SOCI1016 Understanding Society 1 (3 Credits)

This is the first of a two-part course providing a systematic introduction to understanding society, social structure, basic social institutions and their interrelations, the nature of social interactions and the relationship between the individual and society. Particular attention is given to major issues within society such as power, socially transformed and socially structured. These social issues will be examined comparatively and with particular reference to Canadian society. The student is also introduced to major theoretical issues in sociology, the methods of sociology and the rules of evidence in social science. This course is a prerequisite to all upper-year courses in this department unless specifically waived by the department. Students may not retain credit for both SOCI1015 and SOCI1016/1017.

SOCI1017 Understanding Society 2 (3 Credits)

This is the second of a two-part course providing a systematic introduction to understanding society, social structure, basic social institutions and their interrelations, the nature of social interactions and the relationship between the individual and society. Particular attention is given to major issues within society such as power, socially transformed and socially structured. These social issues will be examined comparatively and with particular reference to Canadian society. The student is also introduced to major theoretical issues in sociology, the methods of sociology and the rules of evidence in social science. This course is a prerequisite to all upper-year courses in this department unless specifically waived by the department. Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 1015 and SOCI 1016/ SOCI 1017.

SOCI2006 Child and Society (3 Credits)

This course acknowledges how children are not only acted on, but also how they are active agents in shaping their sense of self and environment. An introduction to sociological theories and methods in this course will enable students to better understand how children variously learn and adapt in cultures within and outside of Canada.  The social construction of childhood, the life course and aging will be considered along with social structure and human agency. Overview is given to primary or early socialization with attention to ever-changing demands of the state, economy, families, education, and mass media. The course will examine major issues and expectations of cultural norms, values and stereotypes associated with child development and childcare, schooling, friendship, violence, morality, peer pressure, gangs, and a range of family configurations and dynamics.  Prerequisite:  SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017.

SOCI2007 The Adolescent and Society (3 credits)

This course examines various social factors that help to explain the life, experience, aspiration and development of the Canadian adolescent, including the complexities, dynamics and changing paradigms of the Canadian adolescent with a strict social focus.  Topics include several sociological studies involving the functions of social constructions and how they relate to the debates around youth violence, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, young sex-trade workers, teen-pregnancy, high school drop-outs and push-outs, date-rape, adolescents and blended families, the pressure to choose between university and college, sexuality and coming-out.  Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017.

SOCI2016 Thinking Sociologically 1 (3 Credits)

This course examines the different types of sociological reasoning used to answer questions about social behaviour, social programs and social policies.  Students gain an appreciation of the value of the sociological perspective through the application of critical thinking.  Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017.

SOCI2017 Emergence of Sociological Theories (3 Credits)

This course continues the investigation of what constitutes sociological theory and practice.  The dissolution of positivism, the interpretive tradition, the critical tradition and the structuralist controversy will be examined.  Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017.

SOCI2036 Family Sociology 1 (3 Credits)

This course examines different kinds of families from the point of view of their structures and role relationships – who makes up the family, how are they related to each other and what special characteristics shape their lives as individuals and family members. Touching on many different topics and themes in sociology, the course examines the varying effect of economic changes, immigration, neighbourhoods and environment, education, sexual relations and religion on families. These changes are linked to both historical processes and contemporary trends and feature in the broader society.  Students may not retain credit for both SOCI2035 and SOCI2036 and SOC2037. Prerequisite:  SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 or instructor’s permission.

SOCI2037 Family Sociology 2 (3 Credits)

This course examines different kinds of families from the point of view of their structures and role relationships – who makes up the family, how are they related to each other and what special characteristics shape their lives as individuals and family members. Touching on many different topics and themes in sociology, the course examines spousal and partner relationships, the parent child and sibling relationships, divorce and remarriage cohabitation and family violence. These issues are linked to both historical processes and contemporary trends and feature in the broader society.  Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 2035 and SOCI 2036 and SOCI 2037. Prerequisite:  SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 or instructor’s permission.

SOCI2086 Crime and Punishment 1:  Explanations of Crime (3 Credits)

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to Sociological Theories of crime including critical and feminist approaches and how these theories explain crime and criminal behaviors.  Students will analyze the patterns of crime such as street crimes, assaultive crimes, organized crime and white color crime.  Students will become familiar with the correlates of crime such as gender, race, class, age and sexual orientation.  Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 2086/7 and SOCI 2085. Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017, or instructor’s permission.
SOCI 2087 Crime and Punishment 2:  Police, Courts, Prisons & Rehabilitation (3 Credits)
This course will examine and analyze issues in restorative justice, community policing, racial profiling, racial discrimination in the justice system, racial profiling, inhuman rights and violence against women.  The feminist and critical criminology frameworks will be applied to analyze these issues.  Students may not retain credit for both SOCI2086/7 and SOCI2085. Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017, or instructor’s permission.

SOCI2127 Research Methods and Data Analysis (3 Credits)

This course will examine a variety of methods that sociologists use to study social phenomena, including both qualitative and quantitative approaches.  Topics include survey research, experimental designs, and observational techniques.  Hypothesis formation, ethics, sampling, and procedures for analyzing data will also be discussed.  Prerequisite: SOCI 1016, SOCI 1017 and STAS 2126 or another introductory statistical course.
SOCI 2156 Critical Analysis of the Canadian Health Care System (3 Credits)
This course will provide an introduction to the sociology of health.  This course will provide a thorough discussion and examination of the Canadian health system from multiple perspectives. Prerequisite:  SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 or instructor’s permission.  Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 2156 and 4156.

SOCI2296 Sociology of Education Issues (3 Credits)

This course is aimed at students who plan to consider a degree in education.  It will provide venue for exploration of a range of social issues that relate to education.  Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 or instructor’s permission.

SOCI2636 Desire, Love and Work:  The Social Making of Gender (3 credits)

The primary objective of this course is to develop an understanding of the social making of gender in contemporary society. As a basis for this, anthropological and historical perspectives will also be covered. The focus of this course will be on a critical investigation of the social creation of gender and of the gendered division of labour and patriarchal social organization. The social making of normality and deviance in relation to gender will be explored. This course may be counted towards a concentration in Women’s Studies or the Certificate in Family Life Studies and Human Sexuality. Students may not retain credit for SOCI 3626, 3627 (3625) and 2636. Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 or instructor’s permission.

SOCI2656 Social Inequality:  Gender, Race, Class & Power (3 Credits)

This course will examine the theoretical perspectives on the intersection of social class and gender, race, ethnicity.  With reference to both Canadian and international studies, the course will analyze how class and identity are constructed through the intersections of gender, race and ethnicity. Students may not retain credit for SOCI 2626, 3066 and 2656.  Prerequisite:  SOCI 1016 and 1017 or permission of Department Chair or designate.

SOCI3006 Survey Research 1 (3 Credits)

This course will use intermediate survey methodology concepts to design a research proposal and to submit an ethics review application based upon a critical literature review of a sociological topic of interest.  An analytical understanding of the survey as a social event will be stressed throughout. Special attention will be given to tailored design and total survey error. You will learn best practices regarding survey quality. The concepts learned and experiences gained in this course will serve as the necessary foundation for the implementation and data analysis of your research project in the second part of this course.  Prerequisite: SOCI 1106 and SOCI 1107, STAT 2126 or equivalent and SOCI 2127, or instructor’s permission.

SOCI3007 Survey Research 2

The purpose of this applied sociology course is to introduce students to intermediate topics in survey design and analysis. Students will implement the research proposal developed in SOCI 3006, administer questionnaires, analyze data using the SPSS software package, report, and present research findings to their peers. The application of descriptive and inferential statistics will be emphasized throughout the course. Special attention will be given to the underlying logic, assumptions, and correct interpretation of statistical results. The concepts learned and experiences gained in this course will serve as the necessary foundation for subsequent quantitative courses, the research essay course, masters studies in applied social research (social justice).  Prerequisites: SOCI 1016, SOCI 1017, STAS 2126, SOCI 2127, and SOCI 3006 or permission of the department. 

SOCI 016 Modern Sociological Theories (3 Credits)

A comparative study of modern sociological theories based on original texts. This course presents the current issues in the sociological theories. Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 3016 and SOCI 3015.  Prerequisite: SOCI 2016 and SOCI 2017.

SOCI3056 News, Pop Culture and Power, Critical Perspective on Mass Media (3 Credits)

The central objective of this course is developing critical sociological perspectives on the social making of the mass media and popular culture. Questions addressed in this course include: How are the mass media and popular culture socially organized? Are the mass media and popular culture terrains of domination or are they terrains of struggle and potential resistance? Does the development of the internet as a major means of communication and information extend domination or extend possibilities for resistance? This course focuses first on the manufacturing of the news and then turns its attention to shifts and transformations in popular cultures. Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 3907 & SOCI 3056.

SOCI3126 Qualitative Methods Research (3 Credits)

The purpose of this course is to equip students in how to use and understand the various research techniques generally known as qualitative research methodology. These include, but are not limited to, interviewing, participant and non-participant observations, life histories, and other types of fieldwork-related research techniques. The following methods are widely used in sociology as well as in non-academic fields including public health, business admin, and public policy research. Particularly, we will look at research methods such as Genealogy, Archaeology, Deconstruction, Orientalism, Postcolonialism and Feminism, as well as Ethnography.  Prerequisite: SOCI2127 or instructor’s permission.

SOCI3136 Sociology of Self, Mind and Identity (3 Credits)

This course will examine views of the self, mind and identity in both local and global contexts with emphasis on issues of power and how identity is used to justify the subordination of some and the privileging of others.  The politics of identity will be dealt with in a critical manner, with the central argument being that groups based on shared identity, other than class, diverts attention from the issue of exploitation of all categories by the capitalist order whose survival imperative is consumption at any cost. By consumption we mean an overarching rationality of consuming/producing and reproducing various identities, ideas, values, sentimentalities and traditions which become impediments to self-actualization.  Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 4126 and SOCI 3126. Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 or instructor’s permission. 

SOCI3196 Social Movements (3 Credits)

A study of the processes of development, evolution and impact of organisms which tend to influence (within a Canadian context) political decisions and history, e.g. labour, feminist, anti-nuclear movements.  Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 or instructor’s permission. 

SOCI3296 Sociology of Education (3 Credits)

This course introduces the major sociological approaches to understanding education.  Topics include the impact of schooling on youth in Canada, the social role of teachers, the relationship between education and employment, the influence of credentialism and the effect of gender, class, racial and other biases.  Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 3296 and SOCI 2095. Prerequisite: SOCI 2127 or instructor’s permission.

SOCI3306 Globalization and the New World Order (3 Credits)

The spread of global capitalism sustains relations of underdevelopment and global inequality.  Students will be introduced to the theories and practices which shapes local and global political contexts.  Topics to be covered include post-industrial, post-fordist and post-modern society; patterns of economic restructuring and the state; global space; and systems of governance in a globalized world.  Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 3226, 2065 and 3306.  Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 or instructor’s permission. 

SOCI3636 Desire, Love and Work 2:  The Social Making of Sexuality (3 Credits)

The primary objective of this course is to develop an understanding of the social construction of sexuality in contemporary society.  As a basis for this, anthropological and historical perspectives will also be covered.  The focus of the course will be on denaturalizing gender, sexuality, desire, masculine and feminine sexualities, heterosexualities and homosexualities to understand how these create and sustain and are created and sustained, by the gendered division of labour and patriarchal social organization.  The social making of normality and deviance in relation to desire and sexuality will be explored.  This course may be counted towards a concentration in Women Studies and Human Sexuality.  Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 3626, 3627, 3625 and 3636. Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 and 2636 or instructor’s permission.

SOCI3817 Sociology of Aging (3 Credits)

A study of aging and the aged in a cross-cultural perspective with special attention to Canada. Students may not retain credit for both SOCI 3807 and 3817. Prerequisite:  SOCI 2036 or SOCI 2037.

SOCI3907 Selected Topics II (3 Credits)

The topic of the course varies with the instructor and the year.  Usually the course will concern the professor’s research.  Prerequisite: SOCI 1016 and SOCI 1017 or instructor’s permission. 

Program Requirements

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