SOC 101
3 credits
Introductory Sociology
Prerequisite(s): None
This course is an introduction to and analysis of the basic concepts, methods, and theoretical orientations characteristic of sociology. It is designed to acquaint the student with the discipline and to facilitate critical and logical thought concerning explanations of society, social interactions, organizations, and institutions.
SOC 200
3 credits
Social Issues in Latin America
Prerequisite(s): None
Latin America is a diverse region of considerable importance to Canadians for political, commercial, and social reasons. In this course we explore key facets of social life in this volatile region. We look at the forces that have shaped Latin American society, at the situation Latin America finds itself in now, and at the region’s prospects for the future. In the process we examine class, race, gender, socio-economic development, and other social issues.
Note: This course is offered as both LAS 200 and SOC 200. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 201
3 credits
Key Ideas in Sociology
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101
This course is a survey of sociological theories and theoretical perspectives from early, classical theorists up to those writing in contemporary times. It provides a history of sociology as it focuses on the thinkers and ideas that have shaped it. The course will cover selected works which represent the breadth and depth of sociology.
SOC 205
3 credits
Comparative Societies
Prerequisite(s): None
This course introduces students to the application of sociology at a global level through a comparative study of two or more societies. By holding up other societies for comparison, students will learn more about their own society and what makes it distinct. They will also learn more about societies in general, the relationships between them, and the global forces that shape them, often in the direction of convergence. When this course is taught in the context of a study tour, students have the opportunity for firsthand observation and comparison of different societies.
SOC 206
3 credits
The Politics of Art in Latin America
Prerequisite(s): None
In this course, we examine Latin American artistic culture from the perspectives of the social sciences. Focuses may include art, architecture, literature, film, music, dance, folk art, and popular culture. The intent will be to relate these to the social context in which they are located. In particular, we will be interested in the ways in which artistic expression helps to legitimize or to challenge particular social orders.
Note: This course is offered as LAS 206, ANTH 206, MACS 206, and SOC 206. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 210
3 credits
Social Problems of Canadian Society
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101
This course examines selected social issues, both in terms of their historical development and their relationship to the structure of Canadian society. Particular attention is paid to the core structural and institutional issues pertaining to Canada, such as class, ethnic and gender inequality, regionalism, racism, poverty, technological development, and the transformation of community life. Additional issues such as Aboriginal land claims, US/Canada relationships, issues of Canadian foreign policy, immigration, and the environment may be addressed. Attention will also be given to Canadian strategies for participation in contemporary world affairs and the processes of globalization.
SOC 220
3 credits
Sociology of Women in Canada
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101 recommended
This course will use feminist sociological perspectives used in understanding the changing roles of women in Canada. After introducing the process whereby women and men learn gender roles, the course will emphasize the changes occurring for Canadian women in the family, the labour force, and the community. Students will have the opportunity to examine changes in their own social world.
SOC 230
3 credits
The Individual and Society
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101
This course is an introduction to sociological social psychology. It has been designed to give an overview of the important concepts, issues, and debates within the field. The main paradigm of the course will be interpretive and include such theories as symbolic interactionism and phenomenology. Students will be introduced to the historical development of North American sociological thought and the social construction of self-identity within North American society.
SOC 245
3 credits
Deviant Behaviour
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101. CRIM 104 recommended
This course provides a critical introduction to the sociological study of deviance and social control. The aim is to explore the essence of deviant behaviour--its construction, explanation, commission, and control. The course may cover both classical and contemporary approaches including lifecourse, general strain, institutional anomie, and feminist theories. In addition, we will apply the theories to various topics including violence, substance use, mental illness, stigma, identity management, and social control.
SOC 247
3 credits
Culture of Capitalism
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101
This course examines capitalism as a cultural manifestation. While most of us take it for granted, capitalism is not a state of nature, nor is it simply about trade in goods. It is, rather, a culture that has been so successful that many of its key aspects are taken to be the unalterable conditions of western industrial society—rather than as socially constructed (and thus alterable) patterns of economic and social relations. This course will provide a broad overview of capitalism’s historical, productive, and ideological aspects, with particular attention paid to how economic issues are integrated with social and political relations.
Note: Students with credit for SOC 299J cannot take this course for further credit.
SOC 250
3 credits
Sociology of Development – The Global South
Prerequisite(s): None. Recommended: SOC 101, GDS 100, or any lower-level LAS course.
Examines the nature and development of the global South, its relationship to the global North, and major explanations of underdevelopment. Examples from around the world, particularly Latin America, are used to critically evaluate development issues (e.g. gender, environment, health, education, fair trade, etc.) and alternative development paths.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 250 and GDS 250. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 254
3 credits
Writing for the Social Sciences
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101. ENGL 105 or CMNS 155 recommended.
This course is designed to help the new and developing student of the social sciences learn to write effectively for various applications. Course content will span from rough idea to finished product, and will cover a range of writing tasks along the way: literature reviews, thesis statements, drafts, organizing arguments, presenting evidence, and documenting sources, amongst others.
SOC 255
3 credits
Introduction to Social Research
Prerequisite(s): One of ANTH 102, SOC 101, or MACS 110
This course provides a critical introduction to sociological and social anthropological research techniques, data analysis, and questions of methodology. Among the topics considered will be the research cycle, research design, developing and measuring concepts, sampling, methods of data collection, and elementary data analysis. Considerable importance will be given to an exploration of interpretive frameworks that guide research projects, as well as questions of ethical research.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 255, ANTH 255, and MACS 255. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 260
3 credits
Food for Thought: Food, Culture, and Society
Prerequisite(s): ANTH 102 or SOC 101
While food is a material necessity of everyday life, it also bears a wide number of social and cultural meanings and is thus ‘food for thought’. Taking an ethnographic and cross-cultural perspective, this introductory course in the anthropology and sociology of food examines food production and consumption, the social and symbolic uses of food, the relationships between food and cultural identity, and the politics of food.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 260 and SOC 260. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 265
3 credits
Social Inequality
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101
This course will examine a number of theories and empirical studies related to social inequality and stratification. The origins, persistence, and consequences of inequality, as well as proposed solutions (such as multiculturalism and equity legislation), will be explored. Forms of inequalities discussed are broad and include race, class, gender, sexuality, age, and physical ability.
SOC 270
3 credits
Dynamics of Racism in Canada
Prerequisite(s): One of SOC 101, ANTH 102, MACS 130, or LAS 200
This course is a critical introduction to the area of race and ethnic relations within the Canadian context. In particular racism, inequality, and the social construction of racial and ethnic categories and identities will be examined. The student will develop an awareness of competing conceptual definitions and theoretical interpretations of racism, examine controversies about the extent and meaning of racism in Canada, and investigate how the process of racialization occurs within institutions such as education, the media, and the criminal justice system. Course material will draw upon a variety of historical and contemporary sources, cases, and examples, particularly those relevant to the Fraser Valley.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 270, ANTH 270, and MACS 270. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 275
3 credits
Sociology of Death and Dying
Prerequisite(s): 15 university-level credits or SOC 101
The course provides a critical exploration of topics related to the sociology of death and dying. The course will explore the social construction of death and dying as it occurs through various agents of socialization (e.g. families, religious institutions, schools, peer groups) and other social, economic, and political organizations such as the funeral industry, health care systems, and political lobbies.
Students who have taken SOC 299I cannot take SOC 275 for further credit.
SOC 280
3 credits
Health and Illness
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101
This course explores how social conditions, perceptions, and behaviors affect health and the treatment of health and illness. Topics to be covered may include: conceptualization of the body, health, and illness; the structure of the Canadian health care system and the implications of this for health; differences in health, illness, and healthcare by social class, race/ethnicity, and gender; environmental links to health; alternative approaches to healthcare; health and illness over the lifecourse; the politics of pharmaceuticals; and health care in a cross-cultural context.
SOC 289
3 credits
Sociology of Animals in Western Society
Prerequisite(s): None; SOC 101 recommended
The Sociology of Human-Animal Relations is a new and rapidly expanding field of sociology that looks at human-animal relationships and their sociological significance within human societies. Special topics in this course will include an examination of the impact of human-animal relations on the development of Western societies, the importance of cultural worldviews concerning the status of animals, the significant social roles animals play in our modern everyday experiences, and some of the critical social issues emerging within a contemporary Western setting.
SOC 299
3 credits
Special Topics in Sociology I
Prerequisite(s): SOC 101
This course involves an examination of a selected topic within Sociology that is not addressed in current course offerings. Topics covered will vary from semester to semester and may include, but are not limited to, Leisure and Society, Public Sociology, and McDonaldization of Society.
SOC 310
4 credits
Special Topics: Regional Studies in Latin America
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least 6 credits of anthropology, sociology and/or LAS. (One or more of SOC 250, ANTH 220, or LAS 102, 110, 200 or 206 recommended.)
Using sociological and anthropological approaches, this course is designed to provide insights into the society and culture of a specific nation or region within Latin America.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 310, LAS 310, and SOC 310. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 313
4 credits
Agriculture and Rural Life
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits to include one of: SOC/ANTH/MACS 255, GEOG 252,CRIM 220 or equivalent.
Agriculture is essential to our well-being, and yet for the majority it is easy to separate this fact from our day to day lives. For those who live in rural areas, however, the features of agriculture and rural life are often inseparable. Fertilizer in the ground water, agricultural noise pollution, housing development, seasonal workers—these are just a few of the issues for exploration under the topic of agriculture and rural life. This course is an applied introduction to agriculture and rural life in the North America context, with students conducting their own primary research on a subject of relevance to the course and under guidance of the instructor. Class time will be spent learning about a specific case study or studies related to agriculture and rural life, and discussing practical and theoretical aspects of conducting a research project.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 313 and GEOG 313. Students may take only one of these for credit. Students who have taken SOC 358C cannot take SOC 313 and GEOG 313 for further credit.
SOC 325
4 credits
Culture and Theory of the City
Prerequisite(s): ANTH 102 or SOC 101, and ANTH 225/SOC 225, in addition to 45 university-level credits; or permission of instructor.
In this seminar course, we examine the application of ethnographic theory and techniques to the city, with a special emphasis on the theoretical approaches anthropologists, sociologists, and others have taken to cities and urban life. Our explorations in reading and discussion will draw attention to cities as sites of power and magnetism as well as of social differentiation and disempowerment. A special focus of the course will be on the urban ethnography of Canadian communities in order to permit a consideration of urban theory amid local and regional contexts, and particularly concerning the influences of colonialism, migration, ethnicity, and globalization on Canadian urban milieux.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 325 and SOC 325. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 330
4 credits
Culture and Cognition
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits to include at least 9 credits of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, or Philosophy (SOC 230 recommended).
This course draws from research and scholarly writing that addresses how, and the ways in which, cognition is shaped by social factors. Drawing on Durkheim and theories by symbolic interactionists, phenomenologists, social psychologists, cognitive sociologists, and cognitive anthropologists, the course explores ways in which things such as attention, perception, classification, reasoning, and meaning are deeply intertwined with the culture in which we live. Examples to illustrate these points are drawn from a broad spectrum of social life.
SOC 331
4 credits
Sociology of Families
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least six credits sociology
A description and analysis of family structures in modern industrial society. Major theoretical perspectives on families and family change in developed societies will be examined, as well as varying methodological approaches to the study of families. Topics may include mate selection, marriage and divorce, family size and structures, domestic labour, power relationships within family, childhood socialization, variant family forms, and policy issues related to families. (Seminar)
SOC 333
4 credits
Schooling and Society
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits to include at least six credits of Sociology.
A sociological analysis of the education system and its relation to major social institutions in Western industrial societies, in particular Canada. Aspects studied may include the classroom, teachers, student culture, bureaucratization, inequality, employment, and social policy.
Note: Students with credit for EDUC 333 cannot take this course for further credit.
SOC 334
4 credits
Cultural Policy in Canada
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, including three credits of AH, MACS, or SOC.
Examines the essential role played by the federal government in shaping and supporting culture in Canada. Explores Ottawa’s involvement in such areas as radio and television broadcasting, Indigenous media, the fine and performing arts, and multiculturalism.
Note: This course is offered as MACS 334 and SOC 334. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 335
4 credits
Gender Relations and Social Issues
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least six credits sociology. (SOC 215 and/or 220 recommended)
A sociological study of the position of women and men in one or more of the major social institutions in western industrial societies, in particular Canada. Social institutions that may be examined include the family, education, the economy, the polity, the law, and the mass media. Various social policy issues and controversial topics related to gender may also be examined.
SOC 337
4 credits
Taste and Culture
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least six credits of sociology and/or MACS.
This course is an interdisciplinary examination of the concept of taste. Why do we value certain cultural artifacts while we denigrate others? How do our choices reflect who we are? What is “bad taste”? What role do class and subculture play within these notions of taste? This course will investigate theories of aesthetics, identity, subcultures, and taste in such areas as art, film, music, photography, food, and advertising.
Note: This course is offered as MACS 337 and SOC 337. Students may only take one of these for credit. Students with credit for SOC 399D cannot take this course for further credit.
SOC 344
4 credits
Indigenous Research Methodologies
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including two of the following: IPK 100, IPK 101, IPK 201, IPK 277, IPK 331, IPK 332, FNST 102, FNST 201, or FNST 202.
Students will examine the complexity of Indigenous research frameworks while identifying differences in Indigenous and historically western methodologies. Students will connect and incorporate Indigenous philosophies, knowledge, identity, and policy learning into their own research.
Note: This course will include field trips.
Note: This course is offered as IPK 344 (formerly IPK 444), ANTH 344 (formerly ANTH 444), and SOC 344 (formerly SOC 444). Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 346
4 credits
Environmental Justice
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including 6 credits of Sociology.
Environmental justice is the intersection of environmental concerns with social equity: it is where social marginalization—by ethnicity, class, gender, or geography, amongst others—is disproportionately affected by negative environmental impacts. This intersection often finds institutional support. This course introduces students to the study of environmental justice through theory and case study, and it will cover both the structural and ideological bases of environmental injustice. Particular attention will be paid to the U.S. deep south, as the birthplace of the environmental justice movement. Environmental justice from Canadian, indigenous, and global perspectives will also be covered.
Note: Students with credit for SOC 399G cannot take this course for further credit.
SOC 348
4 credits
Social Movements
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including 6 credits of Sociology.
This class examines social movements through a wide range of their manifestations and social contexts. Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between the state and social movements. Students will be exposed to a number of theoretical perspectives, terms, and concepts important to the study of social movements, as well as to case studies of social movements in both democratic and repressive states. With the help of these tools, students will have the opportunity to think critically about the variety of protest activities which have become the norm in our “social movement society”.
Note: Students with credit for SOC 299L cannot take this course for further credit.
SOC 350
4 credits
Classical Sociological Thought
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least six credits sociology
An explanation of selected work of 19th or early 20th century sociological theorists, primarily Marx, Durkheim, and Weber.
SOC 352
4 credits
Public Policy Analysis
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, to include at least six credits of Sociology and/or Political Science.
This course examines the art of policy analysis by exploring its normative nature through a diversity of theoretical and practical approaches. Students will explore various policy analysis models within the social, political, economic, and legal contexts that situate the action and inaction that is social policy.
legal contexts that situate the action and inaction that is social policy.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 352 and POSC 352. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 353
4 credits
Program Evaluation
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits, to include SOC 255 and an additional three credits of Sociology
This course examines the methods of program evaluation to provide students with the most effective evaluative approaches to social programs. Students will explore a range of evaluation techniques, from evaluability assessments and needs assessments to the most provocative models associated with evaluating a program’s effectiveness.
SOC 355
4 credits
Quantitative Research Methods
Prerequisite(s): (One of STAT 104, STAT 106, or PSYC 110) and (ANTH 255/MACS 255/SOC 255).
This course is an examination of measurement issues within sociological and anthropological research, focusing on the logical and conceptual construction and interpretation of tables, and an examination of the uses and abuses of statistics. Students will blend classroom knowledge of statistics with real life analysis of sociological data (including the use of computer software) to develop practical research skills. The course focuses on the application, rather than the mathematics, of statistics.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 355, ANTH 355, and MACS 355. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 356
4 credits
Qualitative Research Methods
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include ANTH 255/MACS 255/SOC 255
This course examines methods used in the collection and analysis of sociological data including interviews, participant observations, ethnographic research, archival research, feminist and critical methodologies, and research ethics.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 356, ANTH 356, and MACS 356. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 357
4 credits
Advanced Research Methods
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits to include one of SOC 255/ANTH 255/MACS 255, GEOG 252, CRIM 220, or equivalent.
This course is a special topics course designed as an in-depth exploration of how to collect and analyze sociological data using one or two specific research methodologies. Methods covered will vary from semester to semester and may include, but are not limited to, comparative-historical methods, network analysis, visual sociology, grounded theory, and evaluation research.
SOC 358
4 credits
Advanced Research on a Selected Topic
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits to include one of SOC 255/ANTH 255/MACS 255, GEOG 252,
CRIM 220, or equivalent.
In this course students conduct their own primary research on the course topic, as directed by the instructor. The course is based around a select sociological topic, and readings address the selected topic. Class time is spent learning about and discussing the topic as well as discussing practical and theoretical aspects of conducting a research project. The course topic is determined by the instructor and will vary from semester to semester.
SOC 360
4 credits
Eating and Thinking: Food, Identity, and Power in Global Societies
Prerequisite(s): ANTH 102 or SOC 101 required; ANTH/SOC 230 recommended; in addition to 45 university-level credits.
In the modern world, it is increasingly the case that people neither eat what they grow nor grow what they eat. This seminar course examines the global ethnographic, social, political-economic, and theoretical implications of this conundrum. We explore a number of issues in the contemporary anthropology and sociology of food, including the gender, status and identity meanings of food; the relationships between food, power, and development; the local and global impacts of food production and consumption; and the growing importance of food-based movements for social change.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 360 and SOC 360. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 363
4 credits
Processes of Development and Underdevelopment: Latin America
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least 6 credits of Sociology, Anthropology, LAS, or GDS. (SOC 250, ANTH 220, LAS 200 and GDS 100 are recommended.)
This course is an examination of theories and strategies of socioeconomic development and underdevelopment as applied to the Global South from 1945 until the present. Special attention will be paid to Latin America as the source of several development theories and the best example of the application of related development strategies.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 363, ANTH 363, LAS 363 and GDS 363. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 368
4 credits
Environment and Society
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits including one of ANTH 102 or SOC 101.
An examination of selected approaches to ecological and environmental issues, resource use, case studies of resource use conflicts, environmentalism, and the ways in which different cultures view the environment.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 368 (formerly ANTH 468) and SOC 368 (formerly SOC 468). Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 385
4 credits
Television and Social Values: The Simpsons
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least six credits of SOC and/or MACS
In well over four hundred episodes, The Simpsons TV series has explored innumerable aspects of contemporary North American life, always with humour and often with profound insight. This course uses both the series and scholarly
writings based on it to explore a diversity of social and cultural issues, focusing on such areas as education, family, the media, religion and work.
This course is offered as SOC 385 and MACS 385. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 387
4 credits
Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include ANTH 102 and at least 3 additional credits of Anthropology and/or Sociology
This course looks at selected studies of cultural patterns and contemporary issues of Aboriginal peoples in Canada (including First Nations, Inuit, and Metis).
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 387 and SOC 387. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 388
4 credits
Minority Indigenous Peoples of the World
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include ANTH 102 and at least three additional credits of Anthropology and/or Sociology
This course will examine the social and cultural experiences of indigenous peoples within various modern industrial nation-states and relations of these peoples with majority societies and other indigenous groups throughout the world. Case studies will be drawn from Latin America and other areas.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 388, LAS 388, and SOC 388. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 396
6 credits
Canada Internship
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits, instructor’s permission, and department head’s permission.
This course provides a Canadian experiential learning opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning in a workplace setting under the supervision of a vetted business, government agency, or NGO.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 396, SOC 396 and GDS 310. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 398
6 credits
International Internship
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits, instructor’s permission, and department head’s permission.
This course provides an international experiential learning opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning in a workplace setting under the supervision of a vetted business, government agency, or NGO.
Note: This course is offered as GEOG 398, GDS 311, and SOC 398 Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 399
4 credits
Special Topics in Sociology II
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits to include at least 6 credits of Sociology.
This course involves an examination of a selected topic within Sociology that is not addressed in current course offerings. Topics covered will vary from semester to semester and may include, but are not limited to, Sociology of Sustenance, Sociology of English Canada, and Sociology of Professions.
SOC 430
4 credits
Knowledge, Power, Science, and Society
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits, to include SOC 101 and six additional credits in Sociology (SOC 230 recommended).
This course is an examination of scientific and other knowledge about the “natural” world. In it we explore how social factors such as power relationships influence what is known and how knowledge is used. For example, who decides if a medical procedure is used—the doctor, patient or the government? The course is a critical examination of the ways in which social factors influence whether a claim is considered to be knowledge, a cultural belief, or a misinformed idea; how methods of observation and analysis influence what becomes known (or not known); and who has authority to say what is “the truth.” This course draws on material from the areas of sociology of science and sociology of knowledge.
SOC 431
4 credits
Advanced Topics in Childhood and Family
Prerequisite(s): SOC 331 and 60 credits to include at least nine credits of Sociology.
This course provides students with the opportunity to explore special topics and issues of concern in the sociology of family and childhood. Topics will vary but will be limited to those which our library resources can support.
SOC 435
4 credits
Sociology of Sexuality
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits to include at least 9 credits of Sociology (SOC 220 and SOC 335 recommended)
This course examines sexuality from a sociological perspective. It is designed to allow students to investigate the social, moral, and political controversies that surround sexuality, the loaded meanings attributed to sexual experiences, the varied social identities and social movements constructed around sexual practices, and how definitions of "normal" sexuality shift over time. The course will investigate a range of positivist and post-positivist theories which may include the social construction of sexuality and queer theory.
SOC 442
4 credits
Religion in Latin America
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, to include at least 9 credits of Sociology, LAS, and/or Religious Studies. (HIST 261, 262, 459 can be considered LAS courses.) (ANTH 130 can be considered Religious Studies)
Most people know of Latin America as the crucible for recent developments in Catholicism like liberation theology. However, religion has long played a central role in shaping Latin American societies just as it has been shaped by them. This course will explore the connections between religion and society in the Latin American context. The emphasis of the course will shift from term to term, but it will normally focus on some combination of the following: pre-Columbian religions, Catholicism and conquest, syncretism, liberation theology, religion and revolution, evangelism, the survival of indigenous religions, and other related topics.
Note: This course is offered as LAS 442 and SOC 442. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 445
4 credits
Advanced Topics in Deviant Behaviour
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits to include at least 9 credits of Sociology (SOC 245 recommended)
The course will allow the student to investigate a specific topic in the sociological study of deviance and social control. Topics covered will vary from semester to semester and may include, but are not limited to, the sociology of mental illness, stigma, sexual deviance, surveillance, and substance use, abuse and control.
SOC 450
4 credits
Selected Issues in Sociological Theory
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, to include at least nine credits sociology. (SOC 350 recommended)
An examination of the ideas of a particular thinker or group of thinkers, or of the different approaches to a particular theoretical problem. Examples include, but are not limited to, feminist theory, post-structuralism, and neo-Marxism.
SOC 460
4 credits
Issues in the Information Society
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include at least 9 credits of Sociology and/or MACS.
This course explores the social, political, and cultural dimensions of information technology and what has come to be known as the “information society”. Students will examine technology in relationship to a variety of social issues such as the changing nature of: work, individual identity formation, social roles, democracy, privacy, and community.
Note: This course is offered as MACS 460 and SOC 460. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 470
4 credits
Race and Racism: Selected Topics
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, to include at least 9 credits of Sociology and/or Anthropology.
Questions of race and ethnicity arise frequently in the context of popular discussions of social problems, national identity, and even national unity. They are equally important in academic discussions about modern societies around the world. This course explores selected topics related to race, racism, and ethnicity from sociological and anthropological perspectives. Topics covered may include ethnic conflict, immigration and immigration policy, multiculturalism, racism, the development of immigrant identities and communities, charter groups/dominant cultures, indigenous and migrant subordination, the meaning of exile, etc. Students should consult the department to determine the content for a particular semester.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 470 and ANTH 470. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 472
4 credits
Latin America: Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, to include at least 9 credits of Sociology, Anthropology and/or LAS. (LAS 110 and/or HIST 261 recommended)
Concepts of race and ethnicity have been crucial elements in the formation of Latin American society, culture, and identity. Migration has further shaped identity and society among Latin Americans inside and outside Latin America. This course explores various aspects of Latin American concepts of race, ethnicity, and immigration from several perspectives. It also examines patterns of migration from Latin America to Canada and the effects of Canadian concepts of identity, race, ethnicity, and multiculturalism on the integration of Latin Americans into Canadian society. Topics covered may include: the push/pull factors causing immigration, immigration policy, the development of immigrant identities, the meaning of exile, and the formation of immigrant communities and their relationship to the dominant culture of Canadian society.
Note: This course is offered as ANTH 472, LAS 472 and SOC 472. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 475
4 credits
Communities, Difference, and Belonging
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits to include at least 9 credits of Sociology; SOC 255/ANTH 255/MACS 255 (formerly SCMS 255) is highly recommended. SOC 265 is recommended.
This course explores the relationship between diversity and communities. For this course, diversity is broadly defined to include all sorts of social differences, but there will be special attention paid to minority groups and alternative subcultures (e.g. ethnic, religious, LGBT, the deaf, etc). The course will primarily focus on internal and inter-group/community relations. There will only be a minor focus on policy and government structures. Topics covered include: normativity and belonging, internal group/community dynamics (e.g. formal structures and organization, social cohesion, the role of communication, and common experience), and external pressures on communities (e.g. cross-cultural tensions, misunderstandings, power relations within society). Students conduct their own qualitative research project as a major portion of their coursework.
Note: Students with credit for SOC 399F may not take this course for further credit.
SOC 490
4 credits
Directed Studies in Sociology
Prerequisite(s): 60 credits, to include at least 9 credits of sociology and/or anthropology, plus permission from the supervising faculty member, the department head, and the Dean.
Directed studies in a selected area under the direction of a single faculty member. The course will allow students to continue research in areas begun in other courses, or to explore in depth the literature relating to specific issues or sub-fields of the discipline. A major paper will be required. Details of the course will be specified in an individual learning contract.
SOC 492
2 credits
Directed Studies in Social, Cultural, and Media Studies
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits, to include 6 credits of area of specialization (ANTH, SOC, LAS, MACS). Permission to enter requires written consent of both the faculty member supervising the student and the department head.
This course is designed for upper-level students who wish to examine in greater depth a particular problem/issue in Anthropology, Sociology, Latin American Studies, or Media and Communication Studies.
Note: This course is offered as SOC 492, ANTH 492, LAS 492, and MACS 492. Students may take only one of these for credit.
SOC 493
5 credits
Advanced Research Project
Prerequisite(s): SOC 255/ANTH 255/MACS 255; and SOC 355/ANTH 355/MACS 355; and
SOC 356/ANTH 356/MACS 356
Intended to be the final step of a student’s research concentration in the sociology major, this course is devoted to the completion of a final research project. This course is intended as a vehicle by which a student will demonstrate advanced library and data collection skills, and interpretation and written analysis of primary data in a particular sociological subject area.
