CBSC 230 – Emotion Valuation and Well-Being

Four credits, EXP
Two weeks in Denmark; two weeks on campus*
Professors Karla Murdock and Wythe Whiting

*Saturday/Sunday April 25/26 - Saturday/Sunday May 9/10: Copenhagen, Denmark
May 11 - May 22: Lexington, VA

This course is open to all students with no prerequisites.

This course explores emotions and the meaning we ascribe to them. Drawing from theory and research in cognitive, affective, social, and behavioral science, we will consider how emotional experiences are defined, valued, and pursued or avoided. We will examine cultural influences on emotions in the United States and Denmark, which is routinely identified as one of the "happiest" countries in the world. As we question practices and structures associated with individual and societal variations in self-reported well-being, we will pay special attention to the Scandinavian concept of hygge. In Copenhagen our work will be centered at the Danish Institute of Study Abroad (DIS) and a full plate of class activities will allow us to critically reflect on conditions that support well-being in two cultural contexts.

For further details, please contact professors Murdock (murdockk@wlu.edu) and Whiting (whitingw@wlu.edu).

Applications open October 7th, 2025.