Caring for the vulnerable is one of the unique traits of human beings. In fact, so dependent are we on this special capacity that without it, our species would not exist. This online sociology specialization examines how society cares for its at-risk members and dives into the experiences of today’s caregivers. This specialization is relevant not only to individuals interested in entering the helping professions but to anyone hoping to improve and better understand the human condition.

By completing this specialization, you will:

  • Develop language to describe the experience of being a care worker, the recipient of care, and/or certain concepts to talk about care
  • Be able to identify caring professions, describe the motivations for entering caring professions, and identify pathways into caring professions
  • Understand the individual experience of suffering and care in a larger social context
  • Develop a deeper appreciation of the centrality of care in human society

Courses

  • Suffering and the Human Condition
  • Thinking About Care
  • The Challenges of Modern Caregiving

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Earn graduate credits from CU Boulder.

Learners who complete all three courses in this specialization are eligible to receive 2 graduate credits from the University of Colorado Boulder. In addition to the monthly subscription fee learners pay to Coursera to access course content, learners must pay a one-time fee to the University of Colorado Boulder to earn university credit. Learn more in the Teacher Education University Credit from CU Boulder reading item within any of the courses above.