Edie Abraham-Macht
In Social Sciences for Social Problems, students get an introduction to the six major social sciences, learning their strengths and weaknesses, methods of inquiry, and how to apply them to critical analysis of real-world issues.
When was the last time you turned a skill around in ten days?
Shunwa Takayama, a summer ‘22 SSfSP student, might have you beat with his final project for the two-week course, which we awarded starred project designation! He used what he learned in SSfSP to explore the issue of deforestation in the Amazon from an interdisciplinary perspective, using the lenses of economics and sociology to critically analyze the practice and its effects on human lives.
Shunwa’s study of deforestation led him to discover an intertwined and equally serious issue: the prevalence of illegal logging, an industry largely composed of forced labor. The strategically chosen details Shunwa includes in his presentation about this practice and its darkest undersides successfully demonstrate the urgency of the issue.
Shunwa was introduced to the disciplines of economics and sociology less than ten days before his presentation—and still manages to bring a staggering amount of nuance to his chosen issue using these two lenses. He offers questions and critiques of the source he’s working with using academic methods of inquiry, enabling a far deeper understanding of the origins and effects of deforestation.
As you watch, look out for how Shunwa employs economics to open up the question of how we can address the extreme poverty that underlies and enables the logging issue itself—I found this insight especially impactful. Similarly, his necessary demand that we examine the human consequences of deforestation is grounded in a holistic sociological perspective on the issue: he unpacks the complex interactions between social institutions, individuals, and the environment.
We’re so proud of our SSfSP students for “going beyond the headlines”: asking the hard questions, digging deeper to illuminate new dimensions of problems and new potential solutions. The world needs more people like them!