Area Goal: This Core Area of Inquiry will invite students to explore the study of society, culture, and people and the distinct disciplinary approaches within the social sciences.
Area Objectives: Through these courses, students will learn about various political, economic, and social systems across the globe and their interconnections, as well as the beliefs, rituals, structures, and values that constitute societies and cultures. In addition, students will learn about the experiences of underrepresented communities (e.g., related to socioeconomic status, ability, gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, or religion) within a particular cultural and societal context, and how people shape and are shaped by society. Students will explore concepts such as power, privilege, oppression, inequality, and social justice, critical to fashioning a humane and just world.
CURRICULUM
Foundational/Tier I
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| 3 |
| Globalization and Local Cultures D | |
| International Relations in an Age of Globalization D | |
| Psychological Perspectives on the Experience of Globalization D | |
| Society in a Global Age D | |
| Introduction to WSGS from a Global Perspective D | |
Tier II
Requirement for all Tier II Courses: ANTH 100 Globalization and Local Cultures, PLSC 102 International Relations in an Age of Globalization, PSYC 100 Psychological Perspectives on the Experience of Globalization, SOCL 101 Society in a Global Age or WSGS 101 Introduction to WSGS from a Global Perspective.
Please check requirements for declared majors/minors for exceptions.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| 3 |
| Culture, Society, and Diversity D | |
| Violence, Social Suffering, and Justice D | |
| Language and Identity | |
| Social Justice and Crime D | |
| Women in The Criminal Justice System D | |
| Race, Ethnicity, and Criminal Justice D | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | |
| American Politics | |
| Comparative Politics (effective Fall 2023) | |
| General Psychology | |
| Gender & Sex Differences & Similarities D | |
| Social Psychology D | |
| Social Problems D | |
| Race and Ethnic Relations D | |
| Chicago: Urban Metropolis D | |
| Religion & Society D | |
| Sociology of Sex and Gender D | |
| Inequality in Society (effective Fall 2023) D | |
| Contemporary Issues in WSGS D | |
AREA LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing the two courses in this Area, students will be able to:
- describe and analyze the key processes and components of cultural, economic, political, or social forces across time or place.
- summarize the various ways that people, groups, or communities shape and are shaped by cultural or social forces.
- analyze the various ways in which identities are formed through a complex interaction of biographical, societal, or cultural contexts.
- describe the experiences of underrepresented, marginalized, or oppressed communities within various contexts, including inequality in outcomes and resistance to systems of oppression.
- analyze how systems of power, privilege, and oppression (e.g., racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism) operate to create and maintain inequality as well as how resistance to these systems is enacted.
- apply concepts from above to analyze contemporary or historical issues of inequality and justice.
