Anxious Times: Social Change and Fear

Catalog description

This class will discuss the meaning, significance, and causes of anxiety. What is anxiety? How is anxiety different from depression, another common form of psychological distress? What does it mean to say we’re in an “age of anxiety”? And are we now, in fact, in one? Although this class is rooted in the sociological study of anxiety, we will also approach the topic from the standpoint of other disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry, history, and biology. We will discuss the development of anxiety as a concept; trends in anxiety over time and between cohorts; biological and social scientific research on anxiety’s causes; the cognitive dimensions of anxiety; and how anxiety is treated in medical settings. Some specific topics include the significance of status anxiety in the 21st century, social comparison processes, relationships, family, and attachment styles, and how social media has undermined mental health.