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Social Inquiry (SI)

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Stanford students chat at an ice cream social.

What

Social Inquiry (SI) courses focus on probing question that are of social nature; for example pertaining to social arrangements, human behavior, and forms of social, political, and economic organization.

Why

Human beings are social animals. To understand human behavior and exercise responsible citizenship, you'll need tools that allow you to explore and study the behaviors and propensities at the root of society as well as the ways in which those behaviors and propensities vary across space, time, and individual circumstance.

How

You might gain knowledge in the SI by taking courses in history, or in the systematic sciences of human behavior and cognition (e.g., psychology, linguistics). Or you might take courses in political science, sociology, economics, and anthropology.

Choose

You’ll find many courses that will allow you to explore Social Inquiry, but here are some:

See Social Inquiry Courses in Explore Courses.