Courses
SOCI 111 (3) Introduction to Sociology
An introduction to the sociological understanding of society and an exploration of how social conditions and historical context shape the life chances of individuals and groups. Topics include theoretical perspectives, culture, socialization, groups and organizations, social structure, social class, inequality, deviance and social control, gender, race and ethnicity. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
SOCI 112 (3) Introduction to Sociology: Canadian Society in the Contemporary World
An introduction to Sociology through the study of Canadian society and its global context. In addition to theoretical perspectives, social class and inequality, topics may include education, family, religion, science and technology, environment, globalization, work, economy, politics, health and medicine, social movements and social change. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: None.
SOCI 204 (3) Social Interaction
An examination of the ways in which individuals relate to and communicate with each other, and how people give meaning to such relationships. Attention is given to theoretical perspectives and empirical studies concerned with the relationship between self and society. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112.
SOCI 205 (3) Messages and Media
An examination of the uses of mass media in contemporary society. Includes an analysis of the effects of print and electronic media on public awareness and attitudes. (2:1:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112.
SOCI 209 (3) Social Inequality
An examination of explanations for the origins, persistence, and consequences of inequality, as well as various proposed solutions. Topics include classical theories of inequality, and explorations of how structured inequalities based on race, class, gender and age shape individual life chances and experiences. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112.
SOCI 212 (3) Race and Ethnicity in the Modern World
A critical examination of racism in the modern world. Topics include the concept of "race", racist attitudes and racist ideology, the diversity of human population, ethnic prejudice, discrimination, and the structure of ethnic inequality. The course emphasizes comparative analysis. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112.
SOCI 215 (3) Issues in Canadian Society
An examination of topical issues facing Canadians. Topic areas vary from semester to semester but include combinations of national identity, regionalism, demographic characteristics, social inequality, and relations with other nations. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112.
SOCI 220 (3) Women in Society
A study of research on women, gender, women's institutional "place", women's contributions to production/reproduction. The main topics vary according to instructor's areas of expertise. (2:1:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112.
SOCI 240 (3) Social Control and Resistance
An introduction to concepts, theories, and research related to social control and resistance, which is of central concern in late-modern society. Topics may include moral regulation, dangerization, medicalization of deviance, moral panics, cults, stigma, mental illness, positive or honourable deviance, marginalization, state control, sub-cultures, strategies of resistance. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112.
SOCI 250 (3) Intro to Sociological Research Methods
An introduction to concepts and strategies of social science research: current methodological issues, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and an introduction to computer-assisted data analysis. Students with credit in CRIM 220 and/or PSYC 204 are exempt from SOCI 250. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112.
SOCI 280 (3) Consumer Society
A critical sociological examination of how consumerism affects the structure of society and the everyday practices and identities of individuals. Topics include the development of a culture of consumption and its social and ecological consequences, the effects of consumerism on children, money and debt, and the role of corporations. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112 or permission of the instructor.
SOCI 304 (3) Identities and Society
An examination of the ways in which social and cultural processes shape personal and group identities, and the ways in which we continuously reinvent ourselves in response to these processes. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor. SOCI 204 recommended.
SOCI 306 (3) Sociology of Popular Culture
An exploration of how popular culture is produced, distributed, and consumed, including analysis of the diverse forms of social resistance to cultural objects such as music, fashion, literature, technology, and sport. Topics may include: culture and social class, subcultures, countercultures, gender, sexuality, media, and cultural imperialism. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 310 (3) Foundations of Social Theory
A reading and discussion course covering some of the most basic concepts, theories, and methods that inform the practice of Sociology. Students are encouraged through discussion and assignments to apply these ideas toward developing a critical sociological imagination. SOCI 310 was formerly called SOCI 210; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and SOCI 209, or written permission of instructor.
SOCI 312 (3) Contemporary Sociological Theory
A reading and discussion course covering developments in sociological theory since the mid-20th century. Topics will be chosen from a variety of theories and may include world-systems theory, conflict theory, neo-functionalism, neo-Marxism, critical theory, symbolic interactionism, phenomenology, feminist and postmodernism. SOCI 312 was formerly called SOCI 210; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and SOCI 209, or written permission of instructor.
SOCI 320 (3) Families in Today's World
What is happening in families? How are contemporary socio-cultural changes affecting families? What dynamic changes are occurring in family structure and relationships among family members? An examination of transformations in family life from a comparative perspective and an exploration of family policies in various societies. Credit will only be granted for one of SOCI 305A and SOCI 305B. or SOCI 320. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 322 (3) Sociology of Gender Relations
An exploration of how individuals and society "do gender" on an everyday basis, and how gender as a social construct impacts the lives of women and men. Topics may include theoretical and empirical issues related to the (re)production of gender, gender relations, gender inequality, masculinity, sexuality, feminist theories, and activism. SOCI 322 was formerly called SOCI 221; credit will not be granted for both courses. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and one SOCI course at the 200 level. SOCI 209 recommended but is not required.
SOCI 325 (3) Community and Social Action
An exploration of how voluntary, nonprofit, and nongovernmental organizations affect and create social change at the local, national, and international levels. Topics include how this sector may be affected by the forces of marketization, privatization, and globalization, its role in democracy, and as a source of social capital and community. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 330 (3) Sociology of Aging (Ends Mar 2012)
An examination of social processes of aging as they affect individuals, families, cohorts, and societies. Topics may include racial, gender and class inequalities associated with aging; the impact of social policies on lives of the aged and the elderly; politics of aging; and other substantive and theoretical issues related to aging. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 330 (3) Social Relations Across the Life Course (Effective Apr 2012)
An exploration of how individual life courses intersect with history, social inequalities and social change. Topics may include: experiences of childhood, youth, and adulthood; sexuality; parent-child relationships; demographic shifts; work/life balance; the aging/anti-aging industry; social policy and the politics of aging; domestic living; intergenerational relations; death and dying. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 350 (3) Sociological Research Methods I
An introduction to ethical and practical issues in conducting qualitative research and analysis. Topics may include qualitative traditions such as case studies, grounded theory and ethnography, and research methods such as observation, interviewing, program evaluation, participatory action research, historical and textual analysis. Credit will only be granted for one of CRIM 350, PSYC 304 or SOCI 350. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and one of SOCI 250, CRIM 220, or PSYC 204, or written permission of instructor.
SOCI 351 (3) Sociological Research Methods II (Ends Mar 2012)
Designed to develop quantitative research and data analysis skills and the ability to critique quantitative studies. Topics may include survey research, use of archival data and experimental designs. Students will learn the application of statistical concepts using SPSS for data analysis. Credit will only be granted for one of CRIM 351, PSYC 300 or SOCI 351. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and one of SOCI 250, CRIM 220, or PSYC 204, and one of MATH 161 (preferred), MATH 181, or MATH 211.
SOCI 351 (3) Sociological Research Methods II (Ends Apr 2012)
Designed to develop quantitative research and data analysis skills and the ability to critique quantitative studies. Topics may include survey research, use of archival data and experimental designs. Students will learn the application of statistical concepts using SPSS for data analysis. Credit will only be granted for one of CRIM 351, PSYC 300 or SOCI 351. (2:0:1)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and one of SOCI 250, CRIM 220, or PSYC 204, and one of Principles of Mathematics 12 or Foundations of Mathematics 12.
SOCI 351 (3) Sociological Research Methods II (Effective May 2012)
Designed to develop quantitative research and data analysis skills and the ability to critique quantitative studies. Topics may include survey research, use of archival data and experimental designs. Students will learn the application of statistical concepts using SPSS for data analysis. Credit will only be granted for one of CRIM 351, PSYC 300 or SOCI 351. (2:0:1)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112; and one of SOCI 250, CRIM 220, or PSYC 204. One of Pre-calculus 11, Foundations of Mathematics 11, Principles of Mathematics 11, or Applications of Mathematics 11.
SOCI 360 (3) Work in Contemporary Societies
Questions to be discussed include: What forces are driving change in the nature of work at local, regional and global levels? What are the impacts of the new economy on societies and individuals? What variations are there between rich and poor nations? How are people, individually and collectively, re-defining work and its place in their lives? (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 370 (3) Environmental Sociology
An examination of the sociological study of society-environment relationships. Topics will vary with the expertise of the instructor and may include environmental movements and attitudes, social construction of nature and environmental problems, the political economy of environmental problems, globalization and environment, environmental racism and gender and the environment. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 372 (3) Urban Sociology
An exploration of the social causes and consequences of urbanization. Topics may include: the global megalopolis, urban reproduction of social inequalities, slums, sprawl, social fragmentation, homelessness, urban cultures and identities, community building, social and ecological sustainability, the experience of urban space, and urban social movements. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 380 (3) Globalization and Cultural Change
An examination of the impact of rationalization and technology in the modern world, leading to an increasing interdependence among economic, political and sociocultural systems with a global information society. An analysis of how the erosion of traditional barriers of space and time reshape experiences of daily life and transform economic, political and cultural processes at the start of the new millennium. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 382 (3) Crimes Against Humanity
An advanced study of the micro and macrosociological factors related to crimes against humanity, particularly genocide and war crimes. Topics may include obedience to authority, instrumentality, the bystander effect, and the possibilities of forgiveness and reconciliation. An overall emphasis concerns the impending age of resource scarcity and consequent global conflict. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of the instructor.
SOCI 390 (3) Selected Problems in Sociology
Presentation of current interests of various faculty members. Students interested in this course should contact the Sociology department Coordinator to determine what the substantive presentation will involve. Students may enrol in this course in different areas for a maximum of 6 credits. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 405 (3) Science, Technology and Society
Contemporary science and technology affect all aspects of our lives, even if we are not scientists. This course offers students the chance to read and discuss classic and contemporary works in sociology, history, and philosophy in order to better understand the complex and constantly changing relationships between science, technology, and society. (1:2:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 411 (3) Current Issues in Social Theory
An examination of current issues and debates in social theory. Students explore a range of current topics, and investigate closely a particular area or theorist. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 430 (3) Social Movements and Social Change
An examination of social movements and their role in social change both in Canada and around the world. Topics include movement organization and strategy; globalization and movements; and the cultural, social and political impact of movements. Examples may include ecological, women's, anti-poverty, anti-globalization, workers', and gay and lesbian movements. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 460 (3) The Information Society
Are we entering a new era of social organization, radically different than industrial society? An examination of three broad approaches to this question: those adopted by post-industrial theorists, post-Fordists, and post-modernists. An examination of the impact of the information society on work, the economy and the way we experience daily life. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 470 (3) Sociology of Education
A critical examination of education as a social institution, covering the relevance of sociological theory and research to education policy, practice and change. Topics may include the role of schooling in mirroring, reproducing and challenging inequalities, and sociological perspectives on historical, philosophical and economic foundations of education. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, and any 200-level SOCI course, or permission of instructor.
SOCI 490 (3) Directed Studies in Sociology
Independent studies for advanced students. Complete arrangements must be made with an instructor in the department prior to registration. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: SOCI 111 or SOCI 112, any 200-level SOCI course, and permission of instructor and Department Chair.
SOCI 491 (3) Senior Project
For Majors and may only be taken after consultation with and permission of the Coordinator of the department of Sociology. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Permission of Department Chair, SOCI 310, SOCI 350, and SOCI 351. Restricted to Sociology Majors.
SOCI 499 (3) Field Placement in Sociology
An opportunity for students with a declared Major or Minor in Sociology to develop professional roles and applied work experience through short work placements with community based agencies. Students must contact a Sociology faculty member and express their interest in advance of the term of study. (0:0:0 —100)
Prerequisite: SOCI 209 and one of SOCI 250, CRIM 220, or PSYC 204. Third year standing, at least six upper level Sociology credits, a minimum "B+" grade point average in Sociology courses, and written permission of the instructor.
INTD 494 (3) Integrated Seminar in Natural and Cultural Resource Management
An in-depth interdisciplinary study of natural and cultural resource use and allocation issues. Topics include social, economic, ecological and political implications of resource use conflicts and resolution approaches; political and institutional processes of resource and environmental management; the role of citizens groups, land/resource owners, First Nations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Students from different disciplines will learn from one another in order to become educated, articulate and responsible stakeholders of British Columbia resources upon graduation. (3:0:0)
Prerequisite: Fourth-year standing in Recreation and Tourism program, or min. 84 credits for other programs.