Individual and Community Paths to Happiness
To what extent is happiness a choice? What are the individual-level and community-level consequences of the pursuit of happiness?
Project description
This is a volunteer service project for students enrolled in SOC 239. Students who choose to complete this project will complete 10 hours of volunteering with a social justice organization and compare their experience to several happiness exercises assigned in class. Is happiness fundamentally an individual pursuit and what are the individual-level and community-level consequences of individual attempts to boost happiness?
Project outcome
The student will create a power-point presentation comparing their service project to the happiness exercises completed in class.
Project details
| Length of commitment | About 3-5 months |
| Start time | Spring (January/February) |
| In-person, remote, or hybrid? | In-Person project |
| Level of collaboration | Individual student project |
| Benefits | Academic credit |
| Who is eligible | Students enrolled in SOC 239 |
Project mentor
Kristen Lee
Associate Professor
Sociology
Phone: (716) 645-8469
Email: kslee4@buffalo.edu
Start the project
- Ensure you are enrolled in the course for the correct semester.
- Click the button to start the digital badge below.
Preparation activities
Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase.
To prepare for your volunteer service project, students will read the assigned course readings as listed on the syllabus plus the following book chapter to get them thinking about different approaches to developing a happier society:
Davies, William. 2015. The Happiness Industry. Verso. Read chapter 8, pg 245-255 (UBL)
Students will need to cite this book chapter in your final reflection paper. The preparation stage of the digital badge must be completed before your start your volunteer hours.
Keywords
SOC 239, volunteer service project, happiness, sociology