UMass Boston

Honors Topic in Social & Behavioral Sciences

Course #: HONORS 293, Class #: 4236, Section #: 01

Description

An Honors course in Social and Behavioral Sciences distribution explores - from term to term in varied specific cases - the basic assumption that variables affect human behavior of individuals and groups. In each Honors SB course, we will begin by exploring fundamental questions about the social and behavioral sciences, and the basic assumptions of the field. This course will address the question "What is the study of social and behavioral sciences?" by exploring human behavior and the multiple mechanisms and social structures through which behavior is influenced. The assumptions of such an examination include: there are universal processes among humans, human behavior is predictable, and human freedom is bounded by social structures and contexts. An Honors College course in Social and Behavioral Sciences shares the attributes of the university-wide SB courses in its emphasis on learning about the institutions, practices, and principles that define human interactions. Students acquire hands-on experiences with the methodologies of the social and behavior sciences by learning how to analyze the individual-level factors and group-level factors that impact behavior and society. Students are taught how to engage with both primary and secondary texts in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary contexts. In this way, an Honors course in social and behavioral sciences emphasizes the interplay between social sciences, natural sciences, arts, and humanities.

Prerequisites

Honors College students only