Society, Culture & Thought
What it is to be human
Anthropology, economics, history, philosophy, politics, psychology—to study these fields at Bennington means diving deep into the range of human experience in order to investigate history, explore the human psyche, and analyze the workings of states, societies, institutions, and cultures.
Classes are small, discussion‐based seminars, with faculty who are practicing historians, psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers, policymakers, and diplomats. Extensive reading and writing and lively conversation are complemented by the yearly Field Work Term, with internships in the field, and, if desired, study abroad.
The list of faculty who have taught at Bennington since its founding include some of the most consequential thinkers of their eras, and people who were shaping the world that they were expert at observing: Theodore Newcomb, a pioneer in social psychology, Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, Erich Fromm, the psychoanalyst and social theorist, and Mansour Farhang, Revolutionary Iran’s first ambassador to the United Nations, to name a few.
Our faculty continue this tradition while breaking new intellectual ground, their feet firmly planted in theory and in practice. They model new ways to be engaged in the world as they guide students in their quest to formulate rigorous questions, gather evidence and analyze data, and think through and across boundaries of thought.
Learn more about studying at Bennington by contacting our admissions office
At Bennington, students work closely with faculty to design the content, structure, and sequence of their study and practice—their Plan—taking advantage of resources inside and outside the classroom to pursue their work.
Courses
In your courses, faculty guide you in your quest to formulate rigorous questions, gather evidence and analyze data, and think through and across boundaries of thought.
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Witchcraft and Magic in Pre-Modern Europe
Carol Pal
American Environmental Politics
John Hultgren
Faculty
Your faculty are active scholars in their fields, advancing the work by doing the work.
Field Work Term
During Field Work Term, you’ll work with experts outside the College to observe the world, test your ideas in the field, and gather insight to bring back to your classes.
- Africana Studies Institute, University of Connecticut
- Fordham University Center for Medieval Studies
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania
- Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls
- Philosophy On Stage, University of Vienna
- Rudolf Steiner Schule, Pötzleinsdorf
- San Francisco Zen Center
- Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
- The Institute for Women, Religion & Globalization, Union Theological Seminary
- The Knox Museum
- The University Center Svalbard, Norway
- Tufts University
- U.S. Embassy in Bamako, Mali
Alumni
On the national stage or at a local level, Bennington alumni have transformed the institutions and the communities in which they live and work.
Notables and Influencers
Judith Butler '78
Ousseynou Diome '14
Andrea Dworkin '68
Gail Hirschorn Evans '63
Arlene Heyman '63
Brad Jacobs '77
Gay Johnson McDougall '69
Ellen McCulloch-Lovell '69
Kay Crawford Murray '56
Victoria Sammartino '99
John Sheldon '77
Sally Liberman Smith '50
Ellen Taussig '66
Ujwal Thapa '00
Christopher Bishop '72
Judith Butler '78
Author of Gender Trouble, one of the most important works of philosophy and gender theory of the postmodern era
Ousseynou Diome '14
Called a “creative disruptor” in the field of agricultural finance by Forbes and currently pursuing an MBA at Stanford University
Andrea Dworkin '68
Feminist writer whose work was a lightning rod for the debate on pornography and censorship in the United States
Gail Hirschorn Evans '63
Bestselling author of Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman, former executive vice president of CNN, and before that a key player in the creation of the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity and the 1966 Civil Rights Act during the Johnson Administration
Arlene Heyman '63
Practicing psychiatrist and psychoanalyst and author of the critically acclaimed Scary Old Sex
Brad Jacobs '77
Listed among the Best CEOs of the 2016 All-America Executive Team
Gay Johnson McDougall '69
First United Nations Independent Expert on Minority Issues and former executive director of Global Rights
Ellen McCulloch-Lovell '69
President of Marlboro College and a central figure in the Clinton White House in the 1990s
Kay Crawford Murray '56
Trailblazing attorney who has spent a career working to highlight issues of gender bias in the legal profession
Victoria Sammartino '99
Founder of Voices UnBroken, a nonprofit dedicated to giving vulnerable young people opportunity for creative self-expression
John Sheldon '77
President of First Beverage Financial and leading investment banker who has honed his expertise in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, and strategic partnerships in top positions at Peter J. Solomon & Company, Lazard, and Goldman Sachs
Sally Liberman Smith '50
Founder of the Lab School, a groundbreaking program for children with learning disabilities, and a leading expert in special education
Ellen Taussig '66
Founder and former head of school of the Northwest School who has been recognized as a Changemaker by Global Washington for her current work as executive director of the International Leadership Academy of Ethiopia
Ujwal Thapa '00
Founder of Bibeksheel Nepali, a populist political party founded in the wake of Nepal’s 2015 earthquake
Christopher Bishop '72
TECxTimesSquare board member and expert on “improvised careers”—nonlinear, multi-modal paths that help people succeed in the global borderless workplace—whose own résumé ranges from session musician to IBM executive
