SOC 4580

The Science of Social Behavior

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2014-2015.

This is a small capstone seminar for select seniors (and the occasional junior) who are interested in graduate study in scientific disciplines that focus on human behavior and social interaction. The course mirrors HD 2580 "Six Pretty Good Books," an introductory lecture course for entering students and students whose majors are outside the social and behavioral sciences. Both classes (2580 and 4580) will use the same set of readings, but the seminar format is a weekly 90-minute in-depth discussion rather than lecture. Most importantly, unlike 2580, 4580 is not about the books; rather, it is about how to teach the books.  Much of our in-class analysis of the books centers on identifying what are the key contributions to knowledge, as well as important limitations, and how best to communicate these ideas to students with little background in the social sciences. All students are provided the opportunity to lead one or more discussion groups in 2580.  In addition to facilitating metacognitive understanding of the books, the seminar has two additional goals: 1) to provide advanced undergraduates with an opportunity to summon, integrate, and apply insights that they have acquired over the course of their undergraduate education as they analyze arguments from the standpoint of multiple social sciences, and 2) to integrate scholarship across disciplinary lines, a major goal of University Courses.

When Offered Fall.

Permission Note Enrollment is limited to: majors in either Human Development, Psychology, Sociology, or Economics.
Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: At least one statistics course.

Comments A University Course - This class highlights cross-disciplinary dialogue and debate.

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