Professor: Nicole Dahmen
4 credits
This social science colloquium applies curiosity through a “solutions journalism” lens to explore evidence-based responses to the most vexing issues facing our society and planet today. Curiosity is defined as the desire to know something. It’s a basic element of our human brain functioning, but it’s the key to much more than simply the acquisition of new knowledge. Curiosity can help to foster deeper connections to ourselves, others, and the world around us. Curiosity can help us heal, help us create, and help us solve complex problems. The course will include a global focus on countries that are “getting it right” using data from the Social Progress Index. Students will identify a significant social problem from their discipline — such as healthcare disparities for biochemistry or political science students, or homelessness for public policy or neuroscience students — and then conduct research to empathetically and critically consider an evidenced-based response to the problem. Research will include primary and secondary data collection and analysis with emphasis on in-depth interviews.
Graduation Requirement: This class will fulfill a Social Science Colloquium and the Global Perspectives cultural literacy requirement. If a student has already completed a Social Science Colloquium, the course will fulfill both of the following requirements: an Elective Colloquium and the Global Perspectives cultural literacy requirement.