Global Pandemics

In this three-week program, we’ll examine how scholars from the disciplines of Psychology, Sociology, and Political Science make sense of individual, group, and nation-state responses to global pandemics. For example, how do different ways of coping with pandemic anxiety affect physical and mental well-being? What types of social inequalities go unrecognized in cultural messages emphasizing “we’re all in this together”? Why have some political systems been more effective than others in coordinating the response to public health crises? Students will receive instruction in the types of questions these three disciplines ask and the answers they generate. Students will additionally acquire a deeper understanding of a liberal arts approach to learning while simultaneously honing the skills required to excel in a college environment. Students will spend one week each on: Sociology - “We’re all in this together!”; Beyond Pandemics - Psychology of Flourishing; and The Politics of COVID-19.