ESP Biography

Fuzzy slippers, friendship, cookies, money. We’ve heard it all. Humans have been obsessed with finding the secret to happiness for ages. And today, with the growing popularity of positive psychology–a field of psychology that focuses on human happiness–the number of these happiness theories has exponentially increased. But if we have discovered so many more “scientifically proven” ways for us to increase our happiness, then why aren’t we any happier than before? In this class, we are going to explore the validity of these theories. We will start briefly with the ideas of the ancient world and then move on to new research from current prominent psychologists. Hopefully, you will leave the class with an understanding of what makes us truly happy, as well as some easy ways to become happier in your life.

Karate chops, straight A’s, piano, tiger moms, and exaggerated accents. In this class, we will explore the manner in which race is depicted in the media through the narratives of Asian Americans themselves and the varied reactions that America as a whole experiences towards these narratives. We will raise questions regarding the validity of these media portrayals and both the dangers and opportunities inherent in them. In the process, we will try to position the current state of Asian Americans in the broader context of Asian American history. What does it mean for the media to perpetuate stereotypes of certain groups, or to disregard them completely?