LASS 933 - American Social Values

The cultural values of any society provide the fundamental principles around which it is organized and patterned; at the same time they justify the society by investing it with meaning and purpose toward which its members orient their actions. This course attempts to understand the nature and meaning of American society at the highest level of generality through an examination of some of its central value orientations. These include individualism, equality, achievement, activism, practicality, progress, materialism, freedom, democracy, and secular rationalism. The origin and meaning of some of these orientations are developed as well as their consequences both for the quality of American society as a whole and for the character of individuals trying to live their lives in it today. Formerly HU 462

Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite: LACR 102

Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs