Social World

In Social World courses students (1) study selected questions about human beings and the social, cultural, economic and polical world in which they are embedded, (2) develop an understanding of the variety of quantitative and/or qualitative research methods social scientists use to study the social world, (3) enhance their ability to discern the social, scientific and ethical dimensions of issues in the social world, and (4) understand the interaction between a society’s values and its definition of social problems.  

Students may fulfill the requirement either by taking courses designated as Social World courses or by taking at least 9 credit hours in the social sciences, including Anthropology; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences; Critical Communication and Media Studies; Economics; Organizational Communication and Leadership; International Studies; Journalism; Political Science; Psychology; Science, Technology, and Society; Sociology; Strategic Communication; or majors in the College of Education.  For AP/IB equivalencies, see www.butler.edu/registrar.

Course Structure

A menu of 3-credit-hour courses to be taken from the first year onward.

Learning Outcomes

• To study selected questions about human beings and the social, cultural, economic, and political world in which they are embedded
• To develop an understanding of the variety of quantitative and qualitative research methods social scientists use to study the social world
• To develop the ability to discern the social, scientific, and ethical dimensions of issues in the social world, and to understand the interaction between a society’s values and its definition of social problems