This course is designed to provide you with an interdisciplinary understanding of a topic which continues to fascinate sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists and political theorists: the relationships between individuals and the social environments in which they live. The study of the mutually-influential interactions between Self and Society help explain: (1) the impact of one individual on another individual, (2) the impact of a group on its individual members, (3) the impact of individual members on their group, and, (4) the impact of groups on one another. Such an understanding of the processes which link the priorities of individuals with those of the social systems into which they are socialized helps explain social phenomenon as varied as: social problems, social norms and values, moral and political change, identity politics, organizational practices, and interpersonal and cross-cultural conflict. The study of human behavior embedded in this course will be of value to students in a variety of academic areas...including sociology, anthropology, political science, psychology and social work, corporate management, public administration, history, philosophy, and law. A vital module of the course is a study of the causes of conflicts in personal, local, national and international settings...and the means available for conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

The teaching tools used in this course include text, video, and web resources. Regular attendance is a vital requirement of the course, so prospective students are asked that they ensure their schedules will permit their full participation.
Offered by:
Dr. BENET DAVETIAN
Research Interests:
Civility, courtesy and citizenship; self, socialization and society;
social change and historical sociology; social and political theory; social problems; sociology of intimate
relationships and families; globalization, cross-cultural and civilizational sociology.