Paris: Inequality and Global Social Development

Internationally, processes of urbanization, economic liberalization, regional unrest, rural-to-urban and cross-border population mobility, and various other dimensions of globalization have increasingly affected, for better or worse, the quality of life and nature of opportunity available to individuals, families, and communities in local contexts. While global processes have generated benefits for some, they have also led to growing disparities in wealth and income and to differential access to living-wage employment, affordable housing, quality education, health care, and political representation and influence. These disparities are often most keenly felt by marginalized populations including the poor, women and gender minorities, children and youth, those living with disabilities, refugees, and racial and ethnic minorities. They have also created new pressures on social service systems and governance regimes.

In addition to classroom instruction, the program will be complemented by excursions to organizations in Paris and nearby locations in Europe that allow for a grounded understanding of how inequality is generated and reproduced, and how various aspects of social development policy and practice are embraced to address it. Students will also take a course in French language over the course of their nine weeks in Paris.

The French capital and its environs offer numerous opportunities to connect readings, discussions, and lectures with the surviving monuments of France’s past, and it is assumed that students will use their free time to explore this remarkable city apart from program-organized outings.

Faculty who teach on this program rotate from year to year. The faculty roster is designated by the program faculty director.

The below offerings are planned for Autumn 2025:

Global Development and Social Welfare  
Alan Zarychta, Associate Professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

The persistence of disparities in social development across countries is one of the major problems societies struggle to understand and address. This course will critically examine the major theories of global development along with contemporary debates relating to international social welfare. Students will assess how political, economic, historical, and environmental factors influence different nations’ development trajectories, and compare how alternative models of service delivery and social intervention serve or fail to serve their intended populations. Case studies will be drawn from several regions of the world and will include a focus on national and supranational organizations that are involved in social development promotion. The course will be useful for both students who have had previous international experience as well as students who are interested in international social welfare and/or development practice.

International Disability Rights and Justice  
Zhiying Ma, Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

The rights of persons with disabilities have become a new frontier of human rights across the world. This course introduces recent developments in concepts, tools, and practices of disability rights both internationally and in different regions and countries. Course content will pay specific attention to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including its principles, provisions on key topics (e.g. institutionalization, education, employment, and political participation), and the role of state and nonstate actors in its implementation. The course will also consider the implications of disability rights on global social development and humanitarian work. Moreover, it will critically examine barriers and concerns in realizing disability rights, areas where dominant understandings of disability rights fall short, and alternative approaches to conceptualizing and promoting justice for persons with disabilities. Students will develop skills to analyze disability policies or design and evaluate disability-inclusive development projects in international settings.

NGOs, State Power, and Social Change: Challenging Inequality Through Shared Governance  
Jennifer E. Mosley, Professor at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

Solving persistent social problems requires coordination between governments, nonprofits, activists, businesses, and more. This course introduces students to a set of important ideas for thinking about how these different sectors work together in the process of governance: the processes and practices drawn upon to carry out decision-making and regulation for the public good. Drawing from public policy and administration, sociology, and social work, students will learn the variety of ways governance is negotiated and shared, the contribution of private actors in addressing public problems, and explore challenges around accountability, responsiveness, and authentic civic engagement. The course will feature guest lectures from faculty at European universities and visits with civil society organizations working to address inequality in and around Paris. At the end of this course, students will be able to understand key conceptual issues, the histories that inform governance practices in diverse cross-national settings, and the possibilities shared governance presents for reducing global inequality.

Headquarters for the College’s study abroad programs in Paris is the University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris, the University’s teaching and research hub in Europe. Since 2003, the Center has been home to a growing array of the College’s hallmark Study Abroad programs and has supported our community of students, faculty, alumni, and partners from around the world. Designed by Studio Gang, the new Center features state-of-the-art classrooms, offices, event and reception spaces, and gathering areas for students, among other features.

Students in the Inequality and Global Social Development program are housed in a residence hall within the Cité Internationale Universitaire (Cité). The Cité, a park-like residential complex in the fourteenth arrondissement, is the international student campus in Paris, though French students also live there. Students reside in single rooms with a private bath and have access to Cité facilities, including a library, theater, laundry, and athletic facilities. Students will have access to common kitchens in the residence halls and can purchase inexpensive meals at the Cité’s restaurant universitaire.

It is important to recognize the cultural context of student housing in France and understand that the amenities of dormitory facilities may vary. Although some of these differences may take some getting used to, remember that cultural differences extend to all aspects of your experience abroad. Having realistic expectations for your term in Paris will help you approach the study abroad experience with a positive attitude.

Participants in the Inequality and Global Social Development program remain registered as full-time students in the College. They take and receive credit for four courses: three courses toward the College’s Inequality, Social Problems, and Change minor and a French language class. The use of any of these courses in another field of study is subject to the approval of the undergraduate chair of the respective department. All courses are usable, without further approval, as general electives. The language course will normally count as an elective. Course titles, units of credit, and grades are placed on the College transcript.

Study abroad students pay regular College tuition, a program fee, and a nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee. The tuition and program fee are paid in conformity with the home campus payment schedule, and a deposit toward the nonrefundable study abroad administrative fee is submitted when accepting a place in a program. Precise figures for the Paris program during the 2024-2025 year are listed below:

Autumn tuition: as set by the Bursar’s Office

Study abroad administrative fee: $675

Paris: Inequality and Global Social Development program fee: $5,960

Previous program participants report spending in the range of $200 to $250 per week on meals and incidentals while on the program, though frugal students may spend less, and others could spend much more. Bear in mind that the cost of living in Paris is relatively high and that, while it is possible to live frugally, it is also possible to run short of money if you are unwary. It is therefore essential that you budget your funds, managing your resources so that they last for the duration of the program. If you are planning to travel before or after the program or on weekends, you should budget accordingly.

Study abroad students retain their financial aid eligibility. For more information about financial aid resources, please see our Tuition, Fees, and Funding section.

The Inequality and Global Social Development program is open to University of Chicago undergraduate students only. Applications from outside the University are not accepted.

The program is designed for undergraduates in good academic and disciplinary standing who are beyond their first year in the College. While the program stipulates no minimum grade-point average, an applicant’s transcript should demonstrate that they are a serious student with an interest in the social sciences who will make the most of this opportunity. Because the program courses (aside from the French class) are taught in English, there is no language prerequisite, although students are encouraged to take French on campus before the program begins.

Each application is examined on the basis of the student’s scholastic record and personal statement. If you are interested in applying for this program please fill out the online application.

To discuss the Inequality and Global Social Development program and the possibility of participating, please contact Michaela Foreman.