial age: population, resource depletion, environmental stewardship, and climate change. For two hundred years, a steady stream of commentators have argued that economic growth has either generated these sorts of problems, or is at least unable to address them.
Department-Specific Course Categories
Sociology