Faculty First Year Seminars 191POL22 - Friendshp-Law,Politics,Society

Why aren't we hanging out with friends? In this one-credit, first-year seminar, we will explore friendship in the contemporary United States. You might have heard the reports, and you might have even experienced it yourself-- friendship is in decline, and loneliness is pervasive. But why? What effects does this have on our local and national communities? And what can we do about it? We will look at friendship through the lenses of social and behavioral sciences, to get a broad introduction to the ways that friendship and social connection relate to law, democracy, political partisanship, public health, public infrastructure, privatization, late capitalism, and so forth. We?ll also wade into conceptualizations of friendship offered by legal scholars, classical political theorists, feminist scholars, and queer theorists, among others. Embedded in all of these pursuits are fundamental ethical questions about being in community: what do we owe to others? Without biological, legal, or contractual definition, how do we understand obligation to the people we call ?friends?? How can we live better lives-- and better civic lives-- through friendship? As a first-year seminar, this course will also routinely offer you opportunities to learn about academic success strategies, university resources, and supports for your holistic experience as a student on campus. Our classroom will be a welcoming, low-stakes community where you can connect with other students and practice developing your habits and persona as an intellectual pursuing a higher education. And maybe you?ll even leave class with a new friend.

First-year (R1ST)