College Catalog
Division of Social Sciences (SSCI)

The social sciences deal in systematic, empirical ways with human nature, our thoughts and feelings, our behavior, our relationships with one another, and the nature, development, and change of social and cultural institutions that so condition our lives. Social scientists are usually brought to social sciences by concern for the human condition and for people as human beings, but approach their subject primarily in a spirit of objective scientific inquiry. They are willing to accept the possibility that their research will raise "inconvenient truths" that may discomfort us, but may at the same time give us the understanding necessary for our goals to be realized. At St. Norbert College the Division of Social Sciences includes the academic disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology and sociology, plus professional programs in business administration and teacher education.

The social sciences contribute to the goals and objectives of the College in many ways. They lead, either directly or indirectly, to careers. They stimulate our intellectual and personal growth by improving our understanding of our own and other ways of life; of our basic customs, and institutions; of human development; of human social relations; and of the economic, political, social, and cultural systems in which we as individuals live. They encourage a better understanding of the communities and societies upon which we depend, and for which we are responsible: family, workplace, neighborhood, fraternal or special interest groups, church, state and others. They promote our moral and ethical development by broadening empathetic understanding of peoples and cultures beyond our own, and by teaching the causal relationships that must be understood to define policies and practices that may, in fact, solve problems we have identified. They contribute to general education by teaching the distinctive modes of thinking and learning that characterize social science, and by offering courses about the broad range of human experience.

Social Sciences Course Descriptions

College Catalog Home Page · Course Descriptions · Registrar Home Page