The goal of global development studies is to address the root causes as well as the effects of social injustice and global poverty. It blends everyday practice with critical thinking to improve everyone's capacity to engage in society and address the most urgent social, political, economic, and environmental issues facing the globe. While some people in this world are fortunate enough to enjoy a variety of opportunities, most people struggle on a daily basis just to survive. The Department of Global Development Studies is focused on understanding and changing the historical and contemporary patterns of global injustice, as well as improving lives and livelihoods. It does this by taking a distinctly global and interdisciplinary approach.