James Benton
Associate Dean of Social Sciences

to the Social Sciences Division home page. The social sciences systematically study human nature, society and culture, with special attention to change and the causes of change. We approach these subjects in a spirit of objective scientific inquiry, but we are often brought to our field by a general concern for the human condition and a deep interest in human creativity. The social sciences are, in a sense, a link between our mental, emotional and creative selves (which the humanities and the fine arts express) and human beings as inhabitants of the natural world (which is the domain of the natural sciences).

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, teacher education and the human services.

The social sciences contribute to the goals and objectives of the College in many ways. They improve 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 live. They encourage critical engagement with the institutions and communities that structure our lives, both small and large, from family and workplace to national and international organizations. By better understanding the workings of the world, they enable us to better actualize the values we collectively hold.

The social sciences prepare students for graduate or professional study, for careers in specific fields and to becoming educated persons fully engaged in the historical development of humanity.

• Business Administration
• Economics
• Geography
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology/Anthropology
• Teacher Education