We will begin with the premise that very little of human nature is innate; rather, we must learn how to be a person. We will examine four consequences of this perspective:

1) How we present ourselves when we are with others;
2) The importance of respect in our society;
3) The challenge of maintaining a private self in a very public world;
4) The distinction between a “having” life and a “being” life.

Format: Class members will use the mass media (fiction, film, music lyrics) to see how society expects us to be and how well that fits with personal experience. After our first session, the coordinator will ask for volunteers to lead a discussion of the next topic; this includes providing examples from the mass media and presenting a list of specific issues for discussion.

Resources/Expenses: All resources from the mass media are readily available: libraries, Netflix, etc. The expenses only occur if a class member decided they wanted to own a copy of the mass media example.

Coordinator: Gregory C. Elliott received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1977 and came to Brown University in 1983. He is currently professor emeritus of Sociology. His current research focus is two-fold: the importance of mattering (the sense that one makes a difference in the lives of others) for adolescent development and behavior; and the challenges facing first-generation college students.