EPS7512 The Enlightened Observer
1.5 Credit Elective

The goal of this graduate-level course is to engage students in observational research methods with the aim of training them to see opportunities to develop business in response to social issues. Students will address the following questions: What are the most pressing issues confronting today's global citizens? How do those issues affect the lives of people living in the local area? Is it possible to see business opportunities among significant and complicated social problems such as health, environmental, and community social issues? Students will first explore relevant literature to develop a critical understanding of the most pressing issues confronting the world today, including education, poverty, global warming, gender equality, and malnutrition. They will learn the principles and develop skills of applied anthropological observation by conducting local fieldwork on a global social issue of their choosing, as small teams. Ultimately, they will apply their new understanding of the chosen problem to be able to identify unique opportunities for effecting positive change through entrepreneurship.

Prerequisites: None