Ideology&Belief Everday Life

Catalog description

The course looks at the main beliefs and ideologies prevalent in our culture. Ideas like the entrepreneurial self, celebrity, pleasure-seeking, economic man, techno-optimism,God, nation, race, and family. These ideas are constantly hammered into us by the media,our friends, family and institutions, motivational speakers, business gurus, films, but also in the actions we take in our everyday lives and even more deeply in the experience of who we are.We will look at the origin of these ideas, their often-adverse societal effects and why they sometimes make us feel dis-empowered,anxious, and depressed. The course thus attempts to do two things at the same time.First teach students to critically think about their society and culture, and second help them achieve more personal freedom and well-being.