Arts Menu
Sociology Courses
Lower-level prerequisites
Lower-level courses (SOCI 1000 and 2000) no longer require a prerequisite. We are in the process of updating course descriptions to reflect this.
The only exception is SOCI 2720 Intro to Social Research Methods. The prerequisite is SOCI 1110 or SOCI 1111 or completion of 30 credits (any discipline).
Upper-level prerequisites
For all upper-level courses (SOCI 3000 and 4000), the prerequisite is completion of 45 credits (any discipline).
Some courses may not be offered every semester.
SOCI 1110 Introduction to Sociology I (3,0,0) SOCI 1110 Introduction to Sociology I (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students learn the core concepts of the discipline of sociology by examining key topics (such as culture, socialization, social interaction, social roles, and social structure) that allow us to locate ourselves within society. Students also explore theoretical perspectives within sociology and the fundamentals of the sociological research methods.
|
SOCI 1210 Introduction to Sociology II (3,0,0) SOCI 1210 Introduction to Sociology II (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students critically examine social stratification and inequalities based on dimensions of class, race, gender, and sexuality in both the Canadian and global contexts. In this second introductory course, students apply a sociological analysis to the study of major social institutions including: education, work, politics, media, healthcare, and the criminal justice system. Students investigate questions and debates concerning our modern world, in particular, those around consumer culture, globalization, and the role of social media.
|
SOCI 2010 Race and Ethnicity (3,0,0) SOCI 2010 Race and Ethnicity (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students learn about race and ethnicity as social constructions and examine sociological theories to explain race and ethnic inequality in Canada. Students are challenged to critically examine processes of racialization and ethnic belonging in Canada and also in comparison to other countries. |
SOCI 2100 Canadian Social Issues (3,0,0) SOCI 2100 Canadian Social Issues (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in a descriptive and analytic survey of features in Canadian society as a basis for understanding current social issues. These features may include demographic characteristics, class structure, race and ethnicity, social policy, regionalism or other relevant aspects of Canadian society. |
SOCI 2130 Women in Global Perspective (3,0,0) or (3,0,0)(3,0,0) SOCI 2130 Women in Global Perspective (3,0,0) or (3,0,0)(3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine the experiences and status of women within a global context. Topics include family relations, paid and unpaid domestic work, the global economy, gendered violence, sex tourism and the sex trade, beauty standards and the altered body, maternal mortality, and societal control of sexuality and reproduction. Throughout the course, students analyze the commonalities and diversities of women's lives through dimensions of race, ethnicity, nation, class, age, and sexuality. |
SOCI 2160 The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspectives (3,0,0) SOCI 2160 The Family in Cross-Cultural Perspectives (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students learn about family life in its formation, the relevance of marriage and cohabitation, bringing up children, and the impact of family issues. In this cross-cultural comparison of family life, students explore global diversity in the structure and meaning of marriage relations; forms of domestic organization; the gendered division of labour, property and inheritance, and the familial influence in the construction of gender in different cultures around the world. |
SOCI 2170 The Sociology of Popular Culture (3,0,0) SOCI 2170 The Sociology of Popular Culture (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine the sociological implications of current popular culture and issues central to how social life is presented and constructed through popular cultural lenses. Students explore the unequal production, distribution and consumption of popular culture and the representations and justifications of inequality between groups in modern society. |
SOCI 2230 Collective Behaviour (3,0,0) SOCI 2230 Collective Behaviour (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in an analysis of crowd and mass action and behaviour; they examine cases and theories of collective behaviour to explain what occurs in social phenomena such as riots, rumours and miracles, cults, militias and hate groups, urban myths and urban legends, fads and crazes, revolutions and social movements. |
SOCI 2260 Medical Sociology (3,0,0) SOCI 2260 Medical Sociology (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine the social factors that influence health, illness and health care. They learn that health and illness are not entirely individual phenomena; rather, the cause, distribution and consequences of health and illness are also related to social, economic, political and environmental factors. Students explore topics such as the ways people understand and manage their illnesses; the social and cultural meanings of illness; interactions between health care providers and patients; the dynamics of class, gender, race, culture and health; the nature and organization of health care in Canada; environment, work and illness; and critical role that social movements play in what gets 'medicalized.' |
SOCI 2270 ***Selected Topics in Sociology (3,0,0) SOCI 2270 ***Selected Topics in Sociology (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students explore specific areas of sociological inquiry at an introductory level that are not normally offered by the department. Course topics will vary according to the specific offering. |
SOCI 2500 Crime and Society (3,0,0) SOCI 2500 Crime and Society (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine the Canadian Criminal Justice System at an introductory level, with reference to the nature of criminal law, the philosophy of crime control, criminal justice policy, and current trends/patterns of crime in Canada. They explore the various components of the criminal justice system, including policing, the courts, and corrections. Students also discuss the trends in early and contemporary criminological theorizing.
|
SOCI 2590 Deviance and Control (3,0,0) SOCI 2590 Deviance and Control (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students critically evaluate the concept of deviance, its resulting social control, and its use in institutions and daily social interactions. Students explore the role of power in reinforcing and challenging 'deviant' identities. Major topics include sexuality, youth, physical appearance, mental disorders, religion and scientific beliefs, and their place in the construction of criminal and non-criminal deviance. |
SOCI 2620 Sociology of the Environment (3,0,0) SOCI 2620 Sociology of the Environment (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in the study of environmental sociology at an introductory level, which provides insights into social processes that impact the natural environment. Students examine the social roots of the environmental crisis. Topics include a review of the history of environmental thought within the field, key debates, the role of social institutions, environmental social movements, and a range of case studies. |
SOCI 2720 Introductory Social Research Methods (2,1,0) SOCI 2720 Introductory Social Research Methods (2,1,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in an overview of the theory and practice of social research. Students acquire fundamental research and data management skills. Topics include research ethics, research design, survey research, field research,
interviewing, quasi-experimentation, and data analysis.
|
SOCI 3100 Urban Canada (3,0,0) SOCI 3100 Urban Canada (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine selected features of the social organization of Canadian cities and towns. Topics may include the relationships between industrial organization, urbanization, and other social institutions and processes; such as family structure, welfare systems, crime rates, minorities, or social movements.
|
SOCI 3120 Gender Relations (3,0,0)(3,0,0) SOCI 3120 Gender Relations (3,0,0)(3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine the nature of gender relations, the social, sexual, economic and political dimensions of gender and theories of gender inequality drawn from social science research. Students investigate the influence of gender on individual identity, social interactions, and institutions such as families, media, work, education and politics. Throughout the course, students explore current issues concerning the binary nature of Western gender relations, the diversity of women and feminist movements, and the commodification of and backlash against feminist ideas and practice.
Prerequisites: Completion of 45 credits
|
SOCI 3160 Sexuality (3,0,0) SOCI 3160 Sexuality (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students explore the many ways that sexuality, sexual practices, identities, and behaviours change both throughout history and across cultures. Sexualities are continually structured and restructured with regard to politics, ideologies, and social change. Students examine sexuality in its multiple dimensions and how it is experienced in the social world across various intersections of race, class, age, and gender.
|
SOCI 3200 Classical Social Theory (3,0,0) SOCI 3200 Classical Social Theory (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in the study of complex works by three influential founders of sociology (Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber), as well as other relevant theorists who contributed to the formation of the basic concepts and methods of the social sciences. Students examine the development of capitalism, the formation of modern society, and the discovery of society as an object of knowledge. Students critically analyze the male-centred and Eurocentic perspectives and limitations of sociological classical theories.
|
SOCI 3210 Feminist Theory (3,0,0) SOCI 3210 Feminist Theory (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in learning the history of feminist thought, the major traditions of feminist theory, as well as the debates central to the dialogue of classical and contemporary feminist theory. They study the original work of some of the major theorists and pay close attention to how historical conditions and social issues have shaped the thinking of each author. Topics include historical and contemporary liberal and socialist feminist thought and practice, second-wave radical feminism, feminist theories of intersectionality, and postmodern, post-colonial, queer and
third-wave approaches to feminist theory. Throughout the course, students critically analyze the relevance of the various traditions of feminist thought and practice to contemporary social life. Students also discuss the social, economic and political forces that influence contemporary perceptions of feminism.
|
SOCI 3220 Contemporary Social Theory (3,0,0) SOCI 3220 Contemporary Social Theory (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine major schools of social theory and how these schools have developed and expanded their concepts towards explaining the many areas of contemporary social reality. Students explore how theoretical perspectives have influenced the way in which we think about society and also how social scientists use theories and concepts to approach complex social reality and engage in research.
|
SOCI 3520 Work in Contemporary Society (3,0,0) SOCI 3520 Work in Contemporary Society (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students explore the meaning of work and leisure, and the properties of work organization, such as division of labour and specialization; technology and working knowledge; and the means of coordinating work, such as cooperation, authority, and exchange. Students also explore topics such as work in households, offices and industry, division of labour by gender, industrial democracy, and the relation of work and social inequality.
|
SOCI 3600 Sociology and Natural Resources (3,0,0) SOCI 3600 Sociology and Natural Resources (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine sociological perspectives on property, resource development, resource communities, and resource industries. Students explore social causes and consequences of change in the social organization and social policies of industries such as agriculture, fishing, forestry and mining; they also engage in a critical survey of current issues with resource consumption and exploitation.
Prerequisites: Completion of 45 credits (any discipline)
|
SOCI 3610 Social Inequality (3,0,0) SOCI 3610 Social Inequality (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students learn that inequalities based on class, gender, and race, are socially constructed in the contemporary world and examine the connections between these dimensions of social inequality and social stratification. Students also
explore other sources of inequality, such as ethnicity, class and caste systems, sexual orientation, age, disability, occupation, income, and power.
|
SOCI 3620 ***Special Topics in Social Problems (3,0,0) SOCI 3620 ***Special Topics in Social Problems (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in an indepth examination of a selected area within the discipline of sociology. The specific area will vary according to faculty availability and expertise.
|
SOCI 3680 Theories:Deviance & Criminality (3,0,0)(3,0,0) SOCI 3680 Theories:Deviance & Criminality (3,0,0)(3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine the evolution of explanations of deviance and criminality from the earliest mythological and demonological perspectives to the recent controversies in sociology. Students explore the historical , social and political contexts of the emergence and development of theories of deviance and criminality, and critically assess the underlying assumptions, strengths and weaknesses, and the links and contrasts between theories. The theoretically informed responses to deivance and criminality are discussed , including research implications and practical applications of each theory.
|
SOCI 3800 Introduction to Social Survey Design and Analysis (2,1,0) SOCI 3800 Introduction to Social Survey Design and Analysis (2,1,0)Credits: 3 credits Students learn to design questionnaires, complete interviews, draw samples, and analyze survey data. This is a core course for the sociology major program.
|
SOCI 3820 Qualitative Research Methods in Sociology (2,1,0) SOCI 3820 Qualitative Research Methods in Sociology (2,1,0)Credits: 3 credits Students explore a diversity of ethnographic and qualitative research methods used by sociologists, as well as theories and practical elements of qualitative data analysis. Students gain practical skills in qualitative research methods, such as: interviews, focus groups, participant observation, ethnography, autoethnography, and discourse and text analysis. Students also examine ethical issues related to the use of ethnography & qualitative methods, such as motivation, benefits, detriments, power relations, or politics of representation.
|
SOCI 3990 Sociology of Diversity: Issues for Canadians (3,0,0) SOCI 3990 Sociology of Diversity: Issues for Canadians (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in in-depth study of topics in the sociology of diversity. They explore the tensions and challenges that arise from multiculturalism, the presence of multiple nations within Canada, and the varied social identities found among communities and groups in Canada's pluralistic society.
|
SOCI 4030 Ethnography of Special Areas - Field Course in East/Central Europe (3,0,0) SOCI 4030 Ethnography of Special Areas - Field Course in East/Central Europe (3,0,0)Credits: 6 credits This course offers an advanced introduction to the societies and cultures of East and Central Europe by way of a month-long field trip to Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Ukraine. While immersed in the geographical area, students ethnographically examine the religions, ethnic relations, economies, and politics shaping the buffer zone between the European East and West.
|
SOCI 4130 Family and Kinship (3,0,0) SOCI 4130 Family and Kinship (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine a range of methodologies for defining family relations and kinship organizations on the basis of case studies cross-culturally. Students engage in theoretical analysis of family and kinship and focus on a select topic to approach the study of family life.
|
SOCI 4200 Complex Organizations (3,0,0) SOCI 4200 Complex Organizations (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students explore the history of the formation of complex organizations during the industrial and political revolutions of modernity, their initial bureaucratic arrangement, and their newer, flexible and dynamic forms due to technological change and globalization. Students learn a critical sociological perspective on organizational analysis, how to recognize the different types of organizations, and how they touch virtually all aspects of modern life. Students learn about the relationships between modern complex organizations and individuals, as well as how organizations interact with the larger institutions of society and the world.
|
SOCI 4210 The Social Constructionof Knowledge and Freedom (3,0,0) SOCI 4210 The Social Constructionof Knowledge and Freedom (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in an analysis and critical examination of the notion of individual freedom and the scientific production of knowledge. Students examine mainstream social theories as well as alternative knowledge systems; debate the actuality of modern individualism; and review recent critiques of knowledge production that focus on issues such as overarching universalisms, colonialism, and androcentrism.
|
SOCI 4600 Globalization (3,0,0) SOCI 4600 Globalization (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine the origins, nature, and impacts of globalization in the contemporary world, and explore how the links between nations, regions, and peoples are increasing at an unprecedented rate. New technologies make possible previously unimaginable forms of interdependence, but the consequences of these changes are not uniform and affect people in different locations in various ways. Students decenter the West and aspire to a cosmopolitan perspective that will allow them to consider the point of view of the non-West. Students also learn theories of globalization to explain how people from different nations experience its effects, the relevance of culture, globalization's links to colonialism and capitalism, the importance of information technologies and the global city, and the efforts of people at dealing with the effects of globalization locally.
|
SOCI 4660 Socialization and Education (3,0,0) SOCI 4660 Socialization and Education (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine the contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of learning across a range of modern settings (childcare, pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, and universities); they also explore other learning spaces, such as the home and the playground, and consider how family, school, and society work together to shape the learning processes of children, teenagers and young adults. Students discuss topics such as the impact of early learning on subsequent learning, the influence of different parenting styles, the relevance of social class, race and gender, the ways peer groups influence learning, the various purposes and goals of formal education, and the processes of student engagement and disengagement.
|
SOCI 4700 Sociology of Crime and Justice (3,0,0) SOCI 4700 Sociology of Crime and Justice (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students engage in a critical examination of the intersection of crime and justice in Canada. Social justice and criminal justice are inextricably linked; experiences with the law are often filtered through the collective identities that individuals embody, for example, as racialized and gendered beings. Students examine the profound ways that privilege and disadvantage are connected to people's power to resist and vulnerability to both victimization and criminalization. Students also explore the various responses to convicted offenders undertaken within the criminal justice system, such as incarceration, rehabilitation and restorative justice.
|
SOCI 4730 Global Social Change (3,0,0) SOCI 4730 Global Social Change (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students examine the development of transnational governance institutions and how they affect people with the least power in the world; but also of grass-roots social movements that have achieved transnational organization and that oppose the effects of global neo-colonialism. Students engage in critical examination of the social and cultural institutions and ideologies needed to sustain the current global capitalist order. Students explore major issues emerging from current arrangements in global political economy, such as world inequality and poverty, the detrimental effects of global capitalism on the environment, and its economic, political, and cultural-social crises.
|
SOCI 4810 Directed Studies in Sociology (3,0,0) SOCI 4810 Directed Studies in Sociology (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits This course is designed to allow upper-level students to undertake an investigation on a specific topic as agreed upon by the faculty member and the student.
|
SOCI 4840 Sociology of Health and Illness (3,0,0) SOCI 4840 Sociology of Health and Illness (3,0,0)Credits: 3 credits Students explore sociological perspectives on health, illness, injury and health care as represented in classic and contemporary sociological studies and gain an understanding of how health and illness are socially constructed and mediated. Students examine topics in the sub-fields of public health, health care and medical sociology, such as social determinants of health, the social organization of health systems, health care professionals, medicalization and medical authority, therapeutic innovation, experiences of health, illness, aging and treatment, and a variety of other contemporary social issues related to health and illness
|
