SOAN 289 - Sociology of the Self, Self-Help, and the Pursuit of Happiness

FDR: SS4
Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Spring 2015 and alternate years.

Prerequisite: SOAN 101, 102, or instructor consent. Beginning with a survey of sociological theories of modernity and modern identities, the course moves to a consideration of empirical scholarly claims that modern identity is somehow problematic, and modern persons somehow especially ‘world-open’ and incomplete. In trying to understand the emergence of social movements oriented toward ‘helping’ and ‘healing’ the self, the following questions are considered: What sociological conditions underlie these movements? Do they have analogues in other times and places or are they tightly linked to the conditions of ‘modern’ societies? If, in the end, ‘self help’ aims to address problems that are sociological at root, can we expect its remedies to be useful? Are any non-individualized solutions to the problems lying behind a felt need for ‘self help’ possible? This course meets once a week with REL 205: Self-Help and PSYC 300: The Pursuit of Happiness in a seminar where students become teachers and lead a class in which we all discuss together the work we have done separately during the week. In this way, students become part of a broad learning community that cuts across the many disciplines and divisions that make up the university. Eastwood.