Resource Economics 191RESEC2 - FYS- Models/Reality:FYS/SocSci

From bacteria to braniacs, biological creatures learn about the world by modeling it. In this seminar, we will look at how researchers study social phenomena using models - like you might study flight by creating a paper airplane. Specifically, we will focus on models that seek to describe and understand problems of collective action that relate different majors in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, including: why do stock markets sometimes crash? How does segregation emerge? Why do some protests become violent? Why are climate change agreements elusive? And where did consciousness come from? Alongside academic pursuits, we will also look at how a social scientist's Swiss army knife of skills attracts employers from diverse industries. The goal of this seminar is to introduce academic and professional social science, students of all backgrounds are welcome.

Open to first-year SBS students (include direct admits to all SBS majors and Exploratory Track SBS students)