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CAU > On-campus Summer Programs > Ties that Bind: The Dynamics of Human Attachment

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Ties that Bind: The Dynamics of Human Attachment

CAU On-campus Summer Programs

Week 1: July 12-18, 2009

Ties that Bind: The Dynamics of Human Attachment

In 1940 Swiss philosopher Denis de Rougemont called love-based marriage "a pathological experiment." Considerable evidence suggests that he was right. Ouch! Still, from sex to romantic love to the connection of parent and child, people of all ages are predisposed to form strong interpersonal bonds. And scientific studies confirm what our lay observations suggest: that our day-to-day well-being, our overall psychological adjustment, and even our physical health depend in large part on the quality of our relationships with other people. Cindy Hazan, associate professor of human development and outstanding teacher of Cornell undergraduate and graduate students, will help us to understand the complex ways that dependence on and interdependence with others is a fundamental fact of the human condition. We will consider how these bonds develop (did you know, for example, that we seem to prefer mates whose scent indicates a profile of disease resistance that complements our own?) and account for individual differences in the way adults think, feel, and behave in their closest relationships. Through lecture and discussion, Cindy will show us how our continuance as a species turns on the successful negotiation of three major adaptive challenges: surviving to reproductive age, mating, and providing adequate care to our young so that they, too, live to reproduce. The only prerequisite for this class is curiosity about the many profound and counterintuitive ways we humans need each other.

Registration

The registration period for this program has passed.
Please contact us if you have any questions.

Once you've registered, we'll send you materials on the academic program and other information to help you prepare for CAU. Please include deposits ($50 per person, per class) with your registration. All deposits are applied to the full program charges. See the On-campus Summer Program Fees page for information about program fees and deposit amounts.