INQ-120 | Do Unto Others

Full Title: Do Unto Others: An Anthropology of Service

Topic Description:

“Service to others” is a fundamental concept in all human societies. What drives the human desire to serve? This course focuses on understanding varying definitions of service by investigating the historical, economic, and social motivations underlying them. To further understand motivation for service, we’ll read notable ethnographic and biographical depictions of service, analyze theoretical positions speaking both for and against attempts to improve social welfare, and engage in a process of self-reflection about our own motivations for service. In order to facilitate self-discovery, this course requires students to engage in service experiences of their choosing.

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: November 2009