The Role of Contexts in Societal Change (HUM166)

The Societal Contexts course introduces students to societal contexts that affect social behaviour and societal change. This knowledge is crucial for better understanding how we, as humans, are influenced by numerous areas of social life and how they inform our actions. The course looks at topics as varied as science, human nature-nurture debate, religion, history, culture, law, and others. By looking at specific examples the course will extend the participants’ knowledge, allowing to make better informed decisions whether when engaging public information, carrying study or research activities, or under other circumstances.

• Students will understand how different societal contexts affect societal change.
• Students will learn to identify arguments about causality.
• Students will be able to relate knowledge from various behavioural sciences.
• Students will understand how understanding different societal context can help improve understanding individual disciplines.
• Students will learn to use information from across different behavioural sciences in carrying out research.
• Students will engage in discussions on the ethics of research, including economic.