Culture change constitutes an important and complex phenomenon, both in human societies and in organizations. Changes in culture, and resistance to change, deeply affect a variety of contemporary issues. This course assesses several types of culture change, both American and international, in an interdisciplinary context, drawing from psychology, sociology, business, conflict analysis, and history. Case studies will range from religious conversions to corporate settings to conflict management, toward finding common patterns and best practices in implementing and analyzing culture change. Students, drawn from several relevant majors, will develop research topics and group discussions to explore additional themes in the field.
M 1:30-4:00 PM
Instructor of record: Peter N. Stearns
Participating faculty: Mandy O’Neill, Lester Kurtz, Seth Kaplan, Mara Schoeny
This cross-listed course will draw majors from Management, Psychology, Sociology, History, and Conflict Analysis, with faculty from these disciplines teaching sections of the course. The diversity of majors will enrich class discussion and allow for meaningful exchange of diverse ideas.
The course counts as elective credit toward the sociology major or minor and would be especially relevant for anyone planning a career in HR, or the vast range of non profit work (just about any organizational setting).
April 26, 2016
