PAH 220 - Collaboration: A Humanities Perspective

This course explores how collaborative endeavors are influenced by culture, identity, and diversity. Drawing from the linguistic, cultural, and philosophical traditions of the humanities, we will study what it means to function effectively as part of a diverse collaborative, from small, informal communities to large, formal organizations. In contrast to the largely empirical epistemologies and methodologies of the hard and social sciences, we will approach the concept of collaboration as a subject and reflection of the human condition, considering the different cultural elements that influence cooperation and the meanings human beings derive from cooperation. We will explore how cultural and personal concepts such as power distance, individualism, gender roles, and orientation to time, tasks, and relationships shape collaboration. Course topics include the qualities of diverse collaboratives, the relationship of cultural diversity to collaboration, questions of personality and identity in the workplace, and leadership and assessment in a multicultural context. In addition, the course will seek to enhance understanding of how dominant institutional and cultural forces impose themselves on collaborative endeavors, disadvantaging certain groups such as women, racial/ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and people with a lower-power socioeconomic status.