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Sociology

Sociology

  • SOC 102 - Human Origins
    Course DescriptionThis course is a general survey of the prehistoric record of humankind. It emphasizes those aspects of the record- anthropological, archaeological, paleontological, and biological-which promote a greater understanding of contemporary societies and the future of the species. Topics include: the principles of evolution, food production and the rise of civilization, the nature of "human nature", sex and gender, racial and cultural diversity, and conflict and cooperation.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:LL
  • SOC 103 - How Society Works
    Course DescriptionThis course provides an introduction to some of the major issues in sociology. It examines how societies come into existence, how they are organized and maintained, and how they change. The major sociological perspectives are used to understand the relationship between culture, institutions and social behaviour; the process of socialization; globalization and the political-economic structure of Canadian society; and the resulting social inequalities of class, race and gender.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:LL
    Antirequisites:SOC 104, SOC 105, SOC 11 A/B, SOC 111, SOC 112
    Custom Requisites:Not available to students in the following programs: Child and Youth Care, Early Childhood Studies, Nursing, Social Work, Sociology, Urban and Regional Planning
  • SOC 104 - Understanding Society
    Course DescriptionThis course provides an introduction to some of the major issues in the discipline of sociology. Topics include: the major theoretical debates of classical sociology; research methods and problems; culture and socialization; the evolution of human societies; and the structure of Canadian society. Professionally-related examples are used throughout the course.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Antirequisites:SOC 11B, SOC 103, SOC 105, SOC 111
  • SOC 105 - Introduction to Sociology
    Course DescriptionThis course presents the major schools of sociology, which include Functionalism, Critical Theory, Feminism, Interactionism, and Postmodernism. These schools are used to examine a number of fundamental social inequalities such as those based on class, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. In addition, through the lenses of the major schools of sociology, this course also examines the impact of contemporary media institutions and communications technologies on the social construction of knowledge and the construction of socially significant identities and ideologies.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Antirequisites:SOC 11B, SOC 103, SOC 104, SOC 111
  • SOC 107 - Sociology of the Everyday
    Course DescriptionA sociological perspective allows us to see generality in particularity, and strangeness in the familiar. This course gives the students a sociological perspective useful for investigating ordinary, common everyday activities and interaction that most of us find routinely engaging. Some concentration is provided to the urban experience of everyday life. Through examining seemingly mundane behaviours--eating, chatting, watching TV, etc., students study underlying structures that shape social behaviour and learn about historical and qualitative social research methods.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
  • SOC 108 - Indigenous Peoples and Decolonization
    Course DescriptionThis course examines sociological themes in Indigenous Studies and helps students understand the historical, social and cultural contexts of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit experiences in Canada. Drawing attention to Indigenous struggles against settler colonialism, the course will focus on concepts and case studies that highlight Indigenous resistance, knowledge production, structural relationships, and institutional arrangements. Topics include identities, Indigenous-settler relations, gendered racial violence, nation-building and decolonization.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:LL
  • SOC 111 - The Social World I
    Course DescriptionThis course introduces students to the sociological imagination and the different sociological frameworks and methods of research used to understand the social world and our place within it. It explores the regular patterned behaviours of everyday life, how they are developed, maintained and changed throughout history. Emphasis is placed upon an in-depth examination of Canada's social, cultural, economic and political processes within the broader context of globalization and power. (SOC 111 and SOC 112 are equivalent to SOC 11A/B).
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Antirequisites:SOC 11A/B, SOC103, SOC 104, SOC 105, SOC 107
    Custom Requisites:Available only to Social Work students
  • SOC 112 - The Social World II
    Course DescriptionThis course is a continuation of SOC 111 and examines Canadian patterns and issues of social inequality related to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability and age. It examines how we learn and maintain these patterns of inequality through our major institutions, with specific emphasis on the mass media, family, work and education. It also explores why and how these structures change over time though human agency. (SOC 111 and SOC 112 are equivalent to SOC 11A/B).
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 111
    Custom Requisites:Available only to Social Work Students.
  • SOC 202 - Popular Culture
    Course DescriptionWhat is considered popular culture is up for debate. This course examines different ideas about popular culture and how they inform our personal politics, consumption practices, and common-sense ideas about the world. We consider how different cultural industries are shaped, packaged for consumption, but sometimes resisted. Using a critical approach we sociologically examine cultural forms such as advertising, social activism, television, the cult of celebrity, music, electronic and film media, leisure customs, and everyday practices.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:LL
    Antirequisites:SYC 185
  • SOC 203 - Social Class and Inequality
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the distribution of power and wealth in society. As a social reality, inequality leaves no one untouched, whether or not we are conscious of it. This course traces the origins of social inequality and reflects on the various interpretations of social stratification. At the macro level, analysis examines how patterns of inequality are reproduced and altered over time. At the micro level, analysis considers how inequality shapes individual career choices and other experiences.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:LL
    Antirequisites:SOC 420
  • SOC 25A/B - Media and Society
    Course Description

    The relationship between media and contemporary society is complex and important. The structure, power and influence of dominant mass media is examined with a particular focus on film and TV. Special attention is paid to issues of imagery and the definition of reality, the construction and significance of the news and advertising, concentration of ownership, the production of spectacle and diversion, the "wired" society, narrative and the construction of reality, and the globalization of media.

    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs./3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:2.00
    Billing Units:1/1
    Count:2.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 104 or SOC 105
  • SOC 300 - Sociology of Equity and Diversity
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the social and political meanings of equity and diversity. Historical imbalances of power due to colonialism, racism, ethnocentrism and sexism are addressed along with diversity in class, sexualities, families, and regionality. The course also examines Canadian examples of equity and diversity in the context of global issues.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111 or Direct Entry
    Antirequisites:SOC 507
  • SOC 302 - The City and Society
    Course DescriptionThe origins and significance of the city in human history are explored in the context of contemporary sociological theories of urban development. From this basis the course examines such issues as the rise of differing forms of social inequality, the rural/urban split, the global city, democratic process, urban growth/decay, and their impact on social life.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111
  • SOC 305 - Sociology of Deviance
    Course DescriptionThis course examines various explanations of deviance. Definitions of what constitutes "normal" and "abnormal" are discussed from a cross-cultural and historical perspective. Specific attention is given to the labelling process and societal reaction to labelling people "deviant". Areas to be examined include sexuality, mental illness, substance use, and crime. These areas are examined from a critical sociological perspective, emphasizing social class as a key variable.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:LL
    Antirequisites:SYC 191
  • SOC 319 - Sociological Perspectives on Crime
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the social context of crime in Canadian society. Issues include the social construction of crime, problems of measuring crime, the major sociological explanations of crime, and the social role of the police professional.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111
  • SOC 31A/B - Sociology of Health
    Course Description

    This course examines fundamental topics which relate to health and health care in our society. It uses historical, cross-cultural and contemporary perspectives to examine theoretical issues and research strategies, the relationship between social structures, health and health care, and health care professions and occupations. It also focuses on such important issues as the individual and health, occupational and environmental health, health issues in the Third World, women and health care, and health and health care in the future.

    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs./3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:2.00
    Billing Units:1/1
    Count:2.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 104
  • SOC 402 - The City and Social Problems
    Course DescriptionThe city today exists in crisis and promise. The sociological perspective sheds light on issues and problems that face cities both locally and globally. Issues covered include: homelessness and poverty; immigration and physical mobility; the ecological crisis; economic development vs. decline; housing; segregation; crime; and the meaning of community in an urban context.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111
  • SOC 411 - Intro to Quantitative Data Analysis
    Course DescriptionThis course develops an understanding of quantitative data in social research. No familiarity with statistics is assumed. Students will gain the skills and procedures needed to explore social issues using statistics, as well as read, understand and critically evaluate published quantitative research. Students will learn statistical software designed for social science. Emphasis will be on practical applications of techniques and on interpretation of results rather than their mathematical derivations.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 2 hrs. Lab 1 hr.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:(ACS 301 or SSH 301) and SOC 105
  • SOC 420 - Social Class in Changing Times
    Course DescriptionThe perception of social class often disregards broader factors such as privilege, power and global politics and economies. This course will introduce students to class distinctions inscribed by capital, new labour market relations, increasingly precarious work, poverty and wealth. Underpinning these themes will be a range of associated factors that affect how class operates in a changing world such as social inequality, new forms of poverty, resistance, and community building in an urban and global context.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 105 and SOC 107
    Antirequisites:SOC 203
  • SOC 427 - Indigenous Perspectives on Canada
    Course DescriptionThis course examines Indigenous-settler relations and settler colonialism in Canada from Indigenous perspectives. Key sociological themes will be explored through Indigenous scholarship and historical contemporary case studies of First Nations, Métis and Inuit experiences of colonization, dispossession, resistance, and resurgence. Topics include state violence, regulation, citizenship, identities, land rights, sovereignty, community-building, and decolonization.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 470 - Toronto: The Changing City
    Course DescriptionToronto, one of the most diverse cities in the world, provides the perfect opportunity for studying and better understanding metropolitan life. This course is an introduction to the study of city life with emphasis on Toronto's changing social climate. It offers a look at both local and global issues that touch the lives of this city's dwellers. Among other things, this course provides an introduction to the study of communities, transportation, crime, health, and housing.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111
  • SOC 472 - At Work in a Changing World
    Course DescriptionThis course offers an overview of different approaches to work settings and complex organizations in urban industrial society. We will discuss classical theories of bureaucracy, the managerial tradition, and critical perspectives drawn from contemporary Sociology, including studies focusing on diversity in the workplace. Also examined are the modern enterprise, state and government, community/volunteer organizations and social movements, and alternatives to dominant organizational forms.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 473 - Classical Sociological Theory
    Course DescriptionThis course offers a critical overview of the formation of theoretical orientations used within the social sciences, including functionalism, conflict theory, feminism, Marxism, and symbolic interactionism. We will study the ideas of individuals who are known as the founders of Sociology as well as those whose contributions have only recently been recognized. The emphasis is on thorough analysis and critical evaluation of a few theories, rather than on a short review of many theories.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105
  • SOC 474 - Immigration, Borders and Belonging
    Course DescriptionImmigrants, refugees, and temporary migrant workers are a part of a global phenomenon of population migration. This course provides an overview of Canadian immigration history, trends, policies, and theories, from a sociological perspective. We will examine migration issues and contexts, with attention to diversity, inequality, citizenship, identity, and belonging. We will look at the obstacles, challenges and opportunities for newcomers and long-term immigrants and their descendants both in the Canadian and global contexts
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 475 - Contemporary Sociological Theory
    Course DescriptionThis course introduces students to important currents and contributions in contemporary sociological theory. We will engage with issues, questions and topics that are relevant to a multicultural society and a globalizing world. The history of postmodernity will be detailed and various theoretical approaches will be explored in relation to identity and subject formation, production and consumption, knowledge and information.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 473
  • SOC 476 - Sociology of Fear
    Course Description"There's nothing to fear but fear itself." This course provides a critical analysis of 'real' issues that make our skin crawl, cause us to lock our door securely behind us, prevent us from helping a stranger in need. How much of our fear is warranted? To what extent is socially structured fear a product of urbanization? How vulnerable are we? We assess the social impact of moral panic versus under-reporting of the many real hazards we face every day. Among other things, the course looks at crime, terrorism, urban myths, conspiracy theory, environmental and health risks.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 477 - Sociology of Advertising
    Course DescriptionAdvertisements are deeply embedded in our everyday lives, yet we are rarely concerned about the messages and information we learn from exposure to them. Ads confront us everywhere in our increasingly urban lives, from sidewalks to rooftops. This course addresses the social role of advertising in physical and virtual spaces throughout contemporary society. Special emphasis is given to the historical rise of advertisements, ideological content, economic forces and mechanisms of persuasion, and current social controversies over advertising effects on human behaviour and socialization.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 478 - Sociology of Fun
    Course DescriptionThis course examines different dimensions of fun and the multiple ways we spend time outside work and other commitments. What makes fun possible in an organized society? What is the relationship between work and fun? How do different social groupings engage in the pursuit of fun? What kinds of fun are more socially acceptable than others? How is fun organized differently in rural and urban environments? The course will situate fun and pleasurable pursuits in the context of contemporary capitalism and the globalization of culture.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 479 - Social Networks and the World Wide Web
    Course DescriptionThis course provides an in-depth analysis of social, spatial, and online communities, as they impact modern urban environments. The course looks at the plurality and complexity of communities on and off the Internet's mediated spaces. The course investigates how globalized communication impacts social networks from the intimate level of romance, friendship and family relations, to the structural level of economic migration and political revolutions.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 481 - Survey Design and Analysis
    Course DescriptionThis course builds on introductory courses in methods, by focusing on survey design and analysis. Competencies include sampling, measurement, designing questions, validity, reliability, statistical inference, and hypothesis testing. A substantial portion of the course will focus on data analysis using SPSS. Emphasis will be placed on understanding social statistics, including measures of central tendency, dispersion, and multiple regression analysis, among other things.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:(ACS 301 or SSH 301) and (ACS 401 or SOC 411)
  • SOC 482 - Advanced Approaches to Media Analysis
    Course DescriptionWith a specific focus upon critical media research, this course offers an introduction to the study of the scientific method as applied to sociological research. It is an overview to the methodological approaches commonly utilized in media studies, such as content and narrative analysis, discourse analysis, frame analysis, network analysis, interviews, media surveys, and ethnographic approaches. General methodological topics to address include the relationship between theory and hypothesis development, data collection and analysis, and concept formation and generalization. Practical examples and assignments will draw upon the urban mediascape.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:(ACS 301 or SSH 301) and (ACS 401 or SOC 411)
  • SOC 483 - Advanced Statistical Modeling
    Course DescriptionThis course is designed to build upon the student's existing research and analysis skills by focusing on more advanced topics in social data analysis. Our approach emphasizes statistics as tools for solving research problems associated with understanding urban life rather than as an end in itself. The course provides a hands-on approach to statistics through the use and analysis of Statistics Canada datasets. The city and urban issues remain our focus as we explore modern statistical applications.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 481
  • SOC 490 - Capstone: Specializing Your Knowledge
    Course DescriptionThis course will provide students with the opportunity to develop a structured program of study using sociological tools and concepts to investigate contemporary issues. Students will produce a project exploring an issue that is linked to their own sociological learning and their vision for the future.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 475 or SOC 481
  • SOC 491 - Independent Senior Research Project
    Course DescriptionStudents will develop their social research under the guidance of their faculty supervisor. Students will "learn by doing," where they apply the knowledge gained in Capstone to their own research on a theme with some application to social experience. They will provide an in-depth analysis of a current social issue through their research project. Students will make a methodical plan for their project before proceeding to research and interpretation in a final research paper.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Consent:Departmental consent required
  • SOC 500 - Youth and Society
    Course DescriptionThis course examines youth in contemporary society, their behaviour, roles, hopes, expectations and attitudes. It places young people within a sociological framework that emphasizes contemporary social, economic and political realities. The variables of social class, race and ethnicity, and gender are stressed; and key issues such as youth and media, the law, the family, employment and education are explored in depth.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111
  • SOC 501 - Making a Living: Sociology of Work
    Course DescriptionThis course examines work as a central human activity. At different points in our lives, we all end up participating in work, in its varied forms. Work is a source of identity and meaning in life. The organization of work in current times, however, is problematic. As presently organized, for many, it is alienating, unchallenging, precarious, and devalued. This course questions why and how work is presently organized, and how it can, and has been envisioned differently.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
    Antirequisites:SOC 180, SYC 180
    Custom Requisites:Not available to students in Business Management.
  • SOC 502 - Violence and the Family
    Course DescriptionThis course explores the nature of violence, its manifestations in family life, its root causes, its consequences, and the social reaction to this violence. The family is viewed as a major social institution that is affected by the changes that occur within society. The primary goal is to facilitate students' understanding of violence and its relationship to family life within the socio-cultural context.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107 or SOC 111 or Direct Entry
  • SOC 503 - Sociology of Education
    Course DescriptionThis course analyzes the functions of schooling and training in contemporary society. Using sociological frameworks, this course explores such topics as the history of education, society's impact on access to education, the relationship of opportunity to education, the content of curriculum, pedagogical styles and their impact on learning, the role of teacher, parent and learner in an educational environment, and the future of education in Canada.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 504 - Children and Society
    Course DescriptionChildren are at the centre of many social institutions and forces. Families, schools and media have a direct effect on children's lives. The power of these institutions on children is examined within the larger social contexts of culture and class. Children, however, are not merely passive witnesses of social life; they are also participants, so their perceptions, interests and experiences will be explored.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107 or SOC 111 or Direct Entry
  • SOC 505 - Sociology of Sport
    Course DescriptionThis course examines sociological issues related to the nature of play, games, and sport in contemporary society. The course focuses on current structures of sport as both liberating and limiting human social possibilities. Sociological theories are used to analyze such topics as: the relationship between sport and social institutions such as the family, the state, and the economy; the social organization of sport; sport and violence; sport and gender relations; and sport and racism.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 506 - Health and Society
    Course DescriptionThe health care system in Canada is in crisis. Using relevant contemporary sociological theory, this course examines the historical evolution of modern medicine and the medical model, and their implications for society, health, and health care today. Topics include: the distribution of health and illness within Canadian society, environmental and occupational health, aging and health, gender issues in health care, and medical technology and ethics.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
    Custom Requisites:Restriction: Not available to Nursing Students.
  • SOC 507 - Race and Ethnicity in Canadian Society
    Course DescriptionThis course provides an introduction to the concepts, theories and research methods most relevant to the study of racism and ethnicity in everyday life. The development of multicultural societies and the historical context of racial and ethnic groups in Canada are examined. The role and impact of governmental and non-governmental policies (on immigration, employment and employment equity for example), will be discussed in the context of a variety of social institutions such as schools and the judicial system. SOC 507 is not available for credit to students who choose SOC 300 or POG 313.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
    Antirequisites:SOC 300, POG 313
    Custom Requisites:Not available to Journalism program students
  • SOC 525 - Media and Images of Inequality
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the relationship between the representation of inequality on film and television and contemporary social structure. Students will study media, culture, socialization, power and inequality, critically examining images of disability, race, age, ethnicity, gender, social class and sexual orientation. Strategies and responses of various groups will be considered along with an analysis of cultural and social change.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111 or SOC 11B or INT 902
    Antirequisites:DST 525
  • SOC 595 - Women and Aging
    Course DescriptionThis course analyzes issues concerning middle-aged and older women in a changing society. The course focuses on women's experiences of family life, work, intergenerational relations, widowhood, poverty and health in the context of social class, ethnicity, and race, as well as age and gender.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 600 - Globalization and Health
    Course DescriptionWhat effects will globalization have on population health? How will it affect the delivery of health care for providers and consumers? These questions are examined in the context of an emerging literature of medical and political sociology. Three theoretical frameworks will be used to explore multi-national corporations and the main agents of globalization-The World Trade Organization, The International Monetary Fund, and The North American Free Trade Agreement-and the impact of their agendas on health.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111
  • SOC 601 - Control and Resistance at Work
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the major trends affecting the structure of occupations in Canada. Topics include: occupational control and career patterns; occupations and social power; professionalization; and the relationship of the labour movement to the rise of new professional and semi-professional occupations.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 603 - Sociology of Gender
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the historical and cross-cultural expressions of gender inequality, and its consequences for both men and women. Emphasis is also placed on issues related to gender inequality in contemporary Canada, including gendered divisions in the workplace and the family, the role of governments in equity issues, and the process of socialization. The course concludes with an examination of prospects for the future.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 605 - Families: Difference and Diversity
    Course DescriptionFamily life is shaped by social, economic and legal forces. This course is designed to explore how family structures and family dynamics have changed over time. The course looks at topics such as colonization, immigration, cohabitation, heterosexual and same sex marriage, childrearing theories, violence, divorce and remarriage. The course also explores the importance of laws and state policies for family structures.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111 or Direct Entry
    Antirequisites:SOC 21B, FNF 520
  • SOC 606 - Work and Families in the 21st Century
    Course DescriptionFamily life is shaped by the relationship between the division of labour in the home and employment responsibilities in the workplace. This course is designed to explore how divisions of labour in the home and the workplace have changed over the years. The course looks at topics that include the gender and racial division of labour in the paid workforce and the home, motherhood, fatherhood, pregnancy work, as well as informal and marginal paid work such as sex work and migrant labour.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111 or Direct Entry
    Antirequisites:SOC 21B, FNF 520
  • SOC 608 - Women, Power and Change
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the development of Canadian feminist movement, theories, issues, and practices and its impact on the lives of females and males in Canada. Globalization and issues of inequality and diversity among girls and women frame the exploration of the Canadian female condition in the paid and unpaid work realms, from the 1800s to the present.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111 or Direct Entry
    Antirequisites:SOC 28 A/B
  • SOC 609 - Women and Human Rights
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the abrogation of fundamental rights and the social control of girls and women in historical, contemporary and cross-cultural perspectives. The patriarchal policies and practices of the state are examined around issues of law and public policy, marriage, same-sex relationships and custody, sexual violence and pornography, sexuality and reproductive control, education and healthcare. The role of religion and media in legitimizing and maintaining patriarchal structures and in denying rights are also explored.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 11B or SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111 or Direct Entry
    Antirequisites:SOC 28B
  • SOC 611 - Future Worlds: Technology and Social Change
    Course DescriptionThis course will examine the social forces that affect technological development and will also examine the subsequent impact that these technological changes have on society. The course will use social constructionist theory, political economy and feminist theory among others to analyze three or four specific contemporary technologies. It will focus on both historical data and speculate on the impact of specific technologies such as energy production, digital communications and biotechnology.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 105 and SSH 301
  • SOC 633 - Sex, Gender Identities and Sexualities
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the social and personal significance of sexuality in our lives and the relationship between the two. It discusses sexuality as it intersects with topics such as sexual orientation, race, disability, gender identity, sex work, the military, fashion and music. In a world where same sex relations, trans identities and non-heteronormative identities are becoming more common, how is it they are still highly problematic for many individuals, families, cultures and religions?
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 656 - Fashion and Society
    Course DescriptionThis course will critically explore the social construction of dress, utilizing sociological theories of fashion, consumer culture, and identity. Among other topics it will analyze issues surrounding ethics, social representation (ethnicity, gender, class, social groups and subcultures), cultural notions of beauty, the politics of dress, fashion diffusion theories, the globalized fashion industry and exploitation, power and status as implied by fashion, and the ethics of fashion consumption.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:FSN 123 or FSN 223
  • SOC 700 - Men and Masculinities in the 21st Century
    Course DescriptionThis course examines cross cultural contemporary forms of masculinity in the 21st century. It critiques the relationship between biology and cultural expressions of maleness and the consequence for men and their relationships with other men, women and children. Topics include male power; militarization and globalization; sports and war; sex, sexuality and violence; race and hierarchies of masculinities; and the male gendering of political and economic processes, healthcare, education, city planning, and media.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 111
  • SOC 701 - Social Change: Canadian Perspectives
    Course DescriptionThis course deals with the general characteristics and underlying causes of social change. The focus is on the historical emergence of, and development within, capitalist societies, especially Canada, and the concerns around which social movements have arisen seeking to bring about social change. These include increased militarization and the rise of the peace movement, the adoption of new technologies in industry and the response of labour, economic and social crises worldwide and the development of the "New Right."
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 702 - Anatomy of Human Conflict
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the central question of why humans war. Analysis critically explores the conventional wisdom regarding the nature of human aggression and destructiveness, and provides some alternative explanations. Biological and social theories are explored. The analysis will make extensive use of materials from a variety of disciplines.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 703 - Women, Power and the Global South
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the role of women in the Global South. Women's roles and responsibilities, stresses and problems, are examined within a cross-cultural and historical framework, using sociological models to explain contemporary realities for women in the non-industrial world. Topics include: women and the family; women and the economy, in agriculture and newly emerging industry; women and education and health; and women's role in policy and future transformations.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 704 - Aging, Culture and Society
    Course DescriptionAging is a social as well as a biological phenomenon. This course uses social, historical, legal, ethical and literary insights to examine four main themes: the meaning of aging, the personal experience of aging, the societal phenomenon of aging, and the future of an aging society. A humanistic approach provides an understanding of aging and the issues which arise in the face of aging and death.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 705 - Law and Justice
    Course DescriptionIn our highly regulated society, law has become an increasingly significant element. The course analyses the nature and functions of law in society, how law influences social behaviours, and how social values and actions shape law. The degree to which justice is served by law is a central question. The course focuses primarily on Canadian law but comparative materials are also used.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 706 - Globalized Labour and Consumption
    Course DescriptionDoes the global economy allow for just and fair social relations? Recent sociological theories of social change analyze socio-economic processes, social relations, social structures, and global economic institutions. Topics discussed will include post-industrial, post-fordist, and post-modern society; patterns of restructuring the economy and the state; the global city; global and local cultures; the global consumer; and fragmentation and inequality in global space.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 707 - Religion, Meaning and Power
    Course DescriptionFrom a sociological perspective religion is one of the ways humans construct meaning, identity and community. It intersects with other sources of social location such as race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. Religion is also a source of authority and power which can be used to bolster or challenge the status quo.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 708 - Environmental Sociology
    Course DescriptionEnvironmental sociology is the study of the reciprocal interactions between the physical environment, social organization, and social behaviour. In the course, attention is paid to the social processes by which certain environmental conditions become socially defined as problems, including concerns regarding the inequitable distributions of environmental risks.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 800 - Theories of Society
    Course DescriptionThe sociological tradition includes many different theories of society. Ranging from micro- to macro-level, from modernist to postmodernist and postcolonial, theories have conceptualized power, inequality, conflict, solidarity, community, communication and ideology in varying ways. Contemporary theories highlight diversity, relativism, pluralism, subjectivity and the body, reflecting the vitality and relevance of sociological thought in a constantly changing world. This course explores sociological theory form Adam Smith and Vilfredo Pareto to Dorothy Smith and bell hooks, focusing on these themes.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 801 - Global Power Relations
    Course DescriptionThis course examines power relations as they occur globally. The focus is on the causes and consequences of economic, cultural and social inequalities. The course covers the impact of imperialism and neo-colonialism in the growth of national revolutions and/or social movements.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
    Consent:Departmental consent required
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 802 - Issues in War and Peace
    Course DescriptionThis is an introduction to theories and contemporary issues in the study of war and peace, coupled with forays into the past as needed. Its goal is to help students develop an understanding of what war is, what causes it, what its effects on society are, and whether it could be overcome.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 803 - International Community Engagement
    Course DescriptionThis course offers the opportunity for students to study and participate in a social justice project in another country. Under the supervision of a Sociology faculty member, students will learn about international development and equity and diversity issues. Students will participate in community-defined projects and engage in community service. Sociology Departmental admission approval required.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Consent:Departmental consent required
  • SOC 808 - Sociology of Food and Eating
    Course DescriptionThis course provides insights on social, historical and economic processes that shape what and how we eat. We will review how the food system is organized and how it affects people's food choices. We will discuss the relations between broader social and economic structures, such as class and gender relations, access to food, and everyday eating practices. We will also study causes of problems in the food systems, such as hunger, obesity and the farm crisis.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
    Custom Requisites:Restriction: Not available to Nutrition and Food students
  • SOC 880 - Information Technology and Society
    Course DescriptionInformation technology is now one of the major influences in modern life. Given the unprecedented rates of change, how do we formulate reasonable expectations? How do we make choices when we don't know what the future of technology holds? To answer questions such as these, we need to learn more about the interaction between technology and society. This course looks at the use and impact of information technology in areas such as engineering, medicine, manufacturing, education and law. It looks at issues such as privacy, personal dignity, and the kind of life we want to lead. The course provides a historical framework and ideas which may be applied to other areas of technological change.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
    Antirequisites:COCR 941, Restriction: Information Technology Mgt.
  • SOC 885 - Women and Islam
    Course DescriptionThis course will explore the position of women and gender relations in contemporary Muslim societies and North American Muslim communities, introducing a comparative perspective to the issues of Muslim women in their homelands and diaspora. Our discussions will focus on comparing different controversial issues within Islam, such as Muslim women's identity, veiling, Muslim family life, Muslim women in the war zones, and Muslim women's activism in their homeland and in the United States and Canada.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 902 - Hollywood and Society
    Course DescriptionThis course will explore ideas and issues related to Hollywood as both a centre of cultural production and a general cultural idea and ideal. The history, structure and organization of the motion picture industry and its relationship to prevailing cultural, ideological and institutional forces will be examined. The Hollywood "system" with its emphasis on celebrity, globalization, film images, audience responses, and production itself are just some of the topics to be considered.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Liberal Studies:UL
  • SOC 903 - Action Cinema and Modernity
    Course DescriptionThis course will focus on blockbuster action cinema in terms of global marketing, complex production strategies, and internationally accessible screen imagery which establishes an ideological, and fictionally 'urbanized,' terrain for high consumption. Such filmmakers as Woo, Tarantino, McTiernan, Cameron, the Wachowski Bros., and others will be studied in the context of critical theories of modernity. Screen identity, and group identity construction will have focus.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 904 - Women in Popular Culture
    Course DescriptionFrom the good mother to the new female action hero, popular culture has given us many messages about women and their lives in the modern--especially urban--world. This course explores the complex ways in which women and popular culture intersect and overlap in our society. Topics include the stereotyping of women as a group in popular culture, the rise of new stereotypes surrounding women, women as consumers of popular culture, women in the city as depicted in popular culture, and women's location in the media industry as producers. Special attention is given to issues surrounding diversity among women, using Canada as the focus.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 931 - Waste and Consumerism
    Course DescriptionThis course provides a forum for exploring the rise of consumerism in Western culture and its broader social, environmental, economic, and political implications. Topics include: the historical development of department stores, shopping malls, and advertising; the integration of personal identity formation with consumer goods; the relationship between capitalist economic systems and consumerism; the growing practice of utilizing consumption as a political tool; and the effect of increasing rates of consumption on the degradation of the environment.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 932 - The Entertainment Industry
    Course DescriptionThis course explores the socio-economic structure that shapes and controls the entertainment industry, with specific focus on the relation between social structure and the marketing and production of materials in film, music, television, popular literature, popular journalism, and web-based forms. Attention is paid to consumerism, class, and inequality as shaping factors that affect the way our entertainment culture is produced and enjoyed.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 103 or SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107 or SOC 202
    Antirequisites:ITC 191
  • SOC 941 - Colonialism and Racialization
    Course DescriptionThis course examines how colonialism has shaped understandings of race and re/produced racial hierarchies in Canada and globally. The course introduces key theoretical approaches and draws on historical and contemporary case studies to analyze context-specific forms, discourses, functions, and systemic impacts of racialization as a foundational process of old and new forms of imperialism. Topics include Indigenous-state relations, settler colonialism, institutional racism, intersectionality, violence, racial neoliberalism, and decolonization.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 942 - Women and Structural Change
    Course DescriptionThis course examines the condition of women, focusing on structures of power and processes of change. Historical and cross-cultural expressions of sexual inequality are explored, although emphasis will be placed on current issues facing women in Canadian society, including their relationships with men, children and other women. Policy formation and institutional change in health care, media, education, and other areas will be studied.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107
  • SOC 943 - Poverty Issues
    Course DescriptionThis course will examine the distribution of power and wealth in Canada and the persistence of poverty within industrial capitalism despite its creation of unprecedented wealth. Among the issues to be discussed are: technical problems of defining poverty; various explanations of the causes of poverty and its persistence; the experience of poverty; and global perspectives on poverty and underdevelopment. Attention will be given to low- and no-income populations and generational differences.
    Weekly Contact:Lecture 3 hrs.
    GPA Weight:1.00
    Billing Units:1
    Count:1.00
    Prerequisites:SOC 104 or SOC 105 or SOC 107