Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry

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Courses in the Social, Cultural and Behavioral Inquiry domain focus on the mutual impact of society and culture on individuals, and of individuals on society and culture. Particular attention is given to human relationships and behavior as they are influenced by social, economic and political institutions, spatial and geographical factors, and the events and social and cultural forces at play in the contemporary world. The domain emphasizes the pursuit of knowledge through the development of theory and empirical investigation of the contemporary world. Courses in the domain explore such particular issues as poverty and economic opportunity, the environment, nationalism, racism, individual alienation, gender differences, and the bases of conflict and consensus in complex, urban societies and in global relations.          

Learning Outcomes

​Students will be able to:

  • Analyze and reflect upon arguments about the contemporary world using relevant theory, methods, and/or empirical evidence.
  • Analyze interdependent relationships between contemporary society and individuals.

Courses

Below please find examples of courses previously offered for Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry credit. For information on current offerings, please consult Campus Connection.

Course Title Quarter Hours
African and Black Diaspora Studies
ABD 100INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AND BLACK DIASPORA STUDIES4
ABD 200AFRICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS4
ABD 206AFRO-CARIBBEAN AND AFRO-LATIN AMERICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS4
ABD 208AFRICAN AMERICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS4
ABD 209RACE AND RACISM4
ABD 218AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICS4
ABD 220BLACKS AND LOVE4
ABD 229RACE, SCIENCE AND WHITE SUPREMACY4
ABD 232MIXED RACE AMERICAN IDENTITY4
ABD 236BLACK FREEDOM MOVEMENTS4
ABD 240BLACK MUSIC IN AMERICAN CULTURE4
ABD 251WORLD REFUGEE CRISIS4
ABD 253FOOD JUSTICE IN BLACK COMMUNITIES4
ABD 254AFRICAN POLITICS4
ABD 263IDA B. WELLS: GENDER, POLITICS & ACTIVISM4
ABD 275BLACK FEMINIST THEORIES IN A U.S. CONTEXT4
Albanian Studies
ALB 280ETHE POLITICS OF FOOD, HISTORY, AND IDENTITY IN THE BALKANS4
American Studies
AMS 150PERSPECTIVES ON AMERICAN IDENTITIES4
AMS 201CRITICAL AMERICAN STUDIES4
AMS 248WHITE RACISM4
AMS 280POLITICS AND HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR4
Asian Studies, Global
AAS 205GLOBAL ASIA4
AAS 209CHINESE YOUTH CULTURES4
AAS 215INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND REGIONAL INEQUALITY4
AAS 219K-POP & ITS GLOBAL CULTURAL INFLUENCE4
AAS 227BEYOND PARASITE: SOUTH KOREAN CULTURE THROUGH FILM4
AAS 246ASIAN FOREIGN POLICY4
AAS 253ASIAN POLITICS4
AAS 262JAPANESE POPULAR CULTURE4
AAS 267WORLD ECONOMY: STATES, MARKETS AND LABOR4
Anthropology
ANT 102CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY4
ANT 105ANTHROPOLOGY THROUGH FILM4
ANT 107THE CULTURE OF BUSINESS4
ANT 109FOOD AND CULTURE4
ANT 208WHY WE POST: THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF SOCIAL MEDIA4
ANT 230CULTURES OF THE PACIFIC4
Business Studies
BUS 103BUSINESS FOR SOCIAL GOOD4
Applied Diplomacy
DPL 200DIPLOMACY: ITS PAST AND PRESENT4
DPL 201DIPLOMACY: ITS PRESENT AND FUTURE4
DPL 203CITIZEN DIPLOMACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY4
Cannabis Studies
CAN 260INTRODUCTION TO CANNABIS STUDIES4
Catholic Studies
CTH 210CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING4
Chinese
CHN 208ECHINA'S CULTURAL SOFT POWER AND ITS FUTURE4
CHN 209ECHINESE YOUTH CULTURES4
Communication
CMN 101INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION4
CMN 102INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION4
CMN 103INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION4-6
CMN 104PUBLIC SPEAKING4
Communication Studies
CMNS 211INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION4
CMNS 221HOW LANGUAGE WORKS: INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS4
CMNS 339PERFORMANCE OF GENDER & SEXUALITY4
CMNS 361GENDER AND COMMUNICATION4
CMNS 363CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION4
Comparative Literature
CPL 212GREAT IDEAS,THE INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY III4
Computer Science
CSC 223THE IMPACT OF COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY ON OUR LIVES4
Criminology
CRIM 101INTRODUCTION TO THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM4
CRIM 105CRIME AND THE MEDIA4
CRIM 107CRIMINOLOGY GOES TO THE MOVIES4
CRIM 205RACE, CLASS, GENDER AND THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM4
CRIM 208LATINOS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM4
CRIM 215GANGS IN SOCIETY4
CRIM 218COMMUNITIES AND CRIME4
Early Childhood Education
ECE 175EDUCATING THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY YOUNG CHILD4
Economics
ECO 101INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMIC ISSUES4
ECO 105PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS4
ECO 106PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS4
ECO 310URBAN ECONOMICS4
ECO 313MARKET STRUCTURE AND REGULATION OF BUSINESS4
ECO 318LABOR ECONOMICS AND ORGANIZATION4
ECO 330RADICAL RESPONSES TO CAPITALISM4
ECO 333TOPICS IN GLOBAL ECONOMIES4
Environmental Science
ENV 150FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES4
ENV 151INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY4
ENV 152ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL ECONOMICS4
Film and Television Production
FILM 145DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACIES4
French
FCH 261ETERROIRS DU SUD: LAND, FOOD, AND LIFE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE4
FCH 340CONTEMPORARY FRANCE4
Game Development
GAM 200PLAY4
GAM 208VIRTUAL WORLDS AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES4
Geography
GEO 103URBANIZATION4
GEO 200SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT4
GEO 201GEOPOLITICS4
GEO 205RACE, JUSTICE, AND THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT4
GEO 215INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND REGIONAL INEQUALITY4
GEO 260GLOBALIZATION AND RESOURCES4
GEO 266WORLD ECONOMY: STATES, MARKETS AND LABOR4
GEO 269CULTURAL AND POLITICAL ECOLOGY4
GEO 330SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORTATION4
German
GER 272EWORKING THROUGH THE PAST: MEMORY AND MEMORIAL IN GERMANY AND THE U.S.4
History
HST 228FOOD, HISTORY, IDENTITY IN THE BALKANS: THE UNBEARABLE SIMILARITY OF OTHER4
HST 241WORLD REFUGEE CRISIS4
HST 252THE AGE OF THE COLD WAR: 1945-19914
History of Art and Architecture
HAA 250THE ART MARKET4
Hospitality Leadership
HSB 101INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL TOURISM4
Information Systems
IS 201INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS4
IS 208INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMY AND SOCIETY4
International Studies
INT 100INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDIES4
INT 150GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL JUSTICE4
INT 352INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND REGIONAL INEQUALITY4
Irish Studies
IRE 100IRELAND AND THE IRISH EXPERIENCE4
IRE 105GEOPOLITICS4
IRE 249GENDER AND POLITICS IN IRELAND4
Islamic World Studies
IWS 201GEOPOLITICS4
IWS 242AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY4
IWS 255MIDDLE EAST POLITICS4
Italian
ITA 260EEAT ITALY: THE HISTORY, CULTURE AND POLITICS OF ITALIAN FOOD4
Japanese Studies
JPN 242EJAPANESE POP CULTURE4
Journalism
JOUR 311CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION4
JOUR 360POLITICAL COMMUNICATION4
JOUR 361JOURNALISM LAW AND ETHICS4
Latin American and Latino Studies
LST 200FOUNDING MYTHS AND CULTURAL CONQUEST IN LATIN AMERICA4
LST 201STRUGGLE AND RESISTANCE IN LATIN AMERICA4
LST 202CONSTRUCTING LATINO COMMUNITIES4
LST 203MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES ACROSS THE AMERICAS4
LST 207AFRO-CARIBBEAN AND AFRO-LATIN AMERICA: PEOPLES, CULTURES, IDEAS AND MOVEMENTS4
LST 252LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS4
LST 358REVOLUTIONS AND PEASANT REBELLIONS4
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Studies
LGQ 150INTRODUCTION TO LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER STUDIES [SSMW]4
LGQ 262TRANSGENDER STUDIES4
LGQ 319QUEER PIONEERS: CULTURE, GENDER, AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM4
LGQ 332LGBTQ POLITICS4
LGQ 338SEXUAL JUSTICE: LESBIANS, GAYS AND THE LAW4
Liberal Studies Program
LSP 275LIVED CIVICS, THE SOCIAL CONTRACT & PUBLIC LIFE4
Liberal Studies in Education
LSE 353THE POLITICS OF EDUCATION4
LSE 354CULTURE, CONTEXT AND LEARNING4
LSE 355INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN EDUCATION4
LSE 358EDUCATION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE4
Media and Popular Culture
MPOP 231INTRODUCTION TO DOCUMENTARY STUDIES4
MPOP 252CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN CULTURE THROUGH FILM4
MPOP 254IMAGINING ITALY: CINEMA AS A COLLECTIVE NARRATIVE OF THE ITALIAN PEOPLE4
MPOP 271MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES4
MPOP 274DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN CINEMA AND TELEVISION4
MPOP 350TOPICS IN GLOBAL CINEMA4
MPOP 355SEX IN THE BOX: U.S. TELEVISION, SEX, AND SEXUALITY4
MPOP 362BLACKNESS IN AMERICAN TV4
Modern Languages
MOL 220HOW LANGUAGE WORKS4
MOL 335EXPLORING SOCIAL DIVERSITY IN LATIN AMERICA4
Nursing
NSG 335LESBIAN HEALTH MATTERS4
Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies
PAX 102CHICAGO AND STRATEGIC NONVIOLENCE4
PAX 201FRAMEWORKS FOR PEACE: PRACTICAL MODELS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE4
PAX 210INTERNATIONAL CONFLICT AND PEACEBUILDING4
PAX 212SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL CHANGE4
PAX 214CONFLICT: STORYTELLING, INTERVENTION, NEGOTIATION4
PAX 220SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE4
PAX 225TRANSNATIONAL GRASSROOTS SOCIAL MOVEMENTS4
PAX 228IDENTITY, PRIVILEGE, AND SOCIAL CHANGE4
PAX 231ANALYZING POVERTY, ITS CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES4
PAX 268DISABILITY JUSTICE STUDIES: AN INTRODUCTION4
PAX 271GLOBAL REFUGEE CRISIS4
Political Science
PSC 120THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM4
PSC 140INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS4
PSC 150INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS4
PSC 211POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY4
PSC 212LATINO POLITICS4
PSC 213POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION4
PSC 215LIVED CIVICS, SOCIAL CONTRACT & PUBLIC LIFE4
PSC 216AMERICAN POLITICAL CULTURE4
PSC 217WOMEN AND POLITICS4
PSC 218AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICS4
PSC 220THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY4
PSC 221CONGRESS AND THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS4
PSC 222POLITICAL PARTIES AND ELECTIONS4
PSC 223URBAN POLITICS4
PSC 233POLITICAL IDEAS AND IDEOLOGIES4
PSC 242AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY4
PSC 243RUSSIAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS4
PSC 244LATIN AMERICAN-UNITED STATES RELATIONS4
PSC 246ASIAN FOREIGN POLICY4
PSC 248WAR, PEACE, AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION4
PSC 250EUROPEAN POLITICS4
PSC 251RUSSIAN POLITICS4
PSC 252LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS4
PSC 253ASIAN POLITICS4
PSC 254AFRICAN POLITICS4
PSC 255MIDDLE EAST POLITICS4
PSC 257CYBER WARFARE AND CYBER POLITICS4
PSC 260LAW AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM4
PSC 261CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS4
PSC 262CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS OF DEFENDANTS4
PSC 263CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAWS4
PSC 265LAW AND POPULAR CULTURE4
PSC 330AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT4
PSC 344INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY4
PSC 358GLOBAL GENDER POLITICS4
PSC 363WOMEN AND THE LAW4
Psychology
PSY 105INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY I4
PSY 106INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY II4
PSY 210PSYCHOLOGY OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY4
PSY 215HUMAN SEXUALITY4
PSY 218PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF CONTEMPORARY FAMILY4
PSY 220LATINX PSYCHOLOGY4
PSY 302PERSONAL ADJUSTMENT AND MENTAL HEALTH4
PSY 303HUMAN DEVELOPMENT4
PSY 310CONNECTING WITH YOUTH THROUGH RESEARCH, ADVOCACY, AND SERVICE: QUARTER I4
PSY 317PSYCHOLOGY OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP4
Public Policy Studies
PPS 101INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY4
PPS 201PUBLIC POLICY AND URBAN ISSUES4
PPS 208INTRODUCTION TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS4
PPS 231ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE4
PPS 250ISSUES IN NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT4
PPS 260CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY4
PPS 301PUBLIC POLICY AND POLITICS4
PPS 332NATIONAL PARKS POLICY AND GOVERNANCE4
PPS 333GREEN CITIES4
PPS 334SUSTAINABLE LAND REVITALIZATION AND BROWNFIELDS DEVELOPMENT POLICY4
School of Continuing and Professional Studies
SNC 191ISSUES IN SCIENCE AND RELIGION4
SNC 216LEISURE, RECREATION AND HEALTH4
Screenwriting
SCWR 123ADAPTATION: THE CINEMATIC RECRAFTING OF MEANING4
Sociology
SOC 101INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY4
SOC 105SOCIAL PROBLEMS4
SOC 207YOUTH AND SOCIETY4
SOC 209SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER4
SOC 212COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY4
SOC 217WORK IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD4
SOC 221INTRODUCTION TO THE U.S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM4
SOC 232GLOBAL CITIES4
SOC 233SOCIOLOGY OF SPORT4
SOC 243THE SUBURBS4
SOC 245URBAN SOCIOLOGY4
SOC 248RESISTING WHITE SUPREMACY4
SOC 275LIVED POLITICS: INDIVIDUALISM AND COMMUNITY4
SOC 280MASS MEDIA AND CULTURE4
SOC 281SOCIOLOGY OF ROCK MUSIC4
SOC 292COLLECTIVE ACTION4
SOC 340SOCIAL INEQUALITY4
SOC 358REVOLUTIONS AND PEASANT REBELLIONS4
Spanish
SPN 392TRANSNATIONALISM AND SOCIAL JUSTICE4
Women’s and Gender Studies
WGS 100WOMEN'S LIVES:RACE/CLASS/GENDER4
WGS 200WOMEN'S STUDIES IN TRANSNATIONAL CONTEXTS4
WGS 212GROWING UP FEMALE IN THE U.S.4
WGS 215GENDER AND EDUCATION4
WGS 225CONSTRUCTING GENDER AND SEXUALITY4
WGS 230CONTESTED BODIES4
WGS 249GENDER AND POLITICS IN IRELAND4
WGS 275BLACK FEMINIST THEORIES IN A U.S. CONTEXT4
WGS 303GENDER, VIOLENCE AND RESISTANCE4
WGS 307WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST: BEYOND THE VEIL4
WGS 326WOMEN AND LAW4
WGS 332CREATING CHANGE: CONTEMPORARY LGBTQ POLITICS4
WGS 334GIRLHOOD ALL AROUND THE WORLD4
WGS 338SEXUAL JUSTICE: LESBIANS, GAYS AND THE LAW4
WGS 390WOMEN OF COLOR FEMINISMS4
Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse
WRD 220HOW LANGUAGE WORKS4
WRD 232THE LANGUAGE OF DISABILITY4
WRD 242WRITING WITH AI4
WRD 261DIGITAL CULTURE4
WRD 264LANGUAGE, SELF AND SOCIETY4
WRD 265SOCIAL MOVEMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND AMERICAN IDENTITIES4
WRD 283ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING4
WRD 289WRITING ABOUT RIGHTS4
WRD 325RHETORIC IN CRISIS CONTEXTS4