Mercer Times

Princeton University professor Matthew Desmond is leading a thought-provoking seminar titled "Poverty, by America," where students are encouraged to tackle questions about American poverty head-on from multiple perspectives and field-test real solutions with community partner organizations. Desmond, the Maurice P. During Professor of Sociology, emphasizes the importance of engaging with the issue of poverty from diverse viewpoints, including those with lived experiences of poverty.

Desmond's course is part of the Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ProCES), which integrates community priorities into academic courses. Through ProCES, students are connected with organizations for fieldwork and final projects. Desmond highlights the high rates of poverty in America, stating, "America has much higher rates of poverty, especially child poverty, than other advanced democracies."

The seminar welcomes guest speakers from various backgrounds, including individuals who have experienced poverty firsthand, law enforcement officers, community organizers, and politicians like Senator Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman. The course also features readings by prominent scholars focusing on poverty and related issues.

Students engage in practical assignments such as conducting interviews and participating in real-world settings like eviction court and zoning board meetings. Through collaborations with community partner organizations, students work on semester-long projects aimed at delivering impactful solutions. One success story involved students assisting Fair Share Housing in gathering data that led to significant affordable housing legislation in New Jersey.

Desmond fosters an environment of open dialogue and critical thinking in his class, where students are encouraged to challenge each other respectfully. The course emphasizes the importance of trust and diverse perspectives in addressing complex social issues. Desmond's approach includes techniques like the Chatham House Rule and a unique "two-finger intervention" method to facilitate discussions.

Students who have taken Desmond's course express a newfound understanding of poverty in the United States and a commitment to making a difference. The class aims to inspire hope and action, with Desmond encouraging students to carry their learnings beyond the classroom. As Desmond states, "I'd like students to leave with a commitment to poverty abolitionism, no matter who they are and no matter what they go into."

Through "ground truthing" fieldwork assignments, Desmond ensures that students connect academic knowledge with real-world experiences, ultimately empowering them to effect positive change in the fight against poverty.