What is Social Science?
From the 19th Century to the 21st Century, social science has shown a knack for upending ‘common sense.’ Have you ever asked yourself鈥�
- Why history unfolds the way it does? Whether it could have gone differently?
- Why some people are successful in life while others struggle?
- How politicians manage to gain and lose followers?
- Why your thoughts and feelings collide?
- How your community will manage climate change?
- What it takes to stop crime?
- Why people don鈥檛 always do what鈥檚 best for their health?
- Whether you would follow a madman off a cliff?
鈥� and has anyone ever told you the answer is 鈥渃ommon sense鈥� or 鈥渙bvious?鈥�
Well, they鈥檙e wrong.
Social science begins with the insight that our 鈥渃ommon sense鈥� or 鈥渙bvious鈥� ideas about how human individuals, groups, communities and societies behave just don鈥檛 match up with the way they actually behave. Social science is a systematic way of getting past 鈥渃ommon sense鈥� to study the surprising cognitive and social lives of human beings. We find that various contexts shape the way human beings think and the way human societies act.
The social science program offers students a number of opportunities to engage in research, civic, and cultural activities, in class .
Social Science Program Overview聽禄