Cultural and Social Identity

Catalog description

Social identity shapes the way that we see the world and how others see us. Assumptions about our own identity and those of others can hinder our ability to meaningfully understand, collaborate, and connect with one another in our diverse society. In this course, students will explore the concepts of cultural and social identity, examine their relationship to systemic inequality, and cultivate practical skills for communicating across difference to foster cultures of equity and belonging. This course will examine foundational concepts and theories of cultural and social identity, including their roots, historical influences, and contemporary impacts. Students will also build skills for understanding the power of identity to reinforce or challenge larger social structures of inequality and connect with others meaningfully. This course builds on 1000 level SDEI offerings by extending the emphasis on applied practices and introductory theoretical foundations that speak to student identities. More specifically, students will have the chance to explore the power and impact of their own identities within current social structures. Interdisciplinary by design, this course will engage theories, frameworks, and best practices from various academic fields, including sociology, communication, and psychology, in an applied study of social identity and social systems. The course will also model adaptive approaches for supporting generative dialogue and engagement beyond our shared asynchronous learning environment.