Faculty of Arts & Science 2014-2015 Calendar

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Sociology

• Sociology Specialist | Sociology Major | Sociology Minor
• Sociology Courses

Faculty

Sociology’s key principle is that patterned social relationships create opportunities for, and place constraints on, human action. The influence of this idea is widespread. New research agendas in law, literature, economics, and other disciplines reflect the notion that beyond individual motives, goals, and emotions, patterned social relationships help to make us who we are. Our courses and faculty research examine how patterned social relationships shape and are shaped by gender roles, families, health, immigration, race and ethnic relations, work, social inequality, politics, deviance and crime, law, culture, networks, and communities.

To test explanations regarding the influence of social relationships on various aspects of human behaviour, sociologists collect and analyze observational, survey, experimental, and historical data. Accordingly, the sociological perspective and the research skills learned by studying sociology prepare students for a wide variety of careers in industry, government, education, politics, health and journalism. Medical, legal, and environmental fields report an increasing need for sociologists. Municipal, provincial and federal governments hire in areas like urban sociology, community relations, policy and planning. In private business, sociologists work in management consulting firms and polling organizations, as well as in labour relations and human resources.

A professional career in sociology requires training beyond the undergraduate level. However, the critical, analytical and research skills that sociology students learn open many employment opportunities. Over a third of Canadian undergraduates in sociology go on to be employed in business, finance and administrative occupations, and just under a third in government service, social science, and educational fields. 

Undergraduate Director: Professor Robert Brym, Room 286, 725 Spadina Ave., 416-978-3410, rbrym@chass.utoronto.ca

Undergraduate Administrator: Miss Donna Ragbir, Room 284, 725 Spadina Ave., 416-946-4064, sociology.undergraduate@utoronto.ca

Enquiries: 416-978-3412 (choose option 2)

Undergraduate Program Information and Course Descriptions: available at http://www.utoronto.ca/sociology

Sociology Programs

Enrolment in sociology programs is limited. Consult see the Arts & Science Subject POSt Enrolment web site for application procedures.

(10 FCEs in Sociology)

This is a limited enrolment subject POSt that can only accommodate a limited number of students. Eligibility will be competitive and based on a student's mark (minimum average of 70% on two of 3 SOC courses (SOC200H1, SOC201H1 or SOC203H1). Achieving the 70% minimum mark does not guarantee admission to the subject POSt in any given year.

Students interested in the Specialist program normally apply and enter from the Major program, after having completed the Year 2 requirements of that program as below.  [Students demonstrating exceptional interest and achievement in the Introductory course may enter at the end Year 1.]

NOTE: Students cannot combine a Sociology Specialist program with another Sociology program (Major or Minor) for their degree.

Entry Requirements:

From the Major program:
 
1.  A minimum average of 70% on two of the following 3 SOC courses: SOC200H1,  SOC201H1 or SOC203H1
2.  At least one additional FCE at the SOC200+ level   

From Year 1:  
A minimum grade of 80% in SOC101Y1 or a minimum combined average grade of 80% in SOC102H1 + SOC103H1

Completion Requirements:

1. SOC101Y1 or both SOC102H1 and SOC103H1
2. SOC201H1, SOC203H1, and SOC376H1
3. SOC200H1, SOC202H1, SOC300H1 and SOC302H1
4.  An additional 5.5 FCEs in Sociology; i.e., 2.5 SOC FCEs at the 200 or 300 level; 2.0 SOC FCEs at the 300 level; and 1.0 SOC FCE at the 400 level. NOTE: Students cannot take more than 1.0 FCE at the 400 level without written permission from the Undergraduate Program Administrator.

(7.0 FCEs in Sociology)

This is a limited enrolment subject POSt that can only accommodate a limited number of students.  Eligibility will be competitive and based on a student’s mark (minimum of 65%) in SOC101Y or both SOC102H and SOC103H. Achieving the 65% mark does not guarantee admission to the subject POSt in any given year.

NOTE: Students cannot combine a Sociology Major program with another Sociology program (Specialist or Minor) for their degree.

Entry Requirements:
1. A minimum grade of 65% in SOC101Y1 or a minimum combined average grade of 65% in SOC102H1 + SOC103H1
2. 3 full courses (3.0 FCEs) towards a degree (can be from sociology or other departments).

Completion Requirements:

1. SOC101Y1or both SOC102H1 and SOC103H1
2. SOC201H1 or SOC203H1
3. SOC200H1 and SOC202H1
4. An additional 4.5 FCEs in Sociology; i.e., 2.5 SOC FCEs at the 200 or 300 level; 1.5 SOC FCEs at the 300 level and 0.5 SOC FCE at the 400 level. NOTE: Students cannot take more than 0.5 SOC FCE at the 400 level without written permission from the Undergraduate Program Administrator.

(4.0 FCEs in Sociology)

This is a limited enrolment subject POSt that can only accommodate a limited number of students.  Eligibility will be competitive and based on a student’s mark (minimum of 65%) in SOC101Y or both SOC102H and SOC103H. Achieving the 65% mark does not guarantee admission to the subject POSt in any given year.

NOTE: Students cannot combine a Sociology Minor program with another Sociology program (Specialist or Major) for their degree.

Entry Requirements:

1.  a minimum grade of 65% in SOC101Y1 or a minimum combined average grade of 65% in SOC102H1 and SOC103H1
2.  3 full courses (3.0 FCEs) towards a degree (can be from sociology or other department)

Completion Requirements:

1. SOC101Y1 or both SOC102H1 and SOC103H1
2. Three additional SOC courses (3.0 FCEs), which includes at least 1 FCE SOC course at the 300 level, i.e., 2.0 SOC FCEs at the 200 OR 300 level and 1.0 SOC FCE at the 300 level. 

Sociology Courses

Note 1:

Enrollment in SOC200H1, SOC201H1, SOC202H1, SOC203H1,  SOC300H1, SOC302H1, SOC376H1,  is restricted as stated in the course descriptions below. Ineligible students can be removed at any time. 

The 199Y1 and 199H1 seminars are designed to provide the opportunity to work closely with an instructor in a class of no more than twenty-four students. These interactive seminars are intended to stimulate the students’ curiosity and provide an opportunity to get to know a member of the professorial staff in a seminar environment during the first year of study. Details can be found at www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/fyh-1/.

Sociologists investigate how social relations shape human behaviour. By systematically observing social milieux, conducting surveys, analyzing official statistics, inspecting historical documents, and carrying out experiments, they analyze the opportunities and constraints that help to make people what they are in different social contexts. This course introduces students to the sociological perspective and sociological methods by investigating a wide range of human behaviours and institutions. Topics include social inequality, race and ethnicity, crime and deviance, families, the mass media, gender and sexuality, and globalization.

What causes the emergence, persistence and decline of inequalities based on class, gender, race, ethnicity and country of residence? Variations in artistic, mathematical, athletic and other skills are strikingly evident; this course explores why they are associated with varying rewards, including income, power and prestige.

Operating through economic, educational, political, religious, familial and other institutions, society opens up some opportunities and closes off others, thus helping to make us what we are and influencing what we can become. This course explores how social institutions work and how they structure our lives.

Obtaining 65% or more in SOC101Y1 or a combined average of 65% or more in SOC102H1 and SOC103H1 is required for entry into the sociology major and minor programs. Entry to the sociology specialist program at the end of the first year requires a minimum of 80% in SOC101Y1 or a minimum combined average of 80% in SOC102H1 and SOC103H1. Credit for higher-level SOC course will not waive these requirements.

Note:

All upper-level SOC courses have prerequisites. Students without course prerequisites can be removed at any time.

This course reviews the basic issues that concern all types of data collection methods used by social scientists to test theory. Key topics include selection, sampling, and measurement. The course explores how error affects the data gathered in experiments and non-experimental studies, and in qualitative and quantitative research. The course emphasizes critical thinking about the empirical research presented in everyday life, as well as preparation for more advanced research courses. Enrolment is restricted to sociology majors and specialists.

Introduction to the paired concepts of community/alienation and sacred/secularization in the works of key classical theorists such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Tocqueville and Simmel. Enrolment is restricted to sociology majors and specialists.

Introduction in quantitative social science research from descriptive statistics to hypothesis testing using various strategies for the analysis of bivariate relationships. Enrolment is restricted to sociology majors and specialists.

Introduction to the paired concepts of inequality/solidarity and authority/illegitimacy in the works of key classical theorists such as Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Tocqueville and Simmel. Enrolment is restricted to sociology majors and specialists.

This course reviews theories of urban genesis and urban form; the interrelationship of urbanization, industrialization and modernization, issues in urban living (housing, transportation, urban-renewal, poverty, unemployment, etc.); urban social networks (ethnic and cultural heterogeneity, neighbourhood, community and other voluntary associations).

The nature and meaning of work in relation to changes in the position of the professions, unions and government, of women and minority groups, and in industrial societies more generally. Career choice and strategies, occupational mobility, and individual satisfaction at work.

The course explores the concepts of race and ethnicity and major theories to understand race and ethnic relations.

This course provides an overview of the study of crime and deviance. We critically examine how scholars have gone about studying crime and deviance (the methods they use and the statistics they employ) as well as the major sociological explanations for crime and deviance. We also consider the empirical evidence as it relates to the validity of these explanations and some of the policy fallout from different theoretical approaches.

This course examines diverse family patterns, to show the economic, political and cultural factors that influence families. A brief social history of family paves the way for an examination of the various family patterns common in Canada today. Special attention is paid to the gender relations at the heart of family.

The course will explore the structures and processes of Asian communities in Canada.  Historical development of various Asian communities will be explored.

This course is concerned with the causes and consequences of economic inequality. More specifically, it explores how achieved and ascribed characteristics are related to social class and related economic outcomes. Although some of the material will be comparative and pertain to modern Democracies generally, emphasis will be on Canadian society.

This course examines (1) the social causes of illness and disease, (2) the experience of illness, and social processes that shape both of these issues, including medicalization. It focuses on population health, the relation between agency and structure, and macro-micro connections. Professional health care is discussed to the extent that it provides context for analyses of illness patterns and experiences.

Examines factors that influence the organizational structure of health care systems, how these organizations develop, how they are maintained, and how they can be change. Topics also include the social forces that influence the relationship between healthcare providers and consumers.

This course deals with population aging, cohort effects, inter-generational relations, historical variation in effects of social environment on aging, how health and family relationships vary with age, and social policies related to aging. The whole life course is considered, but the emphasis on adulthood and old age.

This course provides an overview of the literature that concerns the social factors that shape how individuals cognize themselves and the world around them. It focuses on the mental processes and phenomena that are socially shared, and the ways through which individuals come to form their thoughts, behaviour and emotions.

This course will examine religious beliefs, practices, and experiences from a historical-sociological and comparative perspective. Classical and contemporary theories will be reviewed and applied to investigate such topics as: the social origins of religions; the formation of religious communities; heresies, schisms and the making of orthodoxies; secularization and fundamentalism; cults and new religious movements; religious regulation of the body and person; and the variable linkages of religion to politics, war, art and science.

Characteristics of very different kinds of societies, from hunters and gatherers to modern postindustrial countries, and how these affect features of individual lives including: life stages, their status, and transitions between them; the variety of possible life courses; rates of birth and death, and their implications for people, their kin, and their societies.

Examines the common characteristics and processes of small groups, whether teams, bands, gangs, work-groups, families, or otherwise. Focuses on recruitment, socialization, leadership, ritual, informal control, boundary maintenance, and relations with other groups.  Relates the functioning of groups to cultures and communities in which they are situated.

An introduction to key topics in political sociology such as social movements, electoral alignments, parties as organizations, the welfare state, revolution, policymaking, state formation, nationalism and imperialism.

This course first explores how sociologists conceptualize gender and study gender. Then, it explores the varied nature of gender relations, with a focus on the social organization of gender today.

This course introduces students to the sociological study of collective action. Students will explore how movements in a variety of historical and global contexts endeavor to produce social change. In this process, we will examine political and cultural opportunities and obstacles, organizational dynamics, resources, collective action frames, strategies and tactics.

How location in socioeconomic, ethnic, gender, and generational groups shapes individual cultural repertories; how culture affects individual positions in stratification hierarchies; and the role of culture in group boundaries and struggles.

Examines a variety of widely discussed social problems, including poverty, crime, substance abuse, sexism, climate change and urban sprawl, using sociological theories to understand the causes of these problems. Will also examine the “social construction” of these social problems and factors that influence public attention and concern.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructors area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/rop. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Note:

All upper-level SOC courses have prerequisites. Students without course prerequisites can be removed at any time.

Provides students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the logic of multivariate analysis by applying various strategies for the analysis of complex multivariate data. Enrolment is restricted to sociology specialists.

Theories of social inequality, its historical evolution, and the determinants of continuity and change of patterns of social inequality.

Introduction to the methods and issues of qualitative research the theories, methods for data collection and analysis, and the personal and ethical issues relating to qualitative research. Enrolment is restricted to sociology specialists.

Uses empirical sociological studies to describe and analyze the political, social and economic implications of diverse family relationships and living arrangements. Examines the social and economic consequences of inconsistencies between public definitions of family and the realities of family life. Introduces students to the statistical analysis of the demographic features of families using census data.

Shows how getting ahead or becoming downwardly mobile are affected by social as well as economic factors. Links the experience of mobility to larger scale social change.

Shows how child and adolescent development is affected by family background, neighbourhood and community as well as by social policies implemented at different levels of government. This course reviews evidence from national longitudinal surveys carried out in Canada, the UK and the USA and emphasizes ethical issues in research involving children.

This course examines contemporary international migration flows, immigration policies, and migrant integration with emphasis on Canada. Among the topics covered are theories of migration, types and causes of migration, policy issues, and immigrant integration including 1.5 and second generations, gender issues, labour market integration and elderly immigrants.

Explores and discusses specific theories of action. Applies theories to various factors associated with AIDS/HIV. Examines political, scientific, health, social, economic, and cultural environments. This course forces students to examine the hidden theoretical assumptions surrounding AIDS/HIV.

Examine and evaluate sociological theories and research on the causes and correlates of juvenile crime, with a focus on recent theoretical developments and quantitative analyses of juvenile offending (not delinquency). The course highlights the effects of structural conditions, cultural factors, and individual decisions.

This introductory course examines Canada's population in a global context, covering a broad range of population issues and perspectives. Topics include (a) demographic data and methods, (b) population composition in terms of age, sex, and nuptiality, (c) demographic processes of fertility, mortality, internal and international migration, (d) the relationship between population change and urbanization, and (e) the role of social policy on population change.  For all course topics, the instructor will examine historical and cross-national trends and review proposed explanations.

This course examines how society has gone about controlling specific types of deviants (e.g., gang members, sex and drug offenders) and acts of deviance (e.g., organized crime, the deviance of social control agents). In examining these individuals and acts, attention is also directed to why they are defined as deviant and sanctioned, and why some types of deviance are less likely to be detected and sanctioned than others. Finally, consideration is also given to a range of sanctions that have been used to control deviance and the empirical evidence on their effectiveness.

This course explores the dynamics of structure and agency in the making of families.  It does so by examining the social relations of sexuality, parenthood and other activities involved in making families. It examines normative patterns and the gender, class, and racial inequalities embedded in them as well as the diversity of family patterns.

This course will provide an overview of the different forms of domestic criminal violence, concentrating primarily on intimate partner violence and child abuse. We will focus on the methodological problems in assessing the nature and extent of these types of violence, the risk factors and correlates of both offending and victimization and the theoretical explanations that have been offered for these crimes. We also consider the social and legal responses to intimate partner violence and child abuse.

Labour/management relations in industrial societies; impact of technological change on work organizations and labour markets; implications for understanding various topics including social mobility, labour market segmentation, job satisfaction, work/family relations, immigration and race, power in organizations, union and industrial conflict, organizational culture, and the social control of industry.

Examines the economic, social, cultural and political impacts of 20th century immigration in Canada, and emerging race and ethnic relations. Topics include immigration policy; population impact; community formation; labour markets; enclave economies; welfare use by immigrants; the criminal justice system; racial conflict; multiculturalism and race; and equity policies.

This course covers the fundamentals of the social network perspective, including a short introduction to social network theory and a survey of major findings in social network research. We will study how patterns of relations between social actors develop and how they affect outcomes such as health, status attainment, and inequality. Students will write a proposal to conduct research from a social network perspective.

This course analyzes the interplay between new communication technologies and society. It will consider how technological developments affect social systems, and conversely, how social systems affect the nature and use of technology. Much of the course will be devoted to studying the impact of computerization and the advent of the information highway.

The life course in Canada, in the twentieth century and today, with some comparisons to other first world countries. How lives have changed over the past century; how lives are affected by history and social location; the impact of the life trajectories on health and crime.

Focuses on relationship between urbanization and crime. Urbanization and the size of cities are examined as correlates, and perhaps causes, of crime, delinquency, the development of deviant service centers, mental illness, and suicide. Does housing level show a link between housing design, crowding, floor level, etc. and crime, delinquency, depression?

Theory and research on quality of life encompass studies of subjective dimensions of individual wellbeing, such as happiness, and studies that focus on objective indicators of the quality of institutions and settings, such as child mortality rates. Quality-of-life theories range from (sometimes utopian) classical sociological theories with a historical and political slant to recent interdisciplinary theories that integrate sociological, psychological, and philosophical approaches. 

An overview of the link between social inequality and emotional inequality, focusing on differences in mental health across social groups and the role of stress and coping resources in explaining group differences.

Cities are home to particular populations (the poor, the homeless, racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, and the young and old) and have distinct risks and protections relevant to health. Patterns of health in cities, historical developments, and emerging literature and methodology are used to uncover how everyday settings influence health.

This course examines the dynamics of gender in daily life – in sexuality and intimate relations, in parenting and families, and in paid work and workplace organizations, as well as in popular culture. It examines the social construction of gender in individuals and in social organizations, in order to understand gender inequality.

This course focuses on women's paid and unpaid work and the relationship between the two. It analyzes the gender gap in earnings, the sexual segregation of the labour force, the restructuring of paid work, sexual harassment, paid domestic work, and the division of housework and child care.

In this class, we analyze the ways in which race, class, gender and sexuality interact and shape communities, life opportunities, perspectives and politics. We will read contemporary ethnographies concerning work, socialization, and urban life against current sociological theories about inequality and intersectionality, and identity.

The study of comparative (historical and cross-national) variation in outcomes that are the subject of research by political sociologists.

A selective introduction to major thinkers and approaches in contemporary sociology. Mills, De Beauvoir, Habermas, Bell, Foucault, Bourdieu, Giddens, and Mann are among the chief theoreticians whose work will be discussed.

Our society includes many varieties of cultural tastes and practices. How are these related to inequality? How do cultural repertoires shape peoples lives, including school success, careers, romance, marriage and friendship? How is culture produced in art worlds and industries, transmitted more or less successfully and creatively received?

Social structure of formal and informal groups producing culture; careers in such cultural worlds; the effect of how culture is produced on the nature of culture; how culture is consumed and received; the prestige of different cultural forms and their changes over time.

Examines the international migration of women in postindustrial economies with emphasis on Canada. Topics include: theories of female migration; the impacts of immigration policies; migration trends and entry status; integration issues pertaining to family, language knowledge, citizenship and economic status; labour market barriers and public policy considerations.

Uses recent and historical data to demonstrate the changing social characteristics of local neighbourhoods and larger communities, as these have been affected by industrialization, immigration and other factors and as they affect the life chances of their residents. Provides students with active learning experiences through research activities using Census data.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

Explores the structure and interactions of everyday experience. Views our lives as socially ordered and ourselves as agents. Offers experience in qualitative research and using writing experience.

Independent Research courses allow students to pursue a specific topic of interest. These courses are offered at the 300-level, as full or half courses. Students work independently with a professor in the Department who acts as research supervisor. There are no formal class meetings, lectures, or readings other than what is agreed to with the supervisor. Professors accept supervisory responsibility at their discretion. They are not required to serve as research supervisors. It is recommended that students approach a professor working in the same sub-discipline of sociology. Often students become interested in a topic through a SOC course and approach the instructor of that course for supervision; however, this is not required. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Independent Research courses allow students to pursue a specific topic of interest. These courses are offered at the 300-level, as full or half courses. Students work independently with a professor in the Department who acts as research supervisor. There are no formal class meetings, lectures, or readings other than what is agreed to with the supervisor. Professors accept supervisory responsibility at their discretion. They are not required to serve as research supervisors. It is recommended that students approach a professor working in the same sub-discipline of sociology. Often students become interested in a topic through a SOC course and approach the instructor of that course for supervision; however, this is not required. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Independent Research courses allow students to pursue a specific topic of interest. These courses are offered at the 300-level, as full or half courses. Students work independently with a professor in the Department who acts as research supervisor. There are no formal class meetings, lectures, or readings other than what is agreed to with the supervisor. Professors accept supervisory responsibility at their discretion. They are not required to serve as research supervisors. It is recommended that students approach a professor working in the same sub-discipline of sociology. Often students become interested in a topic through a SOC course and approach the instructor of that course for supervision; however, this is not required. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructors area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Consult the Departmental website for current course offerings.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/399. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

An instructor-supervised group project in an off-campus setting. Details at http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/399. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Note

All upper-level SOC courses have prerequisites. Students without course prerequisites can be removed at any time.

We will examine questions related to sexuality and the modern West, with a special focus on the social construction of sexual identity, practice, community and desire. To do so, we proceed self consciously with a critical analysis of the modern study of sexuality, and the ways in which sexual science, as a kind of social practice, has affected the construction and regulation of sexual orientation. We also consider how social structures such as capitalism and patriarchy, and social stratification—including race, class, and age—shape the sphere of sexuality and intimate life. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course examines the sociological implications associated with the growing dominance of psychiatry over designating and managing the margins of ‘normality’ and ‘deviance.’  It covers the evolution of the DSM and rise of deinstitutionalization, the importance of stigma and symbolic interactionist understandings of psychiatric diagnoses, and the methods of social control used to mitigate risk and reduce social deviance within the psychiatric and criminal justice systems. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the social implications of mental health labels. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course considers the history of penology, theories of penal development and current trends. Particular attention will be paid to cross-national variations in punishment and what these reveal about the relevance of particular theories and the importance of culture in understanding historical developments in punishment. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This fourth year course will provide an advanced treatment of selected topics in political Sociology. Specific topics to be covered are the relationship between political systems and cleavage voting, the relationship between social class and attitudes and voting, the post-materialist thesis, social capital and civic participation, gender politics, the various varieties, causes and effects of welfare states, and social movements. The course will have both a Canadian and international focus. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

Examines the competing theoretical, policy and therapeutic responses to a variety of family health problems, including addictions, chronic physical illnesses, and mental illness, as well as the effects of illness on family life and family coping. The links between theory and practice provide the basis for discussion of knowledge transfer. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course examines the labour market and employment situation of immigrants emphasizing recent Canadian experience in comparative context.  Topics include immigrant human capital, declining immigrant earnings, immigrant skill-underutilization, impact of the knowledge economy, racial discrimination, labour market structure and unionization, immigrant entrepreneurship and experiences of the Canadian-born second generation. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course examines current issues in the Sociology of Work and Labour Markets.  Specific topics covered will vary, depending on the instructor of the course.  All topics though will involve in-depth look at a contemporary concerns in the world of work.  Students will be involved in either individual or group research projects involving the use of data. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

From social cohesion to intergroup violence, emotional processes influence social outcomes. Moral aspects of experience in particular are linked to emotions such as shame and pride. Students in this course will review major theories of, and a variety of empirical approaches to, the link between social and emotional processes. They will be encouraged to extend ideas and analyses in the published literature to new topics. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.


Covers statistical methods currently used in the major sociological journals including multiple linear regression, logistic regression, and the fitting of loglinear models to tables of cross-classified categorical data. Stresses presentation skills and sociological interpretation of results. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

Students learn to calculate life tables and total fertility rates, and apply these concepts in computer projections and simulations. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This research seminar uses Census data, broadly conceived, in the study of changes in gender, work and family in North America from 1871 to the present. We focus on quantitative (census enumerations) historical data related to North Atlantic Countries but will also explore what can be learned from contemporary newspaper stories, etc. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

In this course, students who have completed SOC355H1 will go on to conduct research from a social network perspective. The course will cover methods for analyzing social network data and familiarize students with software created for working with these data. Each student will complete an empirical research project. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course explores major questions about the nature of gender and gender inequality.   The course requires a careful review of key theoretical and empirical work addressing one of these questions and the completion of a research project. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

A selective introduction to major thinkers (such as Fanon, Blau, Collins) and approaches in contemporary sociological theory. Topics include: the structure-agency debate; methodological individualism; anti-colonialism. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course explores how policy processes and frameworks need to be evaluated in light of the social context in which they are developed. Factors to be considered include the interplay between public values and expectations and public policy; the implications of cultural diversity and demographic change, and understandings of ethical principles of conduct in public organizations.  A related goal is to help students learn how to use empirical research to answer highly contested issues in policy circles and in public life.  These objectives are pursued by introducing students to major trends in inequality in Canada, assessing these trends within a comparative context, reflecting on their normative implications, and examining alternative policy responses to these developments. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course focuses on current debates and research findings in the study of social movements. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

Relationships between various forms of culture and the networks connecting both individual people and organizations creating culture. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course examines the social foundations of thinking and action, with focus on how individuals think and act through shared cognitive embedded in larger social structures. There is an overview of classical and contemporary theories that are instrumental for understanding how culture and cognition work, and a research component to put this understanding in practice. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

Nearly one-quarter of Canada’s population are immigrant offspring, defined as those who immigrate as children or those who are Canadian born with foreign born parents. This course examines sociological perspectives, language and bilingualism, racial and ethnic identities, family structure and relationships, marriage, education and labour market experiences of immigrant offspring. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course offers real world observation and abundant examples that speak to the strengths and limitations of particular theory, data, and methods for studying urban problems.  Students undertake a supervised research project that involves identifying, observing and reflecting on real phenomena in the urban environment. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

This course gives students the opportunity to apply their understanding of the research process to the design and implementation of an original research project. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

Independent Research courses allow students to pursue a specific topic of interest. These courses are offered at the 400-level, as full or half courses. Students work independently with a professor in the Department who acts as research supervisor. There are no formal class meetings, lectures, or readings other than what is agreed to with the supervisor. Professors accept supervisory responsibility at their discretion. They are not required to serve as research supervisors. It is recommended that students approach a professor working in the same sub-discipline of sociology. Often students become interested in a topic through a SOC course and approach the instructor of that course for supervision; however, this is not required. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Independent Research courses allow students to pursue a specific topic of interest. These courses are offered at the 400-level, as full or half courses. Students work independently with a professor in the Department who acts as research supervisor. There are no formal class meetings, lectures, or readings other than what is agreed to with the supervisor. Professors accept supervisory responsibility at their discretion. They are not required to serve as research supervisors. It is recommended that students approach a professor working in the same sub-discipline of sociology. Often students become interested in a topic through a SOC course and approach the instructor of that course for supervision; however, this is not required. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

Independent Research courses allow students to pursue a specific topic of interest. These courses are offered at the 400-level, as full or half courses. Students work independently with a professor in the Department who acts as research supervisor. There are no formal class meetings, lectures, or readings other than what is agreed to with the supervisor. Professors accept supervisory responsibility at their discretion. They are not required to serve as research supervisors. It is recommended that students approach a professor working in the same sub-discipline of sociology. Often students become interested in a topic through a SOC course and approach the instructor of that course for supervision; however, this is not required. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Visit Department or consult the Departmental website for current course offerings. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Visit Department or consult the Departmental website for current course offerings. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Visit Department or consult the Departmental website for current course offerings. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Visit Department or consult the Departmental website for current course offerings. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Visit Department or consult the Departmental website for current course offerings. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Visit Department or consult the Departmental website for current course offerings. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Visit Department or consult the Departmental website for current course offerings. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructors area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Visit Department or consult the Departmental website for current course offerings. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

An opportunity to explore a sociological topic in depth. Courses relate to instructor’s area of research, so topics vary from year to year. Visit Department or consult the Departmental website for current course offerings. Restricted to 4th-year sociology specialists and majors.

Graduate courses are available to 4th-year specialists with permission of the instructor and a minimum GPA of 3.3 for undergraduate program credit. Consult the Department for enrolment procedures.