PSY 454 Bhutan: Happiness in the Land of Enlightenment
Students in this course will be some of the few who get access to Bhutan, the last great Himalayan kingdom. They will learn how modern-day Bhutanese culture has been shaped by its rugged and amazingly diverse landscape, early influence of Tibetan Buddhism, and a robust tradition of resistance to outside rule. As renowned scholar Karma Phuntsho states, “One can safely claim that Bhutan has undergone much more change in the last 50 years than it had in the 500 years before that.” As part of the course, students will investigate what it means for a country to measure progress through Gross National Happiness (GNH) rather than Gross National Product (GNP), and will apply multidisciplinary lenses to exploring what happiness means for both individuals and institutions in Bhutan. In doing so, students will also explore current issues facing Bhutanese society, such as tensions of tradition and progress, generational shifts, and climate change, among others.
Cross Listed Courses
IST
454