Courses

Students are invited into using the discipline of sociology as a mode of inquiry. Through concepts like the sociological imagination, students experience the social world around them by interacting with the norms, values and beliefs of local and global cultures.

An introduction to Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary field that asks critical questions about the meanings of sex and gender in society. Students will examine key issues, questions and debates in Gender Studies, both historical and contemporary, and will analyze the multiple ways that sex and gender have interacted with and continue to intersect with race, class, nationality and other social identities, including religious ones.

An examination of the basic philosophies and social influences which underlie the helping professions and a brief review of the history of professional human services workers. This course must be completed successfully before a student completes a field placement.

This course introduces students to the concept of race and ethnicity and to the major theories that the discipline employs as a means of understanding race and ethnic relations.

This course is a sociological examination of families in society. The emphasis is on the structural and cultural aspects of family life. Topics include: theories and methods for understanding families; formation of intimate relationships; mate selection processes, marriage, and parenting; families over the life course; gender issues; and transitions in families.

Provides the student with an overview of the Canadian system of government in a comparative approach that includes study of British, American, and Canadian political and government institutions and practices. A comparative study of how basic concepts, principles, and institutions associated with different expressions of liberal-democratic governments highlight the diversity of political experience, reveal the interdependence of political systems and show the uniqueness of Canada's political system. Particular attention is given to the manner in which Parliament attempts to facilitate and develop public policy which reflects the diverse interests and aspirations of its citizens.

This course aims to provide students with an introductory overview of the micro-level, interpretive tradition in sociology. Focusing on the everyday lived reality of human experience and interaction with social institutions, we will explore a variety of sociological topics like gender, health and illness, technology and social problems from a micro-perspective. This course will help students understand how humans engage in meaning-making activity in their day-to-day lives, and how this, in turn, contributes to the creation of broader sociological norms and institutions

An examination of the complex nature of issues confronting individuals, groups, and society at large. An examination of the various situations which produce these issues, the social symptoms that result, and an evaluation of possible solutions to social problems.

This course will offer a sociological examination of youth in society, including identity, subcultures, sexual behavior, music, consumerism, religion, schooling, work, social problems, and other issues affecting youth transitions to adulthood.