Sociology and Anthropology
The Sociology and Anthropology Department at Fairfield University challenges students to critically examine the social and cultural dimensions of the modern world. The program integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches to understand and engage major social problems faced by societies, our own and others.
Sociology is the scientific study of human society and social behavior. It seeks to understand why individuals form groups and how membership in groups influences a person's behavior. Why do human beings live in families? Why do the rich act, and even think, differently from the poor? What makes some people break social rules and others obey them? What holds societies together? Why do they sometimes break apart? Why do all societies change over time? These are questions that sociologists ponder.
Anthropology asks similar questions, while emphasizing cross-cultural, interdisciplinary and longer-term perspectives. The discipline includes four subfields: biological anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and cultural anthropology. This integrative and comparative approach highlights patterns of similarity and difference among human groups and helps people understand their own practices and those of others in a broader cross-cultural and historical context.
The department offers two majors and two minors. Students may choose the sociology major or the joint sociology-anthropology major. For minors, students pursue a sociology minor or an anthropology minor.
Sociology and anthropology students are supported by a committed faculty, dedicated to developing their knowledge of these disciplines. Sociology and sociology-anthropology majors at Fairfield University begin their study by taking several fundamental courses that provide them with an understanding of the basic concepts and methodologies of the field. Students build on this foundation by selecting from a wide variety of elective courses. The diversity and flexibility of the curriculum provides unique opportunities for majors and minors to work with faculty to clarify their career goals and build an excellent foundation for graduate school, or for finding careers in fields such as business, marketing and communication, criminal justice, social work, health services, and education.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students should be able to support an argument using data.
2. Students should be able to compare two different debates or theoretical perspectives on a given phenomenon:
1) involving human beings and their societies OR
2) their biological and/or socio-cultural evolution.
3. Students should be able to critically analyze social identities, cultural values, power and/or privilege.
Anthropology
ANTH 1100 Introduction to Four-Field Anthropology 3 Credits
Who are we, where do we come? Why is life unfair, and why do intolerance, poverty and inequality persist? Anthropologists hold no monopoly on truth or explanation, but they do employ a wide range of methods to explore what it means to be human. In this introductory anthropology course we survey the four sub-fields that comprise this multi-disciplinary science: biological anthropology, archaeology, sociocultural anthropology, and linguistics. Over the course of the semester, we will explore what anthropology and its sub-fields contribute to our understanding of ourselves, our histories, and our world.
ANTH 1110 Cultural Anthropology 3 Credits
Why is there such variety in the way people live, dress, speak, eat, love and fight? This course explores the shared patterns of thought, behavior, and feelings - that is, the cultures - of a number of peoples and presents explanations for the forms they take and the differences between them. The course helps students develop a new perspective on the values and institutions of Western culture.
ANTH 1115 Cultures of Africa 3 Credits
This course explores the wealth of cultural traditions and histories from Africa. It begins with an abridged review of African history from the dawn of humankind to 21st century challenges and achievements. Then the focus shifts to regional case studies through African literature, film, and music. For the final segment of the class, students conduct and present original research on the cultural dynamics of critical issues facing contemporary Africans. Students learn and practice research methods in African Studies and anthropology.
ANTH 1116 Introduction to Latinx-U.S. Immigration 3 Credits
This course is an introduction to key themes in the study of Latin American/Latinx im/migration to the U.S. The course uses interdisciplinary resources drawn from anthropology, sociology, history, political science, and ethnic studies to address the history and demographics of Latinx im/migration to the U.S., the relationship between race/class/gender intersectionality and Latinx immigration, immigrant social and economic incorporation, and the impact of immigration policy on Latinx im/migrant experiences. Students will hear from guest speakers from local immigrant-serving organizations, follow emerging trends in Latinx-U.S. immigration, and develop the skills to separate fact from fiction in immigration-focused media and discourse.
ANTH 1120 Islamic Societies and Cultures 3 Credits
This is an anthropological inquiry into a number of Muslim societies. This course investigates the cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity within Muslim societies, while seeking to understand what they have in common with each other and with their non-Muslim neighbors.
ANTH 1125 Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation 3 Credits
Through a comparison of selected Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and Native American societies, this course explores the ways that culture can mold the biological facts of sexual difference into socially accepted behavior, creating two, and sometimes more, genders. Topics include the allocation of work, power, and prestige between men and women, the belief systems that legitimate gender roles, and some possible causes for the wide variation that exists among cultures.
ANTH 1200 Biological Anthropology 3 Credits
The study of natural selection, primate evolution, and living primate societies provides a baseline from which to study the evolution of the human species. The course also traces human cultural and social development from the foraging bands of the first humans to the civilizations that appeared at the dawn of written history. Students also examine physical variation among living populations. This course meets the core natural science requirement and not the social science requirement.
ANTH 1201 Introduction to Evolution of Human Health 3 Credits
Have you ever wondered about the increasing prevalence of diseases like diabetes and cancer, the challenges of human
birth, or the reasons behind aging? This course investigates our evolutionary history to explain current health trends.
Students will learn how genetics, culture, environment, diet, physical activity, and historical interbreeding influence our
well-being. We will also discuss hygiene, medicine, vaccines, and the future risks of antibiotic resistance and gene
editing. This course concludes by emphasizing the crucial role of science and medicine in our journey toward better
health.
ANTH 1210 Biomedical Anthropology 3 Credits
This seminar-style class explores biological anthropology to examine the dynamic relationship between health, biology, and culture. Across cultures, geography, and time, we uncover the underlying processes that inhibit or enhance human health. From the biology of stress to the eradication of tuberculosis and Ebola, we'll see biological anthropology's invaluable contributions to modern medicine, public health, and global health management. Students will learn theoretical and applied approaches to understand the evolution and ecology of disease; human development and metabolism; and sexuality and gender; as well as health policy and medical practice (in terms of cultural universals, differences, and disparities). This course meets the core natural science requirement and not the social science requirement.
ANTH 1500 Anthropology of Happiness 3 Credits
This course will explore the biological, behavioral, and cultural dimensions of happiness through the interdisciplinary lens of four-field anthropology. We begin with linguistics and archaeology, and we integrate philosophy, religious studies, visual arts, and poetry to define happiness and to explore the roots and evolution of happiness into the 21st century. In unit two, we shift to biological and cultural anthropology, along with neurology, chemistry, and psychology to examine the myriad ways humans pursue and experience happiness across the world. We conclude with a final unit in which we apply our interdisciplinary knowledge to complete several short happiness projects.
ANTH 1510 Anthropology of Food 3 Credits
The way humans make and consume food shapes our lives and transforms our world. From our hunter-gatherer past to your family's most recent holiday dinner, in this course we explore the relationship between food, society, and our environment. Through cross-cultural, historical, and ecological studies, the anthropology of food reveals fascinating patterns of cooperation, inequality, and human diversity. The class is divided into three parts: making food (food production), eating food (food consumption), and being food (relationship between food and identity). Our semester includes three feast days and an off-campus field trip.
ANTH 1900 Special Topics (Shell) 3 Credits
Special topics in anthropology provide an opportunity for students and faculty to explore compelling themes that are not covered in the department's regular course rotation and curriculum.
ANTH 2010 Culture and Political Economy 3 Credits
This course examines the ways in which global political economic dynamics impact local cultures. Students will begin with classic texts in social theory, examine how this theory informs contemporary debates, and look to small-scale societies in the Global South for an intimate, ethnographic perspective of our global era. Crosslisted with INST 1052.
ANTH 2015 Refugees and Culture 3 Credits
This course provides students with an overview of refugee movements with a focus on cultural encounters across the world. Students will focus on the social integration and identity adjustments of refugees in their host communities and/or country. The course will also allow students to learn about cultural adjustments of both refugees and host communities whether it is in the United States, Europe, Middle East, or Africa. Students will explore how features of the specific societies serve to inhibit or augment cultural adjustments and meet the new needs and realities of populations in movement.
ANTH 2016 Anthropology of Humanitarianism 3 Credits
Are cultural categories such as race, ethnicity, origin, gender, class, etc., influencing the way people reflect, design, and implement humanitarian actions in today’s world? This course explores the relevance of anthropological perspectives for international humanitarian action. It will deal with key topics such as forced migration and methodological challenges of studying conflict and crisis, the discipline’s historical engagement with emergencies and human suffering, and the contemporary legalization and financialization of the humanitarian field, and finally, the changing humanitarian-development-security nexus. The course will critically examine how recipients, practitioners, decision-makers, and donors interact with the discourses, institutions, and rules of humanitarianism.
ANTH 2025 Philosophy and Economic Anthropology 3 Credits
This course examines the economy from philosophical and anthropological perspectives. We will investigate why people produce and exchange things, why they seek to amass things in some circumstances and give them away in others, and how our modern understandings of value, debt, and rationality emerged.
ANTH 2100 Culture and Inequality 3 Credits
This course focuses on the concepts of "culture" and "inequality," two terms employed to deal with "difference" in a range of intriguingly different and morally charged ways. The course explores recent work in anthropology, economics, and sociology using culture and/or inequality as a lens through which to view various issues in contemporary social theory. In the process, students work to discover what kind of lens culture and/or inequality provides, how our implicit understandings of these ideas shape how we think about the world, and how we might better use such ideas to do our thinking.
ANTH 3600 Anthropological Research Methods 3 Credits
How does anthropological field research help us understand our lives, our communities, and our world? How might anthropological research methods help you explore and pursue your own passions or professional ambitions? In this course students conduct original anthropological field research, write an original journal article manuscript, and they develop an online portfolio to share results and conclusions beyond our classroom. Over the course of our semester, students learn and practice techniques for designing, proposing, conducting, analyzing, and sharing anthropological field research. The class is divided into four sections: Developing Your Research Question, Your Anthropology Toolkit, Anthropological Analysis and Writing, and a final Research Symposium.
ANTH 3700 Grant Writing for the Social Sciences 3 Credits
This course will introduce students to the practicalities of international research, with particular emphasis on qualitative social science methods and the eventual aim of producing a viable grant proposal. The course will be taught from an anthropological perspective, but the skills developed should be broadly applicable to the social sciences and humanities.
ANTH 3710 Theory and Practice in Anthropology 3 Credits
This course focuses on the production of ethnographic knowledge, a form of intellectual inquiry at once art and science, evocation and explication. Emerging in the 20th century as the preeminent form of anthropological expression, ethnographies are one of the few scholarly means of understanding other cultures and societies in meaningful depth. At the same time, ethnographies reveal as much about the disciplines and societies in which they are produced as they do about distant 'others.'
ANTH 4990 Independent Study 1-3 Credits
Independent study experiences provide intellectually curious students with opportunities to take the reins of their education and delve deeply into the ideas and subjects that truly inspire them. Upon request and by agreement of an individual professor in the department, students undertake a one-semester independent study on a defined research topic in anthropology.
Sociology
SOCI 1100 Introduction to Sociology 3 Credits
This introduction to sociology provides students with a sense of sociology's orientation; its particular way of looking at human behavior in the context of people's interaction with each other. The course emphasizes the kinds of questions sociology asks, the methods it uses to search for answers, and how it applies the answers to problems of people's everyday lives and issues of social policy.
SOCI 1110 American Society 3 Credits
This course analyzes the dominant ideology and values that have shaped American culture, namely the Protestant ethic, and how and why these values are changing. The course also analyzes major institutional trends that have transformed and continue to transform America and the modern world: bureaucratization, industrialization, urbanization, the rise of the business corporation, science, and technology, and the effects of these institutions in producing new personality types, mass society, and rapid social change. The course provides a macro-sociological framework.
SOCI 1115 Sociology of the Family 3 Credits
The family is a basic social institution of all societies. This course, which examines family systems as they exist in other cultures and in times past, focuses on understanding the contemporary American family system. Students consider American patterns of dating, mate selection, sexual behavior, marriage, parenting, and aging, as well as alternative life styles and family instability.
SOCI 1120 Sociology of Sexuality 3 Credits
This course explores the social construction of human sexual behavior, examining the influence of social institutions on sexuality, social responses to variations in behaviors, and the organization of sexual identities.
SOCI 1125 Sociology of Religion 3 Credits
This course offers a combined theoretical and empirical treatment of the sociology of religion, the character of religious institutions, the relations of religious institutions with other institutions in society, and the internal social structure of religious institutions. It gives particular attention to the process of secularization in the modern world and the crisis this poses for traditional religion.
SOCI 1130 Feminism, Gender, and Everyday Life 3 Credits
This course provides an introduction to the study of gender through a feminist lens. The central themes of the course are the changes and continuities of gender roles within the United States, the social processes that influence our gender identities, and the connections between gender, power, and inequality. The course addresses the ways in which the media, popular culture, work, and schools have been pivotal sites for the creation and maintenance of gender performances, and explores sites of resistance in art and activism. The course pays special attention to the ways in which race, class, and sexualities intersect processes of gender relations and social change.
SOCI 1135 Race, Gender, and Ethnic Relations 3 Credits
This course analyses sociological and social psychological dimensions of race relations, ethnic interaction, and the changing role and status of women. It focuses on the American scene but also examines problems of women and minorities in other parts of the world and their importance for world politics. It also considers what sociologists and social psychologists have learned about improving dominant/minority relations.
SOCI 1140 Urban/Suburban Sociology: NYC 3 Credits
This course explores the nature of the city and growth of metropolitan regions in the contemporary world; the ecological approach and the use of demographic data in the analysis of modern urban communities; social organization of metropolitan regions and the emergence of urban-suburban conflict; big-city politics, community control, and regional government as dimensions of organization and disorganization in city life; and city planning and urban development at local and national levels as efforts to solve the urban crisis.
SOCI 1145 Globalization 3 Credits
The single most powerful force transforming the world in which we live is the accelerating process of globalization. Information from the Internet, ideas, technology, products, services (and even people, the slowest to move) are all moving within and across national boundaries every hour of every day. As Joseph Stiglitz, former chief economist for the World Bank, puts it, "Globalization is like a giant wave that can either capsize nations or carry them forward on its crest." The goal of this course is to begin to understand the complex causes and effects of globalization. What's driving it and what kind of future is it likely to bring?
SOCI 1150 Introduction to International Migration 3 Credits
This course examines the causes, processes, and concerns of international migration, which are explored through the use of case studies that include a wide range of countries from different world regions. These case studies include international migrants, such as refugees, labor migrants, and undocumented migrants. In addition to studying the migrants and the reasons for their international movement, participants have the opportunity to discuss opposing perspectives on the immigration policies of developed countries.
SOCI 1155 Sociology of Europe 3 Credits
This course introduces the basic political, economic, and sociological elements of contemporary Europe. It begins with an overview of historical events that have shaped the region. While examining the region as a whole, this course also emphasizes the political, socioeconomic and more recent cultural diversity that characterizes the European continent. Topics include political developments and regional integration such as the creation of the European Union, geopolitical dilemmas, popular culture, migration, social change, public policies, inequality, and secularization. A comparative macro-sociological framework will be used to discuss differences and similarities with contemporary American society.
SOCI 1160 Contemporary Latin American and Caribbean Society 3 Credits
This course introduces the basic political, economic, and sociological elements of contemporary Latin America and the Caribbean. It begins with an overview of the historical events that have shaped the region. While examining the region as a whole, this course also emphasizes the political, economic, and cultural diversity that characterizes Latin America and the Caribbean. Drawing from several disciplines, while emphasizing sociological approaches, this course explains some of the positive, as well as the more dubious events in contemporary Latin American and Caribbean society. Topics include popular culture, migration, political change, regional integration, urbanization, gender, and inequality, among others. Case studies will be selected for more detailed discussion based on current events.
SOCI 1165 Social Change in Developing Nations 3 Credits
This course examines the major societal changes occurring in developing countries, seeking answers to two basic questions: To what extent are the current modernization efforts of Third World nations comparable to the earlier experience of the United States and Western Europe? How do existing inequalities and dependencies between developed countries and Third World nations affect their chances of modernizing? Students complete a semester-long web-based study of a particular country.
SOCI 1900 Special Topics (Shell) 3 Credits
Special topics in sociology provide an opportunity for students and faculty to explore compelling themes that are not covered in the department's regular course rotation and curriculum.
SOCI 2100 American Class Structure 3 Credits
This course examines the roots and structure of class in the United States and the consequences of this hierarchical arrangement on everyday life. It focuses primarily on social class; however, the dynamics and consequences of social class cannot be fully understood without addressing the complex interconnections between class, race, and gender. Graduate equivalent: SOCI 5100.
SOCI 2110 Race, Cities, and Poverty 3 Credits
The geography of cities is in constant flux. People move in and out, businesses open and close, city government institutes social policy in response to existing changes in different communities. Many of the changes in cities have been influenced by racial-ethnic and economic dynamics. In this course we will examine the ways race has shaped our perceptions of and responses to community. Why are urban areas "racialized"? Why does talk of the underclass imply Black Americans and Latinos? We will focus primarily on Black Americans, but will also consider white ethnic groups and other ethnic groups in discussion. In our examinations we will focus on case studies of urbanization and race such as post-Katrina New Orleans, southern migration to Chicago, and Bridgeport. Graduate equivalent: SOCI 5110.
SOCI 2115 Women: Work and Sport 3 Credits
Sex and gender stratification exists in most areas of everyday life throughout American society. This course concentrates on women in the workplace and in sport. It analyzes women's occupational status and the accompanying roles from the colonial period to the present from a variety of theoretical perspectives. Since sport is a microcosm of society, the course treats the perceptions and experiences of female athletes in 20th-century America as a mirror of the inequality within the larger world.
SOCI 2120 Population: Birth, Death, and Migration 3 Credits
Demography, the study of population, is the basis of this course. It examines the causes and consequences of population change. The course addresses global population problems and those faced by the United States. Students analyze real demographic data during weekly demographic techniques sessions.
SOCI 2125 Digital Sociology 3 Credits
Since the turn of the 21st century, human societies
around the world have increasingly integrated digital
technologies. In many ways, from how we date to how
we discuss politics, our lives have become digitally
mediated. We understand ourselves, each other, and the
institutions we interact with through this mediation,
resulting in changes to existing patterns and the creation
of new ones. In this course, we will study some of these
changes, focusing on the political economy, information
flows and social movements, placing them in the context
of power, inequality and technology.
SOCI 2130 Role of Money and Accounting in Society 3 Credits
This course will focus on social, economic, and political issues of importance related to the role of money and finance in the world and the US in particular, identify and explain major national social changes and their impact on the role of money and finance, and provide students with an interdisciplinary framework to the subject matter, balancing theoretical sociological perspectives with practical examples and best practices implemented by accountants. Knowledge about money and finance will be linked to contemporary social problems in order to obtain a broader understanding of the multiple causes and effects of long-term inequality. Crosslisted with ACCT 2250.
SOCI 2135 Race in the Americas 3 Credits
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing.
This team-taught course explores the construction of race throughout the Americas. Course readings and assignments focus on Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, among others. These places are emphasized as sharing overlapping concerns with the US, based on geography, common histories, and patterns of migration. We use an interdisciplinary approach integrating theory and research methods from history, sociology, politics, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Black Studies. We explore essential questions related to difference that all human societies have encountered over time. We deepen our understanding of why we categorize people, how we label them, and who decides. Crosslisted with HIST 2235.
SOCI 2200 Criminology 3 Credits
This course examines crime rates and crime trends in the U.S. Theories of criminal behavior are critically analyzed. It also explores victimless crime, white collar crime, and organized crime. Societal responses to crime and criminals are addressed.
SOCI 2210 Sociology of Law 3 Credits
Based in the relationship of law and society, this course explores the meaning of law, civil disobedience, and other challenges, and law as an agent of social change. It takes as its major theme legal equality versus social inequality and analyzes this theme in terms of discrimination against the poor, women, and various racial groups. Students discuss the role of lawyers, the police, and the courts in American society in the second half of the semester.
SOCI 2215 Death Penalty in America 3 Credits
This course is an in-depth analysis of capital punishment. The history of the death penalty and its contemporary status in the U.S. is explored. Public opinion and the decisions of the courts, prosecutors, and juries are addressed. Some of the questions raised include the following: Is the death penalty a deterrent? Is it racially biased? Does it victimize the poor? Are the innocent ever convicted and executed? What sociological factors influence clemency decisions? How is the U.S. position on the death penalty perceived by the international community?
SOCI 2220 Criminal Justice System Seminar 3 Credits
This seminar explores in detail the workings and problems of the criminal justice system in the United States. In addition to investigating the sources of criminal behavior, the course focuses on the arraignment process, probation, the trial, sentencing, prison reform, and parole.
SOCI 2300 Sociology of Education 3 Credits
This course introduces students to sociological perspectives on education. We will focus on the structure, practices, content, and outcomes of schooling in contemporary society. Throughout the semester, we address three fundamental questions. What are the primary goals of American education? Why are there systematic patterns of race, class, and gender inequality in education? How can we use the sociological lens to understand, contextualize, and alleviate educational problems in the real world? Drawing upon readings dealing primarily with American education, we discuss how educational experiences influence important life outcomes including lifetime earnings, health status, and interaction with the criminal justice system. Graduate equivalent: SOCI 5300.
SOCI 2310 Sociology of Hip-Hop Culture 3 Credits
Prerequisite(s): SOCI 1100 or any sociological course.
This course delves into Hip-Hop culture's origins, evolution, and societal impact, moving beyond mere appreciation. Originating in the South Bronx but with Afrocentric global roots, Hip-Hop, created by marginalized Black and Latino youth, remains pivotal in cultural discourse. Through a sociological lens, we analyze its influence, covering topics like race, class, gender, capitalism, urban policies, the war on drugs, etc. Students engage critically, gaining insights into its historical and social contexts. This exploration offers a nuanced understanding of hip-hop's multifaceted nature, encouraging a deep analysis of its societal implications.
SOCI 2400 Social Work: An Introduction 3 Credits
This overview of the social work profession emphasizes the knowledge base, theories, values, and skills that underlie generalist social work practice with individuals, groups, families, and communities. Students consider a range of social problems and social policy concerns as well as the impact of these issues on diverse client populations. The course also conducts a related exploration of the role of the social worker in agency settings and the various fields of practice. Crosslisted with SWRK 2400.
SOCI 2410 History of Social Welfare 3 Credits
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing.
The course explores the development of the social work profession within the context of the evolution of social welfare in the United States, emphasizing the political, economic, social, and philosophical forces that have forged social welfare policy and helped shape the social work profession. Exploration of the importance of divisions in American society regarding social justice and issues of class, race, ethnicity, and gender provide a framework through which to view current controversies such as welfare reform and the feminization of poverty. Crosslisted with SWRK 2410.
SOCI 3600 Methods of Research Design 4 Credits
This course examines the nature and function of scientific methods as applied to the field of sociology, emphasizing survey research design and secondary analysis of existing data. Student teams design and conduct research projects as part of the course assignments.
SOCI 3610 Statistics: Social and Political Data Analysis 4 Credits
This course provides a basic introduction to the role of statistical analysis in understanding social and political data, with an emphasis on actual data analysis using the University's computer facilities. It uses an extensive social and political data archive including 2000 Census data, political polls, and national survey data for computer analysis.
SOCI 3700 Classical Social Theory 3 Credits
This course in sociological theory concentrates on the writings of Smith, Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, placing their theories in the context of the social, economic, political, and intellectual turmoil of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The course includes a focus on the development of sociology as a discipline in the early 20th century and the enduring concerns of the perspective to analyze "modern" industrialized societies.
SOCI 3710 Contemporary Social Theory 3 Credits
This course focuses on contemporary American and European sociology and its development after 1945, examining critical social theory, structural functionalism, symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, feminism, world systems theory and post modernism. Contemporary application is a central concern in the course.
SOCI 4980 Field Work Placement 3 Credits
In this one- or two-semester internship program, students are placed in professional and service settings where they work under supervision and acquire experience in the area chosen for placement. In addition, they integrate their experiences with the intellectual foundation acquired in their academic courses. Open to senior majors only.
SOCI 4990 Independent Study 1-4 Credits
Upon the request and by agreement of an individual professor in the department, students undertake a one-semester independent study on a defined research topic or field.
SOCI 4998 Data Analytics Capstone Seminar 3 Credits
In this capstone seminar, students will put into practice the skills they have learned as a data analytics minor by collecting, analyzing and presenting their data on a project they design. Before starting the course, the students are expected to identify a faculty member who is willing to serve as an advisor on their projects. In addition to working with this advisor, the course will offer opportunities for students to get frequent feedback from the instructor and their peers on their projects, as well as professionalization activities such as learning new software tools, skills, and networking opportunities with working professionals.