102 undergraduate courses in the 2026–27 Undergraduate Calendar, and 27 graduate courses in the Fall 2026 Graduate Calendar.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The specific social problems discussed will vary but will include problems of well-being, problems of inequality and power, and problems related to modernization.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An in-depth analysis of research in selected topics in sociology.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Relations between different racial and cultural groups, analysis of majority-minority group status with special reference to Canada.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An examination of theories of juvenile justice, juvenile law, and the structure and operations of juvenile systems, especially in Canada.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This course offers students an opportunity to engage in advanced critical examination of the police as social control agents in contemporary democratic societies. Students will explore topics such as 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 misconduct.
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.
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.
Students will learn in-depth about a selected topic in sociology. See School of Social, Political and Historical Research for current offerings.
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.
The course employs a multidisciplinary lens to examine the international legal systems concerned with regulating forced human migration. The course is organized around several key thematic issues such as border securitization, citizenship, intimate migrations, the criminalization of migration, detention, deportation, and resistance efforts. In addition to gaining familiarity with debates in these scholarly literatures, students will enhance their research and critical thinking skills by participating in activities such as group discussion questions or analyses of contemporaneous world events. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to understand, critically assess, and convey key debates relating to patterns of global mobility and strategies of migration control as well as apply course learnings to contemporary examples of migration governance and the struggle for mobility rights.
The analysis of varieties of social movements and their relationships to social organization and social change.
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.
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.
This course will examine health care systems around the world from a sociological perspective. Students will utilize health care system evaluation criteria to examine different nations' health care models, including health care delivery and financing. Students will also learn how to apply some introductory research methods for health care systems studies.
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.
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.
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.
This course will deal with selected topics in sociology. Subjects will be dependent upon the research and/or instructional interests of faculty.
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.
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.
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.
In this course students will draw on case studies from past and present to understand why people flee their homes and homelands to seek refuge elsewhere. Students will examine the policies and practices of government and non-governmental agencies in facilitating or blocking such movements. Students will also analyze the attitudes, values, and language that shape local and global responses to refugee movements, on the part of civil society and the state. Students in this course will become acquainted with organizations that work with refugees in the Waterloo Region and will gain a critical understanding of Canada's role in refugee reception.
In this course, students will examine historical and contemporary celebrity through a sociological lens. More specifically, students will apply sociological theory to the study of “traditional” and contemporary social media fame and celebrity. By considering factors such as technological change and capitalism, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how fame and celebrity have come to occupy a central role in our social lives.
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.
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.
In this course, students will examine sociological theories of gender and gender relations. Students will trace the historical changes in interpretations of gender, with a particular consideration of contemporary theoretical debates. Approaches students will explore include feminist theories as well as political economy and cultural studies.
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.
Students will analyze selected original writings by the major figures in the classical sociological tradition of the 19th and early 20th centuries and selected critical literature.
Students will analyze selected original writings by influential figures in contemporary theory (i.e., mid-20th century onwards) and selected critical literature.
Students in this course will examine recent controversies and debates in sociological theory from the 1980s to today. Students will develop a better understanding of contemporary sociological theories and their application.
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.
An examination of the way monitoring technologies alter and shape social life in terms of security, fear, control, and vulnerability.
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.
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 post-secondary institutions, and the relationship between education and the labour market.
Students in this course will examine approaches to the study of culture in sociology and related fields. Students will explore debates over the nature of culture, the place of culture in the reproduction of social life, and the role of meaning making in social realms ranging from art, popular culture and the media to politics and morality.
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.
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.
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.
This seminar examines the peer influence perspective in criminology. Key theoretical, methodological, and substantive issues and challenges are addressed.
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 well-being. 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 strengths and shortcomings with a global perspective; and 3) learn to compare and critically analyze different nations' health care policies.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 health care. This course will focus on the attributes of youth themselves, but also on changing institutional definitions and practices. This course may include an experiential learning component outside regular classroom hours.
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.
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.
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.
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 the School of Social, Political and Historical Research listings for topics and prerequisites for the current year.
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.
This seminar course examines contemporary legal regimes surrounding transnational organized crime, terrorism and organized crime, and international money laundering.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Selected study and assignments under the direction of a faculty member.
Directed reading and research in a selected area of sociology inquiry.
Directed reading and research in a selected area of sociology inquiry.
From the Fall 2026 Graduate Calendar.
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.
An examination of the circuits of technology, creativity, and culture in new media industries, including qualitative work with start-ups and entrepreneurs.
This course provides an overview of major works of social thought in contemporary context.
Relation of sociological theory to specific problems of sociological analysis.
Applied multiple regression/correlation, with emphasis on data processing/computing, model construction and interpretation and underlying statistical assumptions.
The social science research process is examined within quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches.
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.
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.
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.
An instructor will teach in their area of specialization.
This course examines the dimensions, causes, and consequences of social inequality. Focus will vary by instructor specialization.
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.
This interdisciplinary course covers social policy related topics including social justice, social equity and equality, evidence-based policy making, and policy critique and analysis.
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.
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.
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.
The seminar undertakes a critical examination of the major theoretical perspectives in the sociology of deviance.
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.
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.
A critical examination of political and governmental strategies for identifying social problems and managing the conduct of individuals, groups, and populations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Selected readings in a specific topic including the preparation of a research paper under the supervision of a faculty member.