Office of Sustainability

Within the College of Agriculture, RSOC 5510/6510 focuses on quantifying poverty and inequality as well as examining its effects on family and community life. A course designed to examine various social inequalities and stratification within the United States, RSOC 5510/6510 examines the root causes of inequity and possible solutions. From a social, economic, political, cultural, and psychological perspective, the class studies systems of inequality that permeate society today. By surveying such systems, RSOC 5510/6510 examines the flaws present in modern means of measurement. Students learn the causes for vast income inequality in the United States as well as the ramifications of years of historical and proposed policies on at-risk and low-income citizens. The course also offers an analysis of the implementation and success of anti-poverty programs.

The College of Education’s Truman Pierce Institute has organized poverty simulations for area schools, College of Education faculty and students, and community leaders. Understanding the day-to-day reality of poverty is important for everyone involved in combatting poverty. Poverty simulations are a tool to help citizens begin to understand what life is like with a shortage of resources and an abundance of stress. The simulation enables participants to view poverty from different perspectives and to discuss the potential for change within local communities. It is designed to sensitize those who frequently work with low-income families and create a broader awareness among policymakers and community leaders.

Housed in Auburn University’s Honor College, the K(no)w Poverty Week of Service aims to educate and raise funds for those impacted by poverty. The program provides first-year students with an immersive experience of the realities of poverty at local, state, and national levels. Designed to kindle and facilitate quality dialogue among students, the K(no)w Poverty Week of Service is an action and education-based program focusing on the complexities, causes, and consequences of low-income communities. For eight consecutive years, and taking place virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, K(no)w Poverty has served as an integrative experience for freshmen looking to get involved in activism, philanthropy, and volunteerism during their time at Auburn.

ONE Campus is a segment of the ONE Campaign focused on creating change by mobilizing college students across the country. Students learn about extreme global poverty, campaign on campus, and advocate for policies at the national level. Through action-oriented initiatives, ONE student leaders urge political leaders to take action against extreme poverty and support programs that create a sustainable future in the developing world. Members of Auburn University’s chapter have fought against extreme poverty through volunteering at letterwriting booths at Lollapalooza and Rockweave music festivals, delivering letters to state officials, and lobbying on Capitol Hill in D.C

Within the College of Human Sciences, Associate Professor Dr. Elif Dede Yildirim focuses on the intersections of fathering, parenting, and co-parenting with poverty, economic risk, and neighborhood risk. Within the context of early childhood development, Dr. Dede Yildirim focuses on improvements to juvenile quality of life, using poverty as a means of well-being measurement. Dr. Dede Yildirim’s research investigates the intersectionality of poverty and the institution of fatherhood, especially within the context of culture and societal norms.

The MS in Rural Sociology in the College of Agriculture focuses on equipping students with the scientific and technical skills necessary to evaluate the challenges and the opportunities found within rural communities. Rural sociology research often addresses issues related to social and economic issues of race, extraction, resource dependency, land loss, land ownership, and resource ownership. It also addresses issues related to the food system, as agriculture is a key element of rural economies. The field of rural sociology is increasingly concerned with climate change-related impacts on rural economies. On the international level, rural sociologists address issues in international development and global poverty.