Introduction to The Social Sciences

Course description

This course provides students with the opportunity to meet the Civic Life (Theme 2) component of the general education requirements for programs of instruction for Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. In order to live responsibly and to reach one's potential as an individual, and as a citizen of society, there is a need to understand the patterns of human relationships that underlie the orderly interactions of a society’s various structural units. Informed people have knowledge of the meaning of civic life in relation to diverse communities at the local, national and global level. This course will teach the basic principles and vocabulary of the social science disciplines: economics, sociology, and politics. It will introduce students to the intellectual frameworks of these disciplines and will emphasize the development of critical thinking by focusing on inequalities in contemporary Canadian society. Students will be provided with an understanding of the meaning of freedoms, rights, and participation in community and public life, in addition to a working knowledge of the structure and function of various levels of governments in Canada. The course will contribute to the development of citizens who are conscious of the diversity, complexity, and richness of the human experience, who are able to establish meaning through this consciousness, and, who, as a result, are able to contribute thoughtfully, creatively, and positively to the society in which they live and work.

Course details