PSYC 283 - Born This Way: Essentialism across disciplines

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as PHIL 283) Essentialism – the idea that categories like oak tree, woman, or American are natural rather than constructed, that identity is fixed rather than flexible, that characteristics are inborn rather than acquired, and that behavior reflects nature rather than nurture – has been a powerful idea ever since it first became en vogue in the 1800s. This course traces this idea from its theoretical and historical foundations (Philosophy) to its biological reality (Biology) and its cognitive and social implications (Psychology), as students journey from theory to practice within the span of 12 weeks. Across the course, we focus especially on essentialism as it relates to social categories such as race, gender, LGBTQ identities, mental illness, and disability. Kate Pendoley, Rebecca Peretz-Lange.

Prerequisite(s): One 100-level course in Philosophy, Psychology, or Cognitive Science, or permission of the instructor.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS