I think that social sciences can be wonderfully rewarding depending on the approach your professor gives it.
For instance, one of the best teachers I have had is the teacher that teaches Game Theory and Politics, American Foreign Policy, Political Violence and Revolutions, and International Politics. Dr. Carlson (this very teacher) is amazing because she does research based on mathematical models and applies these to Political Science in a meantingful way.
I have had other teachers like her that don't ignore
a) logical rules b) the laws of causality
or are :
a) heavily politicized b) overall useless.
I changed my majors so now I'm doubled in PS and History. I think History can be really rewarding as a tool regardless of WHAT you are studying. Understanding the Austrian school of thought in Economics is definitely improved if you understand the geopolitical climate at the time. Same with reading a lot of literature that is important. Beloved is a lot less meaninful if you don't understand what The Civil War was:). Same with War and Peace. I also find political science valuable because understanding macro scale politics and the rules that have evolved regarding such politics can give you some interesting insights into people. Psychological insights, but instead of psychology just saying:
"X is a given condition that means Y" ...Poli Sci (if you understand it) says "people can be manipulated by doing A and following this rule (B)"
Since I'm going into the entertainment business, that is quite valuable. Plus they both lead nicely into law school and I find them interesting.
What I tend to hate about those bullshit classes is that they almost always have
a) attendance requirments b) moronic professors (one of my profs last year just couldn't understand that tangential rambling does NOT equal meaninful instruction) c) large class size (which means what miniscule learning you could be doing is totally squished out by 150 other people that are fallin asleep, doodling, or trying to hook up) d) That smelly kid in the third row.
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Re: Whatsup?
Date: 2005-04-12 09:02 pm (UTC)From:For instance, one of the best teachers I have had is the teacher that teaches Game Theory and Politics, American Foreign Policy, Political Violence and Revolutions, and International Politics. Dr. Carlson (this very teacher) is amazing because she does research based on mathematical models and applies these to Political Science in a meantingful way.
I have had other teachers like her that don't ignore
a) logical rules
b) the laws of causality
or are :
a) heavily politicized
b) overall useless.
I changed my majors so now I'm doubled in PS and History. I think History can be really rewarding as a tool regardless of WHAT you are studying. Understanding the Austrian school of thought in Economics is definitely improved if you understand the geopolitical climate at the time. Same with reading a lot of literature that is important. Beloved is a lot less meaninful if you don't understand what The Civil War was:).
Same with War and Peace. I also find political science valuable because understanding macro scale politics and the rules that have evolved regarding such politics can give you some interesting insights into people. Psychological insights, but instead of psychology just saying:
"X is a given condition that means Y" ...Poli Sci (if you understand it) says "people can be manipulated by doing A and following this rule (B)"
Since I'm going into the entertainment business, that is quite valuable. Plus they both lead nicely into law school and I find them interesting.
What I tend to hate about those bullshit classes is that they almost always have
a) attendance requirments
b) moronic professors (one of my profs last year just couldn't understand that tangential rambling does NOT equal meaninful instruction)
c) large class size (which means what miniscule learning you could be doing is totally squished out by 150 other people that are fallin asleep, doodling, or trying to hook up)
d) That smelly kid in the third row.
:)
-Evan