LA 135NCollege, Work, and Citizenship in the 21st Century

3 credits · Liberal Arts · Penn State

Concentrated on the 21st-century, this course engages students in cutting-edge information about the critical roles the humanities and social sciences play in the high-tech global economy, now and in the future. In this course, students will learn what is vital about the humanities and social sciences in the global economy and society more generally. This class helps students to understand what is meant by the knowledge and creative economies, and why the modern economy's need for the core skills and knowledge developed through a humanities and social science education opens excellent career opportunities to students. Importantly, students will explore both humanistic and social science inquiry that challenges the dominant narratives and distorted facts that relegate the humanities and social sciences as insignificant and turn students away from these majors. Students will also learn to understand and explain in concrete ways the core skills and knowledge that humanities and social science students possess that are in high demand in business and industry so they can hone these skills in college as they prepare for life after college as contributing citizens through work and public life.