Dr Sohini Kar

This course is available on the MSc in Anthropology and Development, MSc in Development Management (Political Economy), MSc in Development Management (Political Economy) (LSE and Sciences Po), MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Economic Policy for International Development, MSc in Gender, Development and Globalisation, MSc in Health and International Development, MSc in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies and MSc in Political Economy of Late Development. This course is freely available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. It does not require permission. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

How to apply: Places will be allocated with priority to ID and joint-degree students, and then to students on MSc in Gender, Development and Globalisation. If there are more ID and joint-degree students than DV407 can accommodate, these places will be allocated randomly.  Non-ID/Joint Degree students will be allocated to spare places by random selection with the preference given first to those degrees where the regulations permit this option.

Deadline for application: You should make your request to take ID courses by 12 noon Friday 25 September 2026.

You will be informed of the outcome by 12 noon Monday 28 September 2026.

Students do not need to write a statement to apply for this course.

For queries contact: intdev.enquiries@lse.ac.uk

The course is an interdisciplinary analysis of poverty. With attention to both the macro-level political economy of poverty and the micro-level lived experiences of the poor, we will examine how and why poverty persists in developing countries and analyse policy interventions and their outcomes. The course is interdisciplinary in focus, drawing on a range of methodological approaches to poverty, and does not require any prior mathematical or statistical qualification.

The course begins with an examination of the definition and measurement of poverty. We will then consider social mobility, followed by the spatial dimensions of poverty, including urban and rural poverty. We will then look at the role of labour markets and employment, as well as social protections in addressing poverty. The second half of the course will examine how poverty intersects with the law, politics, the environment, and the private sector, concluding with an examination of pro-poor development.

15 hours of seminars and 15 hours of lectures in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

Student on this course will have a reading week in Week 6.

Course participation (200 words).

Essay (1500 words).

The course participation includes a 200-word self-assessment.

• Sen, Amartya. 1999. Chapter 4: Poverty as Capability Deprivation. Development as Freedom.
• Pasquier-Doumer, L., & Risso Brandon, F. 2015. Aspiration Failure: A Poverty Trap for Indigenous Children in Peru? World Development, 72, 208–223.
• Krishna, Anirudh & Gregory Schober. 2014. The Gradient of Governance: Distance and Disengagement in Indian Villages, Journal of Development Studies, 50(6), 820-838.
• Phillips, Nicola. 2013. Unfree labour and adverse incorporation in the global economy: comparative perspectives on Brazil and India, Economy and Society, 42:2, 171-196,
• Devandas Aguilar, Catalina. 2017. Social Protection and Persons with Disabilities. International Social Security Review, 70(4), 45-65.
• Sundar, Nandini. 2011. The rule of law and citizenship in central India: post-colonial dilemmas. Citizenship Studies, 15(3–4), 419–432.
• Auyero, Javier. 2011. Patients of the State: An Ethnographic Account of Poor People’s Waiting." Latin American Research Review 46(1), 5-29. 
• Eriksen, Siri and Karen O'Brien. 2007. Vulnerability, poverty and the need for sustainable adaptation measures, Climate Policy, 7(4), 337-352.
• Banerjee, Abhijit, Ester Duflo, Rachel Glennerster & Cynthia Kinnan. 2015. The miracle of microfinance? Evidence from a randomized evaluation. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 7(1), 22-53.
• Bräutigam, Deborah. 2004. The People's Budget? Politics, Participation and Pro‐poor Policy. Development Policy Review, 22, 653-668.

Course participation (20%, 200 words).

Essay (80%, 4000 words) in Winter Term Week 1.

The course participation (20%) will include a 200-word self-assessment and an in-class presentation.