SOAN 290 - Special Topics in Sociology

Credits: 3 in Fall or Winter, 4 in Spring

A discussion of a series of topics of sociological concern. May be repeated for degree credit if the topics are different.

Spring 2019, SOAN 290-01: Special Topic: Belonging in College (4). This seminar explores the questions of what does it mean to belong” in college and how does academic institutional structure shape who gets to “fit in” and who “belongs”. All college students face the problem of belonging. College is a transformative but nerve-wracking transition. The traditional student experience involves entering a new environment without the comfort and protection of former social ties. On the one hand, severing old ties provides students freedom to explore new identities and perhaps even reinvent themselves. On the other hand, this state of detachment is stressful as students compare themselves to their peers and ask: “How do I measure up?”, “Do I fit in?”, and “do I belong”? We explore the structural, interactional, and emotional barriers that all students face, and we examine the additional barriers for inclusion for “nontraditional” students. Understanding the struggles “traditional” and “non-traditional” students have in feeling like they belong is of utmost importance for developing successful inclusion interventions on campuses. Chin.