An opportunity to explore new topics in sociology. Topics vary from year to year based on the instructor. Consult the Departmental website: http://sociology.utoronto.ca/st-george-campus/courses-3/new-topics-in-s…

An opportunity to explore new topics in sociology. Topics vary from year to year based on the instructor. Consult the Departmental website: http://sociology.utoronto.ca/st-george-campus/courses-3/new-topics-in-s…

Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project. Details at https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/academics/research-opportunities/research-opportunities-program. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.

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

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

Becoming a professional (doctor, accountant, lawyer, engineer, nurse, etc.) remains a coveted goal for many young adults and their parents. But what is a profession, and what do these disparate groups have in common? This course lays the groundwork for understanding how the “professional projects” define professions, limit entry, create internal inequalities and try to maintain their prestige. The role of policy is key to our understanding of the professions, and we will focus on the role of policies in the creation of professions, in the substance of professional work such as ethics, autonomy and commercialism, and on the role of policies in addressing social concerns of inequality and diversity in the professions.

This course offers a sociological account of economic phenomena. It examines the sociological perspectives on production, consumption, exchange and distribution, economic crises, and other economic matters. In addition to exploring economic behavior in the corporate and financial worlds, the course also examines behavior in households, markets for intimacy, and illegal markets.

This course examines the social processes that characterize stratification and social inequality across the globe, by looking at whether global inequality is growing, shrinking or stagnant and the impact of globalization on global inequality, with particular emphasis on examining disparities over time in education, income/wealth and health.

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

This course focuses on the sociology of atrocities. We focus on the range of social actors and processes involved when atrocities occur, how we identify, name, and respond to atrocities (such as genocide or crimes against humanity), the behavior of bystanders and intervenors, cultural trauma and the effects of atrocities, and processes of commemoration. We investigate the collective and social dynamics to try and explain the role of individuals, groups, and institutional actors in committing atrocities, including the role of group identities, bureaucracies, collective decision-making, shared repertoires, legacies of hate, and peer networks. We study the role of other actors – in particular legal institutions, but also humanitarian bodies, journalists, and others – in identifying, naming and sometimes responding to these atrocities, along with sociological evidence about how they do so and the efficacy of any such response.

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

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

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

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

Examines factors that influence the organizational structure of health care systems, how these organizations develop, how they are maintained, and how they can be change.

Urban policies reflect how cities and urban areas are designed, built, and managed. They actively shape the ways in which people live. From transportation to housing, crime prevention to climate change, urban policies cover a number of areas of great concern. While cities are heralded as sites of innovation and economic activity, they are also sites of deep inequality. Cities across the world have produced different responses to address these issues. However, urban policy is not only shaped by policymakers; rather, many different institutions shape public policymaking. Given the range of issues facing urban areas, it is important to understand the policies are designed and implemented, and the multiple actors engaged.

Why do some people have more resources than others? Who winds up at the top of economic hierarchies, and who winds up at the bottom? These are the primary questions for the study of stratification. In this course, we focus primarily on the most influential contemporary sociological theories of status attainment and gender inequality, with additional but briefer treatments of the central theories on other topics (e.g., poverty and the welfare state, networks, rents, racial inequality). This is a program-only course and is restricted to Sociology Majors and Specialists.

This course examines the labour market and employment situation of immigrants emphasizing recent Canadian experience in comparative context. Topics include immigrant human capital, declining immigrant earnings, immigrant skill-underutilization, impact of the knowledge economy, racial discrimination, labour market structure and unionization, immigrant entrepreneurship and experiences of the Canadian-born second generation. This is a program-only course and is restricted to Sociology Majors and Specialists.

Shows how getting ahead or becoming downwardly mobile are affected by social as well as economic factors. Links the experience of mobility to larger scale social change. This is a program-only course and is restricted to sociology majors and specialists.

Becoming a professional (doctor, accountant, lawyer, engineer, nurse, etc.) remains a coveted goal for many young adults and their parents. But what is a profession, and what do these disparate groups have in common? This course lays the groundwork for understanding how the “professional projects” define professions, limit entry, create internal inequalities and try to maintain their prestige. The role of policy is key to our understanding of the professions, and we will focus on the role of policies in the creation of professions, in the substance of professional work such as ethics, autonomy and commercialism, and on the role of policies in addressing social concerns of inequality and diversity in the professions. This is a program-only course and is restricted to Sociology Majors and Specialists.

This course offers a sociological account of economic phenomena. It examines the sociological perspectives on production, consumption, exchange and distribution, economic crises, and other economic matters. In addition to exploring economic behavior in the corporate and financial worlds, the course also examines behavior in households, markets for intimacy, and illegal markets. This is a program-only course and is restricted to sociology majors and specialists.

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

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

The sociology of sport seeks to critically examine common sense views about the role, function and meaning that sport has in different societies. By challenging ‘nature’ and taken-for-granted views about sport, sociologists seek to provide both a more social and scientific account of sports. This course will do so by exploring several topics including but not limited to learning about different perspectives on sports, sports and socialization, sports and media, the business of sports, the intersection between sports and inequality, sports and race, sports and gender and sexuality, sports and deviance, as well as sports and politics.

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

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

This course focuses on the sociology of atrocities. We focus on the range of social actors and processes involved when atrocities occur, how we identify, name, and respond to atrocities (such as genocide or crimes against humanity), the behavior of bystanders and intervenors, cultural trauma and the effects of atrocities, and processes of commemoration. We investigate the collective and social dynamics to try and explain the role of individuals, groups, and institutional actors in committing atrocities, including the role of group identities, bureaucracies, collective decision-making, shared repertoires, legacies of hate, and peer networks. We study the role of other actors – in particular legal institutions, but also humanitarian bodies, journalists, and others – in identifying, naming and sometimes responding to these atrocities, along with sociological evidence about how they do so and the efficacy of any such response. This is a program-only course and is restricted to sociology majors and specialists.

This course invites students to critically examine the interplay between technology and society. We will discuss how our interactions with technologies, including computers and the Internet, ICTs, social media, and other digital technologies, have become central for our understanding of contemporary social life. This course provides an overview of the sociology of technology, encompassed by various topics in which technology intersects with other areas of sociological inquiry, such as social stratification, community and networks, criminology and social control, work and labour, health and aging, and many others. This is a program-only course and is restricted to Sociology Majors and Specialists.

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

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