SOCIAL SCIENCES
Monika Jones, Senior, Comparative History of Ideas
Social scientists are all about people: what we have in common, how we’re different, what makes us human. They study our diverse rituals, customs, and laws; how we communicate our ideas; the way we live now and how we used to live. They wonder: Does history really repeat itself? They look for patterns in how we behave in working, spending, loving, and dying. They’re interested in how we choose our leaders, our partners, even the clothes we wear. They listen for our many voices, understanding the importance of hearing all of them. They think about how we think. Students of the social sciences go on to careers as urban planners, attorneys, and advocates for the homeless. They become journalists who ask the tough questions and counselors who care. They sift through the ruins of ancient archaeological sites, research the reliability of eyewitness testimony, analyze financial markets, and create maps that help us know where we are literally and figuratively. They’re people interested in people. Imagine that.
Majors Listed
Student Profile
“My senior thesis explores the relationship between globalization, culture and identity through the lens of storytelling and photography. To supplement my theoretical studies, I’m spending a month working with ninth graders in Brewster, WA, an apple-country town where 70 percent of the population is migrant workers, immigrants or children of immigrants.”
“My goal is to share the energy and passion I have for self-expression with the students, in order to empower and enable them to confront the rapidly globalizing world they live in. When I return, I will design the students’ writings and art work into a magazine they can share with family and friends. They hear they should aspire to a college education, but it’s not yet a reality to them. I hope to reach out, to be an example, and show them, ‘this is where you can go.’”
Every year, 7,000 undergraduates participate in research. One of them could be YOU.
