A Message From the Dean
The Glue That Binds
With the world’s focus on science and technology, the social sciences don’t get talked about much. At USC College we are very focused on the social sciences, at the practical and research levels.
I think of the social sciences as the glue that holds society together, providing perspective on who we are and how we fit into the global scheme of things.
We teach and study the full array of the social sciences, an array much broader than in times past. The field is changing in scope and dimension, in tune with changing times.
Social scientists describe and predict the human behavior of individuals and groups. All three of our strategic academic initiatives involve participation from the social sciences.
For example, in the life sciences, we have psychological and sociological expertise that provides an understanding of the human contexts in which biological and physical processes occur.
For our urbanization and internationalization initiative, our social scientists capitalize on our location here in Los Angeles. Our truly global city, situated on the Pacific Rim and bustling with a diverse population, provides a unique window on the world through which to conduct research.
Our focus on language, mind and culture includes social scientists studying cultural systems of the past and the present, as well as the social aspects of language and cognition.
History—the theme of this issue of USC College Magazine—wasn’t always thought of as a social science. But even a cursory glance at the stories in the magazine show faculty and students deeply involved in society’s problems and hopes. History is also representative of the increasing importance of interdisciplinary scholarship, bridging as it does the work of researchers in both the humanities and the social sciences.
We are fortunate to have outstanding faculty throughout the social sciences in the College, including leaders in the fields of American studies, anthropology, economics, gender studies, geography, history, international relations, political science, psychology and sociology.
Social scientists in the College explain the past, predict the future and drive current thinking about contemporary society. What better place from which to do it than Los Angeles—and USC?
Joseph Aoun
Dean of the College
Anna H. Bing Dean’s Chair
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