Social Science & Policy Studies Courses

In its simplest form, economics is about how people respond to incentives. Every day, we all make many decisions in which we choose among the options available to us by responding to the relevant incentives. People wake up and decide whether to go to school or work, or enjoy a day of leisure. They choose what to do with the money that they earn. Though people typically do not understand the complex cost/benefit analysis associated with the decisions that they make, they for the most part make decisions suggesting that they do. In this course, we will study the economics of real world situations like those from the books Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics. We will cover the economic theory necessary for understanding the topics of the course, but the focus is the real-world applications of basic economic principles. The course involves a project and presentations.

Recommended background: None

This course examines the economics of government expenditure and taxation. On the expenditure side, the course will review why governments often choose to be involved in the provision of healthcare, education, national defense, a clean environment, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges. It will also delve into the rationale behind programs such as social security. Regarding taxation, the course will cover income, consumption, and corporate taxes, including the use of corrective taxes to address market failures due to externalities. Within each topic, the relevant economic theories will be presented, and then students will practice applying the theories to real-world examples. As such, there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss policy implications and debate proposed policy changes.

Recommended background: ECON 1110 or ECON 1120

This course is designed to provide an introduction to economics, an introduction to entrepreneurship, and an understanding of the linkages between economics and entrepreneurship. Students will apply these concepts to the assessment of opportunities that might arise from participation in WPI projects. Students will engage in exploring how economics and entrepreneurship can inform opportunity assessment within an ambiguous and uncertain context. These decisions are always made with incomplete information and there is typically no single correct answer but rather multiple possible answers -- each with pluses and minuses.

Black Death. Cholera. Smallpox. Spanish flu. AIDS. Swine flu. Ebola. Humans have been the victims of infectious diseases across history, geography, and cultures. But what elevates an outbreak to the level of an epidemic or a pandemic? And when should the state step in? This class explores how states respond to epidemics. The course will be split into four modules for advanced analysis. The first section will focus on understanding disease in the context of public policy and international relations studies. Then, students will perform in-depth studies of three major outbreaks. Through readings, lectures, class activities, and research, students will learn the historical basis of state response to epidemics. They will apply international relations theories and concepts to the three case studies, in addition to developing analytic and research skills to engage effectively with the debates in contemporary scholarship on public health issues and risk assessment and management strategies in public policy. Students will explore the role of government in addressing public health threats, as well as how public health is a crucial component of national security.

Recommended background: GOV1303 or GOV1320 and an understanding of basic public policy, both in the US and on an international scale.

Surveys are everywhere. But good surveys based on sound social science are rare. Conducting a successful survey requires familiarity with the methods and techniques developed by psychologists and other social scientists through long experience to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and validity of survey data. This course will focus on the common mistakes of first time survey researchers and ways to avoid them. Topics covered will include alternatives to survey research, sampling, response rates, questionnaire design and implementation, question wording, pretesting, ethical issues in survey research, and communicating survey results. Special attention will be given to issues related to the use of on-line survey platforms. During the course students will be guided through the development, implementation, and analysis of a survey on a topic of their own choosing.

This course is an appropriate methodology course for psychology and other social science majors and can also be taken by students of all majors as preparation for a survey-based IQP.

Recommended background: Social Psychology (PSY1402) or Introduction to Sociology and Diversity (SOC1202) or equivalent.

In this course psychological concepts developed to study personality and creativity connect with concepts from the sociology of education and the study of innovation. The result is a psycho-sociological perspective on “learning styles” as they affect both individual and active cooperative learning in small groups. Several different measures of learning style will be discussed in this course, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Gordon-Mednick Cognitive Style Indicator, and others. Applications of these measures to a variety of outcomes will be examined, including SAT scores, high school achievement tests, career and major choices, student reactions to courses, texts, and programs, 4-year graduation rates, graduation with honors, and team formation in college and the workplace. The course culminates in a final team project that will take the form of a proposal writing exercise to recommend changes to a public school system or college on how to best serve different kinds of learners.

Suggested background: PSY1402 or STS1207.