The Human Context

The context we inhabit influences our attitudes and behaviors in ways that we fail to appreciate. Beyond obvious features, like climate or wealth, the human context includes features, like inequality, discrimination, social norms, societal narratives, and the law, that are less apparent. These veiled features are an integral part of our experience: they affect our preferences, memories, perceptions of success, and life satisfaction. They shape our behaviors at home, at war, in neighborhoods, and as citizens. The course will explore the under-appreciated power of context, and contemplate ways it might be made more conducive to human thriving.