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Sociology (SOC)

108 undergraduate courses in the 2024–25 Undergraduate Calendar, and 27 graduate courses in the Spring 2025 Graduate Calendar.

Undergraduate

SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology0.50 units

An introduction to the basic concepts and frames of reference of sociological investigation and interpretation. Topics for analysis will include communities, associations and institutions, classes and status groups, crowds and publics, social processes, and social change. Special attention is given to Canadian society.

Cross-listed
SOC 101R

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 101R Introduction to Sociology0.50 units

An introduction to the basic concepts and frames of reference of sociological investigation and interpretation. Topics for analysis will include communities, associations and institutions, classes and status groups, crowds and publics, social processes, and social change. Special attention is given to Canadian society.

Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:
    • SOC120R
Cross-listed
SOC 101

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 200 Sociology of Marriage and Family0.50 units

An introduction to the sociological perspectives on marriage and the family in urban-industrial societies. Special attention is given to marriage and the family in Canada. Comparisons with U.S. and Britain will be undertaken.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 201 Victims and Society0.50 units

This course will examine the substance of victimization: the scientific study of victims, the process, etiology, and consequences of victimization. Topics will include victims and politics, the victims' movement, victim-precipitation, the victimization of women, and family violence.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 224

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 202 Classical Sociological Theory0.50 units

An examination of the nature and function of sociological theory and the types of theory that founded the discipline in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 2A or higher

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 204R Sociology of Adolescence0.50 units

The social definitions of adolescence in cross-cultural and historical perspective. Social roles of adolescents in the institutional structures of urban-industrial societies with special emphasis on the family, education, and the economy. The relationship of adolescents' social roles to processes of social change and stability.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 205 Social Problems0.50 units

The specific social problems discussed will vary but will include problems of well-being, problems of inequality and power, and problems related to modernization.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:
    • SOC102

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 207 Sociology of Education0.50 units

The focus of this course is on the sociological study of education in Canadian society. This course applies classical and contemporary theoretical approaches to study education systems and the relationship between school and society.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
SOC 207R

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 207R Sociology of Education0.50 units

The focus of this course is on the sociological study of education in Canadian society. This course applies classical and contemporary theoretical approaches to study education systems and the relationship between school and society.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
SOC 207

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 210 Sociology of Sport0.50 units

This course examines sport in modern societies and the distinctive features of Canadian sport. Attention is directed to the relationship between sport and other institutions, including the economy and political system. Contemporary issues, including racial and gender inequality and controversies over violence and drugs are also considered.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
REC 203

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 213 Surveillance Studies0.50 units

An introduction to the central role of surveillance in shaping power relations and knowledge across a range of social and cultural contexts. Foundational historical, theoretical, and empirical texts that define the field of surveillance studies will be explored.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • LS101 - Introduction to Legal Studies (0.50)
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 2A or higher
Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
Cross-listed
LS 213

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 221 Research Methods0.50 units

An introductory survey of the research techniques commonly employed by sociologists, criminologists, and legal studies researchers. The formulation of research designs appropriate to various kinds of intellectual problems in social science is stressed.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 2A or higher
Antirequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:
      • KIN330
      • LS321
      • REC270
      • SOC321
    • Not open to students enrolled in a Faculty of Mathematics program
Cross-listed
LS 221

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 222 Juvenile Delinquency0.50 units

A systematic analysis and criticism is presented of biological, psychological, psychoanalytical, and sociological theories of juvenile delinquency. Attention is given to statistics and contemporary research with special emphasis on the distribution and types of delinquent subcultures.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 222

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 223 Deviance: Perspectives and Processes0.50 units

The deviance-making process is examined in a variety of social contexts. This course examines the emergence of rules and control agencies, the processes by which people become involved in deviant activities, and the contingencies affecting their careers as deviants.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
SOC 223R, LS 223

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 223R Deviance: Perspectives and Processes0.50 units

The deviance-making process is examined in a variety of social contexts. This course examines the emergence of rules and control agencies, the processes by which people become involved in deviant activities, and the contingencies affecting their careers as deviants.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
SOC 223, LS 223

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 224R Poverty in Canada and its Social Consequences0.50 units

In this course students will delve into the foundations of poverty in Canadian society. From historical roots to contemporary manifestations, students will gain a comprehensive knowledge of how poverty is socially understood and the wide-ranging disparities it generates. Students will critically analyze the various stakeholders involved in designing and influencing poverty-related programs and policies, as well as the main approaches to addressing poverty.

  • SWREN 224R is available only to students who have been given conditional admission to the BSW program; such students must have already completed their first undergraduate degree.
Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
SWREN 224R

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 225 Games and Gamers0.50 units

This course examines games, gamers, and gaming culture as entry points to understanding the social implications of digital media technologies.

Prerequisites
  • Complete 1 of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Must have completed the following:
      • SOC120R

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 227 Criminology0.50 units

An examination of the major theories of crime causation and their implications for the development of social policy. Both historical and contemporary theories will be discussed.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 227

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 228 Sociology of Criminal Justice0.50 units

Decisions to process offenders and the role of social factors in the Canadian criminal justice system are critically examined. Focal issues include police discretion, the legal profession, and prison systems.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 228

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 229 Selected Topics in Criminology0.50 units

Sociological analysis of research and theory on selected criminal activities. Motivation, modus operandi, and the social characteristics of offenders will be examined in relation to such specific crimes as drug and sexual offenses, theft, robbery, murder, organized crime, and/or other criminal activities.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 229

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 230 Special Topics in Sociology0.50 units

An in-depth analysis of research in selected topics in sociology.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 232 Technology and Social Change0.50 units

This course examines how forms of society influence technological developments and, reciprocally, how society is influenced by technology. It covers such topics as the de-skilling of work, technocracy, communications technology, and cyberspace, from an historical perspective, looking for the unifying features of technologies ranging from Stone Age tools to the microprocessor.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 240 Terrorism0.50 units

This course offers an introduction to the study of terrorism, with a primary focus on sociological approaches. The course examines the history, causes, and diversity of forms of terrorist groups and the process of radicalization, suicide terrorism, and some aspects of the counter-terrorism response of states.

Prerequisites
  • Complete 1 of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Must have completed the following:
      • SOC120R
Cross-listed
LS 240

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 241 Sociology of Work and Occupations0.50 units

This course is an introduction to the study of work and occupations including labour market trends, professions and the professionalization process, how work is experienced, balancing work and family, and the impact of work on lifestyles, leisure, and retirement.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 246 Mass Communication0.50 units

This course provides an introduction to the social processes and functions of mass media communication - with particular reference to the Canadian context. Emphasis is focused on the relationship between mass communication and the ongoing reconstruction of social reality.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 248 Health, Illness, and Society0.50 units

This course discusses health, illness, and the distribution of disease in society. It introduces concepts such as social determinants of health, population health, and culturally competent care. The strength and the limitations of the Canadian health care system will be examined through a sociological lens.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 249 Sociology of Mental Disorder0.50 units

An examination of sociological research and theory in the field of mental disorders particularly as they apply to issues of law and social control. Topics include mental health legislation, the medical model of mental "illness," the epidemiology of mental disorder, family processes and psychiatric hospitalization, public attitudes and social stigma, and specific forms of mental disorder.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 226

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 252 The Culture of Cities0.50 units

Through the analysis of multiple aspects of city life, this course examines the larger question of a city's uniqueness, identity, and culture. Approaches may include case studies, comparative analyses, and theoretical accounts of city life.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 253 Demographic Change in Canada0.50 units

An introduction to the study of human population, with a focus on mortality, fertility, migration, and spatial distribution in Canada. Methods and measures used in demographic research, sources of demographic data, and the health and social implications of the major demographic trends are discussed.

Prerequisites
  • Complete 1 of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • HLTH333 - Principles of Epidemiology (0.50)
      • KIN232 - Research Design and Statistics (0.50)
      • LS221 - Research Methods (0.50)
      • PSYCH291 - Basic Research Methods (0.50)
      • REC371 - Quantitative Data Analysis and Mobilization (0.50)
      • SDS251R - Social Research (0.50)
      • SMF220 - Research Methods (0.50)
      • SOC221 - Research Methods (0.50)
      • SWREN251R - Social Research (0.50)
    • Must have completed 1 of the following:
      • LS321
      • SOC321
Cross-listed
HLTH 253

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 256 Ethnic and Racial Relations0.50 units

Relations between different racial and cultural groups, analysis of majority-minority group status with special reference to Canada.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 260 Spirituality, Secularity, and Religion in Sociological Perspective0.50 units

This course examines the nature of religion, spirituality, and non-religion in society and their impact on many aspects of social and political life in North America and Europe. We will also consider how religion, spirituality, and non-religion can be sources of social stability and peace as well as of social change and conflict.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
RS 262

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 262 Cults and New Religious Movements0.50 units

This course examines various cults and new religious movements (e.g., Scientology, Krishna Consciousness, Neo-paganism) and places them within the context of our sociological knowledge of their emergence, who joins and why, and other issues.

Prerequisites
  • Students must be in level 2A or higher
Cross-listed
RS 280

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 263 Organized Crime0.50 units

An examination of select criminal organizations in North America. Particular attention will be given to the social history of "the mafia" and the development of legal tools for policing criminal organizations. Additional themes for discussion include enterprise and economic crimes, corruption, and the role of women in organized crime.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Must have completed the following:
      • SOC120R
Cross-listed
LS 263

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 270 International Migration0.50 units

This course examines different international migration flows, including irregular immigration, refugees and asylum seekers, and low- and high-skilled labourers. Drawing on migration theories, it critically examines why people move, how states respond to different flows, and how migration controls intersect with gender, race, class, and nationality.

Prerequisites
  • Complete 1 of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Must have completed the following:
      • SOC120R

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 275 Mennonites as a Sociological Community0.50 units

An analysis of the Mennonites as a social movement, their transition to a sectarian community, transformation to a religious-ethnic society, and present pluralistic profile. Case studies of/and field visits to area Mennonites included.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 280 Social Statistics0.50 units

A basic course in statistics used in social science research including sampling, central tendency, probability, and covariance, as illustrated in specifically sociological and criminological data.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • LS101 - Introduction to Legal Studies (0.50)
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 2A or higher
Antirequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
      • ARTS280 - Statistics for Arts Students (0.50)
      • ECON221 - Statistics for Economists (0.50)
      • ENVS278 - Applied Statistics for Environmental Research (0.50)
      • PSCI314 - Quantitative Analysis (0.50)
      • PSYCH292 - Basic Data Analysis (0.50)
      • REC371 - Quantitative Data Analysis and Mobilization (0.50)
      • SDS250R - Social Statistics (0.50)
      • SMF230 - Introduction to Statistics in Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies (0.50)
      • STAT202 - Introductory Statistics for Scientists (0.50)
      • STAT206 - Statistics for Software Engineering (0.50)
      • STAT211 - Introductory Statistics and Sampling for Accounting (0.50)
      • STAT221 - Statistics (Non-Specialist Level) (0.50)
      • STAT231 - Statistics (0.50)
      • STAT241 - Statistics (Advanced Level) (0.50)
      • SWREN250R - Social Statistics (0.50)
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:
      • SWREN250A
      • SWREN250B
    • Not open to students in a Faculty of Mathematics program
Cross-listed
LS 280

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 302 Contemporary Sociological Theory0.50 units

Students will examine the nature and functioning of sociological theory from the mid-20th century to today. Students will critically analyze selected types of theory that have been influential in shaping the discipline of sociology in more recent decades. Students will apply these theories to everyday realities to develop a better understanding of our social world.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed the following:
    • SOC202 - Classical Sociological Theory (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 304 Media and Crime0.50 units

In this course students will explore the complexities of media messages about crime and criminalization. Topics students will address in course materials, assignments, and group exchanges may include news reporting of crime, representations of race and crime, moral panics, signal crimes, the "true crime" genre, activist media strategies, social media, as well as surveillance and social control through media.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 305 Socio-Legal Approaches to Privacy in Contemporary Contexts0.50 units

An introduction to privacy as a socio-legal concept and to major debates surrounding privacy in contemporary contexts. National and international frameworks for the regulation of privacy will be examined and may include analysis of major cases in privacy law.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • LS101 - Introduction to Legal Studies (0.50)
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 3A or higher
Cross-listed
LS 305

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 306 Juvenile Justice0.50 units

An examination of theories of juvenile justice, juvenile law, and the structure and operations of juvenile systems, especially in Canada.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • LS222 - Juvenile Delinquency (0.50)
    • SOC222 - Juvenile Delinquency (0.50)
Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:
    • SOC226
Cross-listed
LS 306

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 307 Problems in Contemporary Education0.50 units

Students will examine and address problems arising from the interplay between educational institutions and the forces of rapid social change in contemporary society including globalization, rapid technological change, demographic change, stratification and inequality, and more. Students will consider how educational experiences and outcomes vary by race, gender, class and other social identities and determinants. Students will analyze the changing experiences of learners and instructors in private, public, and higher education as well as the social dimensions of newer learning theories and programs.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 310 Social Networks0.50 units

A survey of applications of the concept of the network in studying social structures. Examples will be drawn from diverse areas, such as interpersonal relations, community studies, social support, interorganizational relations, elites, deviant groups, etc.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 312 Sociology of Science0.50 units

An examination of the social character of the development of science and the production of scientific knowledge. Specific topics will include defining science, cultural influences on the rise of science, the social nature of scientific institutions, selective bias in scientific procedures, and the social construction of scientific facts.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 320 Social Problems in a Global Context0.50 units

This course examines causes of and responses to critical social problems in different world regions with a focus on how these problems intersect with processes of globalisation. Topics include global economic inequality, global health, gender inequality, the environment, and war.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 322 Field Research Methods0.50 units

This course provides a critical evaluation of research techniques in sociology, criminology, and legal studies with an emphasis on learning and applying qualitative fieldwork approaches.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • LS221 - Research Methods (0.50)
    • SOC221 - Research Methods (0.50)
Antirequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
      • SDS351R - Qualitative Research for Social Change (0.50)
    • Not open to students in a Faculty of Mathematics program
Cross-listed
LS 322

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 324 Digital Cultures0.50 units

In this course students will develop a sociological lens to examine the intersection of technology and digital cultures. Students will unpack and problematize key terms, ideas, and discourse associated with digital cultures. Learning outcomes include examining how popular technology discourse both structures social action and obscures underlying relations of power and inequality. Sample topics students will work on include critical investigations of "smart" technologies and cities, online communities, maker cultures, sharing and platform societies, as well as automation and gig work.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 325 Sexuality and the Law0.50 units

Despite the commonly held belief that sexuality is nothing more than "doing what comes naturally," cultural definitions, including prohibitions against specific forms of conduct, impinge upon the most private or intimate of acts. This course examines the social construction and control of sexuality through law.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 325, GSJ 326

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 326 Punishment and Society0.50 units

A critical criminological and sociological examination of theories and practices of punishment. This course will examine transformations in penal theory, penal management, and penal institutions and their social and policy implications.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 326

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 327 Policing in a Democratic Society0.50 units

A critical examination of the police as social control agents in contemporary democratic societies. Topics include the historical evolution of policing; police recruitment, training, and education; police/community relations; the occupational subculture of the police; police authority and discretion; private policing; and police deviance and criminality.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • LS227 - Criminology (0.50)
    • LS228 - Sociology of Criminal Justice (0.50)
    • LS229 - Selected Topics in Criminology (0.50)
    • SOC227 - Criminology (0.50)
    • SOC228 - Sociology of Criminal Justice (0.50)
    • SOC229 - Selected Topics in Criminology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 327

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 328 Trafficking and Financial Crime0.50 units

An examination of the causes and impact of the illegal traffic in goods and services in Canada and internationally. Topics may include human trafficking, trade in illicit drugs and weapons, money laundering and financing of terror, and the relationship between trafficking and state political violence.

Prerequisites
  • Complete 1 of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 3A or higher
Cross-listed
LS 328

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 329 Security and Governance0.50 units

The course examines the relationship between the framing of (in)security and policing as a dominant approach to govern risk in our modern era. Topics may include the policing of political protest, the Anthropocene, and the Internet. Students will analyze what's at stake with the diffusion of security in social life.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Antirequisites
Cross-listed
LS 329

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 330 Special Topics in Sociology0.50 units

Students will learn in-depth about a selected topic in sociology. Topics covered each term will be announced with the topic title in the Schedule of Classes during the course selection period.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 334 Public Policy0.50 units

Students will gain an understanding of the dynamics of public policy development in Canada. They will learn to identify key actors, interests, and institutions involved in policy development and articulate diverse perspectives on policy problems. Using sources such as peer-reviewed publications, government reports, and think tank analyses, students will complete research-based writing assignments to analyze the social context of public problems and identify, compare, and recommend potential solutions.

Prerequisites
  • Students must be in level 2A or higher
Cross-listed
PSCI 334

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 342 Migration and Legality0.50 units

This course introduces students to key concepts and case study research on the regulation of human migration and its exclusionary practices. It examines how state policies, laws, and international organizations control the mobility of migrants and refugees across regions and borders.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
LS 342

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 346 Social Movements0.50 units

The analysis of varieties of social movements and their relationships to social organization and social change.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 349 Migration and Development0.50 units

This course explores theoretical perspectives and empirical studies on development and the related field of migration studies. Specific themes may include history and colonialism, seasonal and labour migration, forced migration, immigration policies and their social and economic implications, and transnationalism and diasporas.

Prerequisites
  • Complete 1 of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Must have completed the following:
      • SOC120R

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 352 Sociology of Aging0.50 units

An introduction to individual and population aging. Topics discussed include: aging from a historical and comparative perspective; aging in subcultures; aging and the social structure; aging and social processes; aging and the environment; work and retirement; and aging and leisure patterns.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Cross-listed
HLTH 352, GERON 352, KIN 352, REC 362

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 354 Comparative Health Care Systems0.50 units

This course discusses health care systems around the world from sociological perspectives and introduces health care system evaluation criteria to examine different nations' health care models, including health care delivery and financing. Some basic research methods for health care systems studies will be introduced.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 355J Power and Parenting0.50 units

An examination of contemporary parent-child relations in terms of a reconceptualization of power. Special attention will be given to contemporary interpretive (e.g., hermeneutic) approaches to a reformulation of the relation between power and action.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 362 Canadian Society: Special Topics0.50 units

A critical examination of special issues and topics bearing on the nature of Canadian society and/or the interrelationship of Canada with other aspects of the international community. Topics will vary according to the instructor's interests, but may include such issues as multiculturalism, immigration, national unity, globalization, poverty, and industrial development and policy.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 369J The Sociology of Community0.50 units

This course examines how our contemporary concern with community is connected with the rise of modern society and the development of the urban-rural debate. Our anxieties about community will be shown to be connected to our anxieties about family. Special attention will be given to the interpretive approach to these issues.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 370 Sociology of Law0.50 units

Through the study of current events in North America, students will examine key theoretical frameworks and questions in the sociology of law. Topics may include the contradictory role law plays in both resolving and exacerbating social inequalities, the persistence of racism, sexism, and other forms of marginalization despite the successes of progressive civil and human rights movements, and controversies surrounding the administration of criminal justice. In examining these questions, students will engage with ideas, arguments, and strategies within socio-legal scholarship and will learn to recognize the strengths and limitations of the law to address social problems.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 3A or higher
Cross-listed
LS 300

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 375R Studies in Sociology0.50 units

This course will deal with selected topics in sociology. Subjects will be dependent upon the research and/or instructional interests of faculty.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 383 Ethnomethodology in Theory and Practice0.50 units

Ethnomethodology is a study of the methods and practices people use to produce and recognize social actions. Topics may include greetings, the sex/gender distinction, science and common sense, breaching experiments, and jury deliberation.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 2A or higher

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 385 The Sociology of Street Gangs0.50 units

This course provides an in-depth exploration into why youth join gangs, their behaviours, and the policy implications that rise out of state and community intervention. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to a) critically explain the socio-historical development of gangs in the US and Canada; b) explain through criminological and sociological concepts and theories the root causes of gangs and gang violence in contemporary society; and c) understand and articulate the subsequent policy implications. Students will explore these issues through a diverse set of learning strategies including art-based research, group discussions, as well as guest speakers.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 387 Criminal Justice Institutions0.50 units

The societal context of policing, courts, and corrections is examined to understand how social control and the law are used in the criminal justice system. Special emphasis is placed on the socio-economic, legal, political, and situational environment that shapes responses to different categories of offenders and offences.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • SOC101 - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
      • SOC101R - Introduction to Sociology (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 3A or higher
Cross-listed
LS 387

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 398R Independent Study0.50 units

An independent in-depth study of a selected area of concern to the student within the discipline of sociology. Available to individuals or small groups of third- or fourth-year Social Development Studies majors and arranged with one of the faculty members from the program.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 399R Independent Study0.50 units

An independent in-depth study of a selected area of concern to the student within the discipline of sociology. Available to individuals or small groups of third or fourth-year Social Development Studies majors and arranged with one of the faculty members from the program.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 401 Theoretical Perspectives on Gender0.50 units

An examination of sociological theories of gender and gender relations. Emphasis is placed on tracing historical changes in interpretations of gender, with a particular consideration of contemporary theoretical debates. Approaches to be considered include feminist theories as well as political economy and cultural studies.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 402 Religion and Spirituality in the Social and Legal World0.50 units

This course examines key substantive, theoretical, and methodological issues in the field of sociology of religion. Students will critically analyze high-profile media and legal cases surrounding the role of religion, spirituality, and secularity in Canadian society. Students will also further their knowledge by completing their own projects in this thematic area, developing both their research and written skills.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
RS 462

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 404 Sociology of Knowledge0.50 units

This seminar undertakes to develop a general theory of the relation of social thought to social action, comparative value systems and the role of the scientist, artist, and intellectual in society.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 405 Seminar in Classical Sociological Theory0.50 units

An analysis of selected original writings by the major figures in the classical sociological tradition of the 19th and early 20th centuries and selected critical literature.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 406 Seminar in Contemporary Sociological Theory0.50 units

An analysis of selected original writings by influential figures in contemporary theory (i.e., mid-20th century onwards) and selected critical literature.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 407 Canadian Social Thought0.50 units

We examine the development of sociological theory in Canada by focusing on major historical and contemporary figures and theories representative of English-language sociology. We examine, in addition, sociologically important scholars and schools of thought in history and political economy as well as selected developments in French-language Canadian sociology.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 408 Contemporary Debates in Sociological Theory0.50 units

This course deals with recent controversies in sociological theory; e.g., Giddens' theories of structuration and the state; critical theory, including the works of Habermas on communicative action; postmodernist theory; the positivist/interpretive debate; and varieties of psychoanalytic theory.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 409 Health, Surveillance, and Law0.50 units

In this course students will examine how state institutions mobilize public health expertise for regulatory purposes that are instantiated in law and carried out through various forms of social surveillance. With a focus on research in a range of topical fields such as regulatory responses to infectious disease and pandemics, the regulation of people who use drugs, and criminal legal responses to mental health crises, students will apply socio-legal theories to understand and critically evaluate the forms of coercive legal power, intensive surveillance, and formal and informal social control that are authorized in the name of public health.

Prerequisites
Antirequisites
Cross-listed
LS 409

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 413 Surveillance and Society0.50 units

An examination of the way monitoring technologies alter and shape social life in terms of security, fear, control, and vulnerability.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
LS 413

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 416 Educational Theory and Practice0.50 units

Students will analyze the major theoretical explanations and practices in education. This analysis will enable students to develop a deeper understanding of the various social processes involved in defining and transmitting knowledge, skills, and power relations from one generation to the next.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 417 Sociology of Higher Education0.50 units

This course examines the relationship between higher education and society. Students will analyze major trends, how and why students are stratified across fields of study and various kinds of postsecondary institutions, and the relationship between education and the labour market.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 418 Social Theory and Popular Culture0.50 units

This course will critically assess contemporary approaches to the study of culture and media in sociology and related fields. The course will examine the production, mediation, and consumption of cultural artifacts, images, and spaces, and the problems of culture as ideology, reproduction, and resistance.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 419 Police Systems and Practices0.50 units

This course examines contemporary issues in policing. Topics may include police response strategies in different models of policing, economics of policing, use of discretion, police accountability, and the changing functions and activities of the police.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
LS 419

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 420 Seminar in Social Inequality0.50 units

This course provides students with the tools and vocabulary to understand inequality - how it is produced, how it is experienced and how it is contested in Canada and globally. Students will acquire knowledge about the historic foundations of contemporary inequalities, such as settler colonialism, and will examine proposed technological, political, and institutional solutions that sometimes mitigate inequalities of race, gender, and social class, and sometimes wind up reproducing them instead. Students will deepen their knowledge and expertise of these topics via discussion, research, writing, and class presentations.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 422 Violent Extremism and Terrorism0.50 units

This course examines contemporary issues in terrorism studies. Topics may include the history and comparative analysis of political and religious forms of violent extremism, the process of radicalization and recruitment, the analysis of different forms of terrorist activity, and the counter-terrorism policies and practices.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
LS 422

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 423 Peers and Crime0.50 units

This seminar examines the peer influence perspective in criminology. Key theoretical, methodological, and substantive issues and challenges are addressed.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
LS 423

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 424 Seminar in Sociology of Health0.50 units

This interdisciplinary course will cover current issues and debates in health, health care, health care systems, and the socio-cultural aspects of population health and wellbeing. Students will 1) examine health, illness, and health care through a social determinants of health perspective; 2) gain a thorough understanding of the Canadian health care system, especially its strength and shortcomings with a global perspective; and 3) learn to compare and critically analyze different nations' health care policies.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 425 Crossing Borders: Law and Global Deviance0.50 units

This seminar-style course, positioned at the intersection of sociology and law, examines illicit cross border activity such as terrorism, piracy, drugs, trafficking, and illegal immigration. Each cross-border activity will be examined, along with the way states respond to it politically and legally at a national and international level. Ethnographic research on the activity will provide for rich descriptions of how and why people participate in such activities.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
LS 425

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 426 Criminology of Mobility0.50 units

This course offers a critical exploration of the growing nexus of crime control and the control of human mobility under conditions of mass migration and globalization, focusing on the developing area of study called the criminology of mobility (or border criminology). Students will develop an awareness of the social, cultural, and political diversity of law and mechanisms of social control that structure human mobility while paying attention to issues of race, gender, class, and other social relations of power in this field. Students will also develop their oral, written, and digital skills to communicate their ideas about course content through critical assessment of current research.

Prerequisites
Antirequisites
Cross-listed
LS 426

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 428 Sentencing as a Social Process0.50 units

This course examines in depth the process and results of criminal sentencing. Topics include types of sentences for criminal and quasi-criminal offences, objectives of sentences, factors affecting sentences, the process of sentencing, the administration and effectiveness of sentences, and unresolved debates in sentencing.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
LS 428

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 430 Special Topics in Sociology0.50 units

In this seminar course, students will have the opportunity to learn about a particular topic in the area of sociology or an interdisciplinary field. Students will gain in-depth analysis skills in this selected area of research.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 431 Science as Practice and Culture0.50 units

An examination of science as being constituted by practices which are inevitably social and cultural, as well as of scientific expertise in contemporary issues of new technology, biomedicine, and environmental conflict.

Prerequisites
  • Students must be in level 4A or higher
Cross-listed
ANTH 430

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 432 Social Policy Analysis0.50 units

In this interdisciplinary course, students will examine social policy and learn how to conduct policy analysis. Students will develop an understanding of the importance of social policy and evidenced-based policymaking, a familiarity with key concepts in the field of social policy (including social justice, social equity and equality, and distributional issues and stakeholders), and how to effectively apply sociological perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches in policy content analysis. Students will also acquire and apply critical thinking and debate skills in social policy analysis and policy critique, as well as in research-policy translation.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 433 Crime, Law, and Technoscience0.50 units

A critical examination of science and technology in law and criminal justice. Focus will be on topics such as the histories, politics, and cultural representations of forensic sciences and technologies used in evidence collection, surveillance, policing, criminal courts, and incarceration.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
LS 433

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 434 Sociology of At-Risk Youth0.50 units

This course examines the social attributes and surrounding conditions associated with at-risk youth. It will focus on the development of youth in three major institutions - education, criminal justice, and mental healthcare. This course will focus on the attributes of youth themselves, but also to changing institutional definitions and practices. This course may include an experiential learning component outside regular classroom hours.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
LS 434

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 435 Cybercrime and Digital Harm0.50 units

An examination of theoretical perspectives and empirical developments surrounding cybercrime, digitally-mediated harms, and associated regulatory responses. A range of topics may be explored, including hacking, technology facilitated abuse, (dis)information, censorship, human rights, and cybersecurity.

Prerequisites
Antirequisites
Cross-listed
LS 435

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 436 Alcohol and Well-Being0.50 units

This seminar examines the relation between well-being, culture, alcohol consumption, and regulation from an interpretive focus. Topics addressed may include health, Alcoholics Anonymous, addiction vs. dependence, prohibition, and social discourses around alcohol consumption.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 440 Computational Social Science0.50 units

The explosion of digital data is revolutionizing the way we learn about the world. This course focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary for doing high-quality social scientific research with digital data. Students will be introduced to the programming language Python, and will learn to collect and analyze digital data using computational methods.

  • Previous knowledge of computer programming is not required.
Prerequisites
Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:
Cross-listed
INTEG 440

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 450R Senior Seminar in Special Topics0.50 units

Senior seminars may include weekly readings, individual and/or group projects, class presentations and discussions, research proposals, essay/literature reviews, assignments, midterms, and final exams. Consult departmental listings for topics and prerequisites for the current year.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Earned at least 1.0 units from SOC
    • Students must be in level 3A or higher

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 451 Global Development0.50 units

This course explores various theoretical perspectives and case studies on development around the world. Through an in-depth examination of the socioeconomic and cultural consequences of development efforts across nations, students will have the opportunity to learn and think critically about global issues such as conflict and inequalities, alternative development, aid, post-colonialism, and climate change.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 452 Humanitarianism0.50 units

This course examines how humanitarianism and its actors shape human displacements and mobilities, marginalized groups, and civil conflicts. Students will learn how to use and apply key concepts related to humanitarianism, and will study their implications for problem solving, developing social policy, and conveying the limits of the field of humanitarianism.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 459 Sociology of Work and Occupations0.50 units

This seminar course focuses on sociological theories of work, employment, the labour force, and occupations. Students will examine key concepts and issues relating to today's work force, as well as analyze critical issues in the Canadian labour market.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 461 Transnational Organized Crime0.50 units

This seminar course examines contemporary legal regimes surrounding transnational organized crime, terrorism and organized crime, and international money laundering.

Prerequisites
Cross-listed
LS 461

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 462 Technology and Inequality0.50 units

Students in this course will explore the relationship between technology and inequality - not only in digital and online platforms, but also in the invisible politics of software, hardware, and big data. By focusing on the design and development of technology in recent decades, students will learn how user behaviours and experiences vary across unequal social conditions and experiences in gender, race, class, and global politics. In addition, through the lens of critical design, students will utilize applied methods of critiquing - and even interjecting into - technology's social implications.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 465 Decolonizing Research Through the Urban Arts0.50 units

This course draws on the urban arts to challenge colonial and Eurocentric ways of knowing, including what has become known as the "scientific method". Upon completion of this course, students will be able to a) critically analyze some key limitations of mainstream research methodologies; b) understand the harms that mainstream research methods can at times propagate; c) understand and apply alternative research methods, such as decolonizing arts and urban arts methods; and d) use and apply urban arts in their own research. As part of the course requirements, students will get to explore and create their own artistic expressions.

Prerequisites
  • Students must be in level 4A or higher

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 490R Special Studies0.50 units

An independent, in-depth study, based on empirical research and/or extensive reading in sociology under the direction of individual instructors in sociology. Available to individuals or small groups of Social Development Studies majors and arranged with one of the faculty members from the plan. The project must be approved by the academic supervisor of the course prior to registration.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 497 Honours Research Practicum0.50 units

Denoting a preprofessionalization experience, this course provides selected students with an opportunity to work [to a maximum of 8 hours per week over one term] as an apprentice with a specific instructor on a research project in which the instructor is currently engaged.

  • This is a non-paid position and may not be combined with sponsored research positions
  • Earlier or outside research involvements will not meet the criteria for this course.
Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Students must be in level 3A or higher
    • Enrolled in H-Sociology

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 498 Directed Studies0.50 units

Selected study and assignments under the direction of a faculty member.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 499A Senior Honours Essay0.50 units

Directed reading and research in a selected area of sociology inquiry.

  • A numeric grade for SOC 499A will be submitted only after the completion of SOC 499B.
Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

SOC 499B Senior Honours Essay0.50 units

Directed reading and research in a selected area of sociology inquiry.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2024Course outlines

Graduate

From the Spring 2025 Graduate Calendar. Also this year: Fall 2024, Winter 2025.

SOC 700 Sociological Theory0.50 units

A critical overview of selected original writings of major sociological theorists from the 19th and 20th centuries (including, among others, Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Mead, Schutz, Wollstonecraft, Martineau, D. Smith, Giddens, and Habermas). Attention is paid throughout to issues in the philosophy of social science and sociology of knowledge.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 701 Sociology of Digital Media0.50 units

An examination of the circuits of technology, creativity, and culture in new media industries, including qualitative work with start-ups and entrepreneurs.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 708 Contemporary Sociological Theory0.50 units

This course provides an overview of major works of social thought in contemporary context.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 709 Selected Problems in Sociological Theory0.50 units

Relation of sociological theory to specific problems of sociological analysis.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 710 Applied Statistical Methods0.50 units

Applied multiple regression/correlation, with emphasis on data processing/computing, model construction and interpretation and underlying statistical assumptions.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 712 Elements of Social Research0.50 units

The social science research process is examined within quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 715 Mixed Methods Research0.50 units

Strategies are introduced to design, implement and critically assess the appropriateness of mixed methods different designs integration, interpretation, logistics, benefits and the challenges involved in conducting mixed methods research.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed the following:
    • SOC712 - Elements of Social Research (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 716 Qualitative Methods0.50 units

This course covers the basic techniques for collecting, interpreting, and analyzing qualitative data. The course will operate on two interrelated dimensions, one focused on understanding the relationship between theory, methods and data, the other focused on practical techniques such as identifying informants, and coding and analyzing data.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 717 Reflexive Research Methodologies: Contemporary Interpretive Traditions0.50 units

Drawing on the intimate intertwining of theory and methodology in such areas as phenomenology, ethnomethodology, hermeneutics and analysis, this course takes a practical approach to the reflexive research strategies these methodologies employ. Students will be encouraged to develop research proposals in line with their exposure to these methodologies.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 719 Selected Topics in Sociology0.50 units

An instructor will teach in their area of specialization.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 720 Social Inequality0.50 units

This course examines the dimensions, causes, and consequences of social inequality. Focus will vary by instructor specialization.

Cross-listed
PACS 638

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 721 Law, Tech, & Society0.50 units

The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the intersections between technological innovations, law, and the regulation of social life. Emphasis is placed on how socio-technical and legal orders condition information environments, and, by extension, inform power relations and social inequalities. Focus is also placed on a range of empirical contexts to reveal how social harms are both produced and regulated through a nexus of technology, legal rules, and social relations.

Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:
Cross-listed
GGOV 664

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 722 Social Policy0.50 units

This interdisciplinary course covers social policy related topics including social justice, social equity and equality, evidence-based policy making, and policy critique and analysis.

Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 723 Technology and Gender0.50 units

This course is an in-depth study into the histories, theories, and design-based methodologies of gender and technology, including topics such as algorithms, A.I., cyborgs, and beauty filters. Using science and technology studies and feminist technoscience as frameworks, we will explore how the gendering of technology may risk reinforcing gendered stereotypes in society and culture--but also, how women and non-binary peoples may be empowered through technological tools and communities.

Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 725 Sociology of Health0.50 units

An overview of sociological approaches - theoretical and methodological - to the study of health, illness, and health care. Both the social organization of the health care system and the socio-cultural determinants of health and illness are considered.

Cross-listed
HLTH 725

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 726 Law and Society0.50 units

This course examines key themes, ideas, and debates in law and regulation. Students will explore the interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological approaches that animate the study of law regulation in various social, political, and cultural contexts and are encouraged to apply these approaches to their research interests.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 740 Sociology of Deviance0.50 units

The seminar undertakes a critical examination of the major theoretical perspectives in the sociology of deviance.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 744 Sociology of Crime and Justice0.50 units

An overview of current sociological theories and research in the areas of crime and delinquency, and juvenile and criminal justice. The focus of the course is on recent developments in theory and research that have received widespread attention from sociological criminologists.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 751 Theories of Gender Relations0.50 units

A critical examination of theories concerning the origin of sex inequality and an attempt to identify indicators of changing status of the sexes as well as factors which account for such changes.

Cross-listed
WS 602

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 765 Political Sociology0.50 units

A critical examination of political and governmental strategies for identifying social problems and managing the conduct of individuals, groups, and populations.

Cross-listed
PACS 640

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 780 Theories of Social Change0.50 units

A systematic review and analysis of major theories of social change. Theoretical problems are examined within a specific context such as social organization, economic institutions, social stratification, and urban structures.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 781 Global Development Governance0.50 units

The course explores theoretical perspectives on the global governance of development, with critical attention to how processes of global development shape local environments and their inhabitants, challenge notions of state sovereignty and territory, and engender diverse responses to regimes of control. Cross-disciplinary perspectives will enable students to engage with a wide range of sociological, ethnographic, and political analyses of development through case studies and themes.

Cross-listed
GGOV 662

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 782 Feminism, Law and Governance0.50 units

The course will explore the theoretical debates within feminist scholarship surrounding the use of Western liberal legal approaches to prosecute gender violence and improve the socio-economic status of women globally. The course readings will draw from various literatures, including liberal and transnational feminist, postcolonial, and socio-legal and governmentality literatures, to analyse and critically evaluate the concept and deployment of women's empowerment in global contexts.

Cross-listed
PACS 642

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 783 Security and Regulation0.50 units

An examination of criminological and sociological theory and research on the problem of security and related regulatory agencies. Various forms of regulation will be examined (e.g. discipline, surveillance, control, security detention, security intelligence, risk management) as they apply to particular bodies, mobilities, borders, and private and public spaces.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 784 International Migration: Practice, Theory & Regulation0.50 units

This course explores theoretical perspectives on migration and critically examines how states deter or facilitate migration flows, including irregular immigration, refugees and asylum seekers, and low and high-skilled labourers. A multidisciplinary approach allows students to investigate the ubiquitous rise of border controls as a state tool to control migration, and how their implementation intersects with gender, race, class and nationality.

Cross-listed
GGOV 644

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 785 Urban Security Governance0.50 units

An examination of the urban aspects of security, surveillance, war and terrorism. Particular attention will be given to the contemporary embrace of resilience as a rationality of urban security. Additional themes include the militarization of policing, the role of 'big data' in the intensification of urban surveillance, and the relationship between security and urban environments.

Cross-listed
GGOV 635

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines

SOC 789 Graduate Readings in Sociology0.50 units

Selected readings in a specific topic including the preparation of a research paper under the supervision of a faculty member.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines