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Self and Society: Identity and Human Flourishing


Course Description

The examination of the ways in which contexts interact with individual and social identities and how those interactions influence life trajectories across the life course in human and family development.


Athena Title

Self and Society


Semester Course Offered

Offered fall and spring


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will learn to identify how the interaction of context and identity influence individual and family life trajectories and outcomes.
  • Students will learn to apply theoretical perspectives to the course content.
  • Students will explore the social significance and intersection of personal and family identities.
  • Students will consider the implications of course content for research, policy, and practice.

Topical Outline

  • Individual and social identities across the life course
  • Cycle of socialization and understanding social identities
  • Theoretical perspectives on how our personal identities interact at the individual, societal/institutional, and cultural levels
  • Implications of cumulative advantage and disadvantage for human flourishing
  • Implications for research, policy, and practice

Syllabus