Courses

Course: SOCI 302: Current Issues in Sociology | Demons, Dictators and Serial Killers: Understanding Evil in Society
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Susan Raine

What do we mean when we identify a person, movement, ideology or a behaviour as evil? What is evil? To what extent does consensus exist around definitions of it? This course investigates the ways in which scholars have attempted to answer these and other questions. Starting with religious perspectives, this course addresses an array of theoretical and applied approaches to the nature of evil from disciplines including philosophy, sociology, media studies and psychology. Offering historical and comparative case studies and examples, the course explores various conceptualizations of evil, including the following: demonic possession, mass atrocities, serial killers and capitalism. Integral to these discussions is an examination of our ongoing fascination with evil, as evidenced by our consumption of products associated with it (e.g. horror films and true crime literature).

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in any 200-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 302: Current Issues in Sociology | Sick People and Sick Places: On Policy, Political Economy, and Public Health
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS02
Instructor: Dr. Andrew Patterson

This course explores how political and economic activity can affect population health. Policies around healthcare are an important part of this picture, but numerous other kinds of policies affect health as well. These, too, are arguably shaped by political and economic forces. The course begins with an introduction to some basic ideas in this area, including the distinction between individual health and population health. The use of policy as a form of preventive medicine is considered next, followed by some essential arguments about the role of the greater economy in shaping health. Debates around economic policy regimes (e.g., neoliberalism) are a key focus here, as are the health impacts of economic outcomes that come from policy (i.e., economic growth, income inequality). Additional topics may include other relevant areas such as democratization, political corruption, corporatization, and sociological interpretations of the healthcare industry. The course is broadly relevant to population health generally speaking, but a significant component focuses specifically on cancer risk in societies.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in any 200-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 302: Current Issues in Sociology | Alcohol: Pleasure or Danger?
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS03
Instructor: Dr. Tami Bereska

Alcohol has a long history in Canada and around the world. It is a part of almost all Canadians’ lives, whether through their own consumption or the consumption of those around them. But for most of us, alcohol remains a taken-for-granted aspect of life. Unless our own alcohol use, or its use by those around us, becomes “problematic,” we don’t give it much thought. This course explores the social construction of alcohol in Canadian society, historically and today. At the micro level, individuals attribute certain meanings to alcohol. Yet those meanings arise within the context of both meso-level (e.g., university party culture) and macro-level (e.g., globalization) forces. At all levels, structures and processes of power are key—the power of peer groups, the power of moral entrepreneurs, the power of media, and the power of the alcohol industry itself.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in any 200-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 303: Contemporary Issues in Crim | Contemporary Issues in Police Reform
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS01
Instructor: Zara Zaidi

This course delves into the complex and evolving landscape of Canadian policing, exploring the multifaceted issues and challenges related to police reform faced by law enforcement agencies in the contemporary socio-political context. Through a critical examination of theoretical frameworks, empirical research, and real-world case studies, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the challenges that shape reformative measures and strategies in Canadian law enforcement agencies. The course will explore a wide range of topics, including but not limited to, community policing, police accountability, diversity and inclusion, use of force, mental health crisis intervention, technology and surveillance, indigenous policing, and the impacts of globalization on law enforcement practices.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 225 and SOCI 227.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 303: Contemporary Issues in Crime | Surveillance, Crime & Society
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS02
Instructor: Dr. William Schultz

Surveillance is a common feature of our society, and plays a major role in shaping both how our society is organized, and how we interact with each other. In this course, we will discuss how sociologists have approached surveillance, and will provide a theoretical basis for how surveillance impacts our relationships with each other. In addition, we will outline the nature and dynamics of surveillance in different organizational settings. Generally, our discussions will focus on surveillance in the criminal justice system, in areas such as policing, prisons, community supervision, and national security. At the end of the course, students will be able to define surveillance, identify the main approaches to the study of surveillance, explain how surveillance reinforces existing inequalities, and outline the strengths and limitations of our approaches to surveillance in different settings. Note: This class was previously named "Surveillance and the Canadian Criminal Justice System." Students cannot receive credit for both courses.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 225 and SOCI 227.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 304: Current Issues in FYD | Sociology of Childhood
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Sandra Rollings-Magnusson

What does it mean to be a child in Canada today? What social, political and economic implications are influencing the way that a child is socialized? Is childhood disappearing? Beginning with a discussion of how the concept of childhood was understood in the past, the course will move into children's rights, new sociologies of childhood, diverse parenting practices, and the influence of peer groups, mass media, and the education system. The experiences of immigrant, refugee, and Indigenous children will also be highlighted as will child poverty, child abuse and child protection.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in SOCI 271, SOCI 261, or SOCI 361

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 402: Special Topics in Sociology | The Sociology of Sound
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS01
Instructor: Annaliese Pope

Similar to many academic disciplines with European roots, the field of sociology has privileged the visual through ocularcentric ways of both understanding the social and legitimizing knowledge and data. By instead prioritizing sonic and aural forms of engagement with the social world, this class will introduce students to key terms in the literature on sound such as soundscape, key, signal, and rhythmanalysis, and then engage with such approaches in relation to sociological study. Areas addressed will include subjective and collective perceptions of sound, the impacts of sound on marginalized populations, the historical association of ‘noise’ with different socioeconomic groups, the use of sound as an attempt to gain power within the social world, and the interpretation of sonic data as a legitimate form of knowledge production and dissemination. We will look at, and listen to, a range of examples in order to critically reflect upon sonic phenomena and perception in our own everyday experiences within the social.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in a 300-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Topics Crim and Crim Justice | Sociology of Prisons
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS01
Instructor: Dr. William Schultz

Prisons play an important role in Canadian society, but few people know or understand what life is like in carceral settings. This course draws on the lived experiences of people who are incarcerated in and work in Western Canadian prisons. Critiquing widespread perceptions that prisons are “places apart,” we will discuss how prisons are related to other social institutions, and will draw connections between incarceration and social problems including inequality and systemic racism. Specific topics will include race, gender, drugs, gang membership, solitary confinement, prison subcultures, and prison abolitionism. By the end of this course, students will be able to list some of the unique challenges faced by incarcerated people and prison staff in Canada, and will be able to describe how and why these experiences impact rehabilitative success/lack of success. In addition, students will be able to describe prison’s role as an ambidextrous institution—one which punishes with one hand and provides key social services with the other. Note: this class was previously entitled, “Life Experiences in Canadian Prisons.” Students cannot receive credit for both courses.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 325, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Topics Crim and Crim Justice | Organized Crime in Canada
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS02
Instructor: Dr. Diane Symbaluk

What is organized crime? Does it refer to certain criminal activities such as money laundering, to distinct criminal markets such as trafficking in persons, or to dominant crime groups such as the Hells Angels? Organized crime has been conceptualized as all of these in different ways over time and it continues to be a highly contested social phenomenon. In this seminar course, we will explore competing views of organized crime and the theories used to explain its prevalence today. We will also examine structural features that regulate associations between offenders, institutional features that sustain organized crime conspiracies, and commercial characteristics that support illicit markets and organized crime activities as they pertain to well-known organized crime groups in Canada.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 325, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Topics Crim and Crim Justice | Canadian Drug Policy: Historical and Comparative Contexts
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS03
Instructor: Dr. Daniel Alati

Canada's 2018 Cannabis Act and subsequent legalization of cannabis was a significant development in Canada's drug policy history. In the years since, the status of cannabis (and wider drug) policy has experienced significant shifts and learning curves. This course will examine these learning curves (namely, issues associated with the implementation of legal cannabis Canada-wide) and significant shifts (namely, decriminalization of harder substances in certain Canadian jurisdictions and calls for further drug policy liberalization). It will do so using a historical and comparative framework, analyzing Canada's current drug policy in light of both historical precursors and shifts towards drug policy liberalization in other comparable jurisdictions. Students in the course will: 1) Gain thorough understanding of Canada's current and historical drug policy; 2) Gain thorough understanding of drug policy in comparable jurisdictions; 3) Critically analyze Canada's drug policy in light of historical and comparative developments; 4) Produce a substantial and critical major research paper applying the knowledge attained to a relevant topic of their choosing. This course will appeal to students with interests in law, criminal justice and drug policy.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 325, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Topics Crim and Crim Justice | Social Movements and Police Reform
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS04
Instructor: Zara Zaidi

In recent years, social movements advocating for police reforms have gained significant traction globally. This course delves into the intricate dynamics between society and law enforcement agencies, examining the historical, cultural, and political contexts that have given rise to various social movements seeking change in policing practices. Drawing on theories of collective action and social organization, students will explore the evolution of social movements and their role in influencing policy changes related to law enforcement. From the civil rights movement to contemporary advocacy efforts, we will analyze the strategies employed by diverse social movements and their impact on shaping public discourse surrounding policing and police reforms within North American Context.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 325, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 424: Advanced Topics in Deviance | Alternative Beliefs: The Paranormal and Conspiracy Theories
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Susan Raine

This course examines the socio-cultural significance of fringe belief systems in North American society. The persistence and prevalence both of paranormal beliefs and conspiracy theories illustrates the ways in which many North Americans seek answers to questions concerning their place in relation to the world—questions that adherents of such beliefs find dominant social institutions are not able to answer satisfactorily. This course explores first, the increasing popularity of a number of paranormal beliefs and practices along with the often complex ways that individuals incorporate them into their dominant religious belief systems—belief systems that often quite explicitly reject paranormal narratives. Second, this course considers how and why many people create meaning through intricate conspiratorial narratives that speak to persuasive moral worldviews. Conspiracy theories reject and subvert accepted histories and socio-cultural and political knowledge and beliefs, allowing their followers to question dominant forms of power. In each area, the pursuit for ‘truth’ and the quest for personal empowerment permeate these counter-ideologies.

Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in SOCI 224 and at least one 300-level SOCI course or consent of the department.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 461: Advanced Topics Social Inequalities | Social Inequality Among Canadian Immigrants Employed in Precarious Labour
Term: Winter 2025
Section: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Parvinder Hira-Friesen

"The nature and meaning of paid work and its relationship to wider social inequalities of immigrant status and gender. Specifically, this course will examine gendered immigrant participation in precarious employment within Canadian labour markets. Precarious jobs will focus on newcomers employed in involuntary part-time work, multiple job holders and temporary workers. The course will further assess how Canadian immigrant employment in these types of jobs may result in lower earnings leading to wage disparities. Finally, the course will examine government intervention and immigration policy reform for the economical integration of Canadian newcomers. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to identify and discuss the contemporary issues related to precarious labour in Canada; critically discuss the prevalence of social inequality within Canadian labour markets with respect to migration and become familiar with key concepts regarding the sociology of work and marginalized Canadians. "

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in one of SOCI 301, SOCI 261, SOCI 361, or SOCI 368

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 303: Contemporary Issues in Criminology | Contemporary Issues in Police Reform
Term: Spring/Summer 2025
Section: AS01
Instructors: Zara Zaidi

This course delves into the complex and evolving landscape of Canadian policing, exploring the multifaceted issues and challenges related to police reform faced by law enforcement agencies in the contemporary socio-political context. Through a critical examination of theoretical frameworks, empirical research, and real-world case studies, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the challenges that shape reformative measures and strategies in Canadian law enforcement agencies. The course will explore a wide range of topics, including but not limited to community policing, police accountability, diversity and inclusion, use of force, mental health crisis intervention, technology and surveillance, indigenous policing, and the impacts of globalization on law enforcement practices.

Prerequisites: Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 225 and SOCI 227.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 402: Special Topics in Sociology | Heterosexualities
Term: Spring/Summer 2025
Section: AS01
Instructors: Dr. JJ Wright

This course will engage queer theory to explore the sociopolitical, cultural, and historical factors that produce contemporary heterosexuality. By the end of the course, students will be able to critically examine the discursive production of heterosexuality as diametrically opposed to queerness, as well as how heterosexuality varies across women and men, racial groups, class, and one's identity as trans or cisgender. Topics may include the invention of heterosexuality, compulsory heterosexuality, settler sexuality, sexual desire and identity across the life course, and the ways in which the possibilities for straight and queer desires are created in and through systemic social relations of power. The course will draw from queer scholarship and students should have some familiarity with studies of gender and sexuality upon registering for this course.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in a 300-level SOCI course; individual instructors may require specific prerequisites.

Permission Required: No.

Course: SOCI 403: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice Career Attainment
Term: Spring/Summer 2025
Section: AS01
Instructors: Dr. Michael Seredycz

This seminar promotes work-integrated and experiential learning approaches to offer more insight into career attainment, retention, and promotion within criminal (and social) justice agencies. Students will identify agencies of interest and generate a strategic plan to fulfill career goals while applying organizational behaviour and occupational socialization research. The course highlights the importance of assessing short and long-term market outlooks to ascertain whether a traditional career or gig economy position is more (or less) advantageous.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 324, SOCI 325, SOCI 326, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 302: Current Issues in Sociology | Comparative Perspectives on Social Inequality
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Korbla Puplampu

Sociology, at its core, seeks to advance an understanding of society and to offer solutions to social problems. One major issue in society is inequality. Sociologists are therefore interested in an analysis of social inequality, its nature, principles and consequences. A feature of social inequality is that it is universal in nature. That means every society on the planet has social inequality even though its form tends to vary from society to society. This course will focus on social inequality from a comparative perspective, focusing on the Global North and Global South. Therefore, the course is framed by the theoretical and policy implications of neoliberal globalization. The course, drawing on assigned readings, class presentations and discussions, will examine the following from a sociological perspective: the changing role of the state in society; technology and the globalization of the economy; culture and diversity of population; environmental considerations; and protest movements in a context of democratic governance. By adopting a comparative perspective with an emphasis on commonalities and differences, the course seeks to offer a better comprehension of the persistence and universal nature of social inequality in contemporary society.

Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in any 200-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 302: Current Issues in Sociology | Shopping and Society: The Sociology of Consumption
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS02
Instructor: Dr. Jordan Foster

This course provides an overview of the sociology of consumption. The study of consumption provides an entry point for examining the intersection between culture, identity, economics and the environment. The course will begin with a broad question: How is shopping sociologically significant? After an introduction to the sociology of consumption, we will use case studies to examine consumer culture in greater detail and in specific settings. Each case-study will provide a lens to better understand sociology but also to better understand our position in consumer culture. Our case-studies begin with basic processes of consumption: eating and drinking. We then move from the realm of immediate necessity to examine consumer items associated with communication, identity-building and social connection.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in any 200-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 402: Special Topics in Sociology | Community Engaged Sociology
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Emily Milne

In this course, students will apply sociological knowledge to real-world educational challenges, providing them with the tools to contribute meaningfully to social change while deepening their sociological understanding. Students will work alongside partners from St. Paul Education Regional Division on community service-learning projects that emphasize educational equity and collective action. This course provides opportunities for experiential learning as well as exploring the intersection of theory, practice and social change. Topics will include community-based research and methods, research collaboration and partnership, educational equity and sociology of education. Students will develop and practice skills in collaborative problem-solving, teamwork, critical thinking, reflective practice and communication with diverse audiences.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in a 300-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 402: Special Topics in Sociology | Memory and Society
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS02
Instructor: Dr. Jeffrey Stepnisky

In this course, we explore the social dimensions of memory and remembering. We start with the idea that memory often includes a relational or social component. We remember with others, and even when we are remembering alone, the style and content of our memory is shaped by social forces. We then consider narrative and social psychological approaches to the study of memory and later expand our focus to include meso- and macro- level forces that shape memory. Importantly we spend a great deal of time talking about “collective memory.” Collective memories are memories that are shared by groups of people—families, friend groups, religious communities, nations and even the entire globe. As the course develops, we discuss how memory creates individual identity and social solidarity but also how its construction is influenced by powerful social actors and structures. The course relies on both lecture and extensive group discussion, based on examples both the instructor and students bring to class.

Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in a 300-level SOCI course and SOCI 232.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice | Society, Radicalization, and Ideologically-Motivated Violent Extremism (IMVE)
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS01
Instructor: Dr. William Schultz

Terrorist violence, radicalization and ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE) are commonly covered in news media and in online discussion. However, the causes of IMVE are sometimes unclear and can seem senseless and pointless to outside observers. In this course, we will examine historical forms of IMVE as well as modern scholarship on the topic. Topics will include historical variations in IMVE, the role of the internet in shaping modern IMVE and how social theory can help us understand the differences between extremist group actions and so-called "lone wolf" terror attacks. In addition, we will examine how IMVE interacts with other social features such as charismatic leadership, religion, social movements and political values.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 324, SOCI 325, SOCI 326, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice | Organized Crime in Canada
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS02
Instructor: Dr. Diane Symbaluk

What is organized crime? Does it refer to certain criminal activities such as money laundering, to distinct criminal markets such as trafficking in persons, or to dominant crime groups such as the Hells Angels? Organized crime has been conceptualized as all of these in different ways over time, and it continues to be a highly contested social phenomenon. In this seminar course, we will explore competing views of organized crime and the theories used to explain its prevalence today. We will also examine structural features that regulate associations between offenders, institutional features that sustain organized crime conspiracies and commercial characteristics that support illicit markets and organized crime activities as they pertain to well-known organized crime groups in Canada.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 324, SOCI 325, SOCI 326, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice | Social Movements and Police Reform
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS03
Instructor: Dr. Zara Zaidi

In recent years, social movements advocating for police reforms have gained significant traction globally. This course delves into the intricate dynamics between society and law enforcement agencies, examining the historical, cultural and political contexts that have given rise to various social movements seeking change in policing practices. Drawing on theories of collective action and social organization, students will explore the evolution of social movements and their role in influencing policy changes related to law enforcement. From the civil rights movement to contemporary advocacy efforts, we will analyze the strategies employed by diverse social movements and their impact on shaping public discourse surrounding policing and police reforms within North American context.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 324, SOCI 325, SOCI 326, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 424: Advanced Topics in Deviance | Alternative Beliefs: The Paranormal and Conspiracy Theories
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Susan Raine

This course examines the socio-cultural significance of fringe belief systems in North American society. The persistence and prevalence both of paranormal beliefs and conspiracy theories illustrates the ways in which many North Americans seek answers to questions concerning their place in relation to the world—questions that adherents of such beliefs find dominant social institutions are not able to answer satisfactorily. This course explores first the increasing popularity of a number of paranormal beliefs and practices along with the often complex ways that individuals incorporate them into their dominant religious belief systems—belief systems that often quite explicitly reject paranormal narratives. Second, this course considers how and why many people create meaning through intricate conspiratorial narratives that speak to persuasive moral worldviews. Conspiracy theories reject and subvert accepted histories and socio-cultural and political knowledge and beliefs, allowing their followers to question dominant forms of power. In each area, the pursuit for "truth" and the quest for personal empowerment permeate these counter-ideologies.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 224 and a 300-level SOCI course or consent of the department.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 463: Advanced Topics in Canadian Society | Food Security and Labour: Neoliberal Globalization and Inequality in Canada
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Korbla Puplampu

This seminar will examine the issue of food security and the plight of labour to advance an understanding of social inequality in Canada. The larger framework for the course is the theoretical and policy dimensions of neoliberal globalization. The course, drawing on assigned readings, class presentations and discussions, will examine the posture of the Canadian state and society in the terms of food security and labour, specifically the nature of policy interventions, the sources of food security, the plight of labour and the implications for discussions on social inequality. That means contemporary changes within and beyond Canada will be examined in terms of food security and the role of labour in an era of neoliberal globalization. Other issues for discussion will include financialization of housing, the ethnic and gender underpinnings of temporary foreign workers, the normalization of casual labour, the gig economy, professionalization, learners as consumers, and the consequences for rewards and food and labour rights. By approaching food and labour relations from a broader perspective, the course will isolate continuities and discontinuities, contradictions, tensions and challenges for the Canadian state and society in terms of neoliberal globalization and the social inequality debate.

Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in at least one 300-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 477: Advanced Topics in Youth | What Happened to the Hippies? The Rise and Fall of the 1960s Youth Counterculture
Term: Fall 2025
Session: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Tami Bereska

Young people have long participated in social movements. Yet only some social movements are recognized as “youth movements.” In the mid-1960s, the youth counterculture emerged. A product of the baby boom and other significant social and cultural changes, it was immortalized in media. Even today, hearing the word “hippie” likely brings a specific image to mind. Yet the youth counterculture included more than just hippies. There were also student rights movements, workers’ rights movements, anti-racist movements in the forms of Red Power and Black Power, and anti-war movements. Collectively, they were components of a larger effort to redistribute power in society. Yet their efforts had limited success, and today, young people still face many of the same challenges such as racial profiling, the ongoing impact of colonization, worker exploitation and consumerism running amok. This course explores the rise, fall and implications of the 1960s youth counterculture, as well as how it was framed as a “youth movement.”

Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in SOCI 377 or consent of the department.

Permission Required: No

Course: GEND 419: Special Topics in Gender Studies | Sexual Diversity in Islam
Term: Winter 2026
Section: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Junaid Jahangir

Protests by faith-based organizations across Canada prominently featured Muslim groups in the media. The concerns revolved around teaching LGBTQ content on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Within the Abrahamic faiths, while there are local United Churches and both Reform and Conservative Jewish Synagogues that affirm their congregants, there does not exist an affirming Mosque space for LGBTQ Muslims in Edmonton. Given such a status quo for LGBTQ Muslims, there is a pressing need for addressing the theological roots that shape the forbidding Muslim discourse on LGBTQ individuals in Islam. The objective in this course is to delve into the primary texts of Islam, the Qur’an and the Hadith, the exegetical texts, the rulings of the jurists and the opinions of contemporary Muslim scholars to offer a critical and pluralistic perspective on sexual diversity in Islam. At the end of this course, students should be able to deconstruct popular arguments wielded against LGBTQ accommodation in Islam.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in GEND 319 or minimum grades of C- in GEND 219 and one of GEND 398, GEND 498, ANTH 308, ANTH 320, ENGL 368, PHIL 333, PSYC 370, SOCI 301, SOCI 430 or SOWK 433.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 302: Current Issues in Sociology | Sick People and Sick Places: On the Political Economy and Cancer Risk
Term: Winter 2026
Session: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Andrew Patterson

This course explores how the political economy can affect population health with special emphasis on cancer risk. Coursework will begin with a review of standard models for cancer prevention, which continue to receive wide support in the medical community. We will then explore sociological modes of explanation for population health outcomes like cancer, which more directly involve politics and economy. Questions will be addressed as to whether economic growth is "good" for population health, what the post-industrial economy has to do with cancer risk and the role that business organizations play in abetting risk. The course will consider opportunities to reduce cancer risk in society such as social movements. Students will conclude the course with a better understanding of how comparative cancer risk can be explained sociologically as well as some possible solutions.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in SOCI 290.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 302: Current Issues in Sociology | Demons, Dictators and Serial Killers: Understanding Evil in Society
Term: Winter 2026
Session: AS02
Instructor: Dr. Susan Raine

What do we mean when we identify a person, movement, ideology or behaviour as evil? What is evil? To what extent does consensus exist around definitions of it? This course investigates the ways in which scholars have attempted to answer these and other questions. Starting with religious perspectives, this course addresses an array of theoretical and applied approaches to the nature of evil from disciplines including philosophy, sociology, media studies and psychology. Offering historical and comparative case studies and examples, the course explores various conceptualizations of evil including the following: demonic possession, mass atrocities, serial killers and capitalism. Integral to these discussions is an examination of our ongoing fascination with evil as evidenced by our consumption of products associated with it (e.g. horror films and true crime literature).

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in any 200-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 302: Current Issues in Sociology | Alcohol: Pleasure or Danger?
Term: Winter 2026
Session: AS03
Instructor: Dr. Tami Bereska

Alcohol has a long history in Canada and around the world. It is a part of almost all Canadians’ lives, whether through their consumption or the consumption of those around them. But for most of us, alcohol remains a taken-for-granted aspect of life. Unless our alcohol use or its use by those around us becomes “problematic,” we don’t give it much thought. This course explores the social construction of alcohol in Canadian society, historically and today. At the micro level, individuals attribute certain meanings to alcohol. Yet those meanings arise within meso-level (e.g., university party culture) and macro-level (e.g., globalization) forces. At all levels, structures and processes of power are key—the power of peer groups, the power of moral entrepreneurs, the power of media and the power of the alcohol industry itself.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in any 200-level SOCI course.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 304: Current Issues in Family, Youth and Diversity | Sociology of Childhood
Term: Winter 2026
Session: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Sandra Rollings-Magnusson

What does it mean to be a child in Canada today? What social, political and economic implications are influencing the way that a child is socialized? Is childhood disappearing? Beginning with a discussion of how the concept of childhood was understood in the past, the course will move into children’s rights, new sociologies of childhood, diverse parenting practices and the influence of peer groups, mass media and the education system. The experiences of immigrant, refugee and Indigenous children will also be highlighted as will child poverty, child abuse and child protection.

Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in SOCI 271, SOCI 261 or SOCI 361; course instructors may have additional prerequisite requirements.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 402: Special Topics in Sociology | The Sociology of Sound
Term: Winter 2026
Section: AS01
Instructor: Annaliese Pope

Similar to many academic disciplines with European roots, the field of sociology has privileged the visual through ocularcentric ways of both understanding the social and legitimizing knowledge and data. By instead prioritizing sonic and aural forms of engagement with the social world, this class will introduce students to key terms in the literature on sound such as soundscape, key, signal, and rhythm analysis, and then engage with such approaches in relation to sociological study. Areas addressed will include subjective and collective perceptions of sound, the impacts of sound on marginalized populations, the historical association of "noise" with different socioeconomic groups, the use of sound as an attempt to gain power within the social world and the interpretation of sonic data as a legitimate form of knowledge production and dissemination. We will look at—and listen to—a range of examples in order to critically reflect upon sonic phenomena and perception in our own everyday experiences within the social.

Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in a 300-level SOCI course; individual instructors may require specific prerequisites.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice | Sociology of Prisons
Term: Winter 2026
Section: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Willam Schultz

Prisons play a complex and important role in Canadian society, yet few people know or understand what life is like in carceral settings or how such experiences change people. This course draws on the lived experiences of people who are incarcerated in and work in Western Canadian prisons. Critiquing widespread perceptions that prisons are “places apart,” we will discuss how prisons are related to other social institutions and will draw connections between incarceration and social problems including socioeconomic inequality and systemic racism. Specific topics will include race, gender, drugs, gang membership, solitary confinement and prison subcultures. By the end of this course, students will be able to list some of the unique challenges faced by incarcerated people and prison staff in Canada and will be able to describe why these experiences impact rehabilitative success/lack of success. In addition, students will be able to describe prison’s role as an ambidextrous institution—one which punishes with one hand and provides key social services with the other.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 324, SOCI 325, SOCI 326, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice Career Attainment
Term: Winter 2026
Section: AS02
Instructor: Dr. Michael Seredycz

The seminar promotes work-integrated and experiential learning approaches to offer you more insight into career attainment, retention and promotion within criminal (and social) justice agencies. You will identify agencies of interest and generate a strategic plan to fulfill your career goals while applying organizational behaviour and occupational socialization research. The course highlights the importance of assessing short- and long-term market outlooks to ascertain whether a traditional career or gig economy position is more (or less) advantageous.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 324, SOCI 325, SOCI 326, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice Policy Analysis
Term: Winter 2026
Section: AS03
Instructor: Dr. Michael Seredycz

Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, this course offers you an applied understanding of the decision-making processes of criminal and social justice policy development, implementation, and evaluation. Discussions will begin with how the (re)definition of the problem/issue, the relevant policy/ legislation, negotiating stakeholder membership and workload, bureaucratic and administrative evidence-based practices and potential solutions. This problem-solving process becomes more complex when we factor in democratic politics, economics and cross-cultural ideological perspectives.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 324, SOCI 325, SOCI 326, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 403: Special Topics in Criminology and Criminal Justice | Social Movements and Police Reform
Term: Winter 2026
Section: AS04
Instructor: Dr. Zara Zaidi

In recent years, social movements advocating for police reforms have gained significant traction globally. This course delves into the intricate dynamics between society and law enforcement agencies, examining the historical, cultural and political contexts that have given rise to various social movements seeking change in policing practices. Drawing on theories of collective action and social organization, students will explore the evolution of social movements and their role in influencing policy changes related to law enforcement. From the civil rights movement to contemporary advocacy efforts, we will analyze the strategies employed by diverse social movements and their impact on shaping public discourse surrounding policing and police reforms within North American context.

Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in SOCI 227 or SOCI 327 and one of SOCI 303, SOCI 320, SOCI 321, SOCI 323, SOCI 324, SOCI 325, SOCI 326, SOCI 328 or SOCI 329.

Permission Required: No

Course: SOCI 461: Advanced Topics in Social Inequalities | Social Inequality Among Canadian Immigrants Employed in Precarious Labour
Term: Winter 2026
Section: AS01
Instructor: Dr. Parvinder Hira-Friesen

The nature and meaning of paid work and its relationship to wider social inequalities of immigrant status and gender. Specifically, this course will examine immigrant participation in precarious employment within Canadian labour markets. Precarious jobs will focus on newcomers employed in involuntary part-time work, multiple job holders and temporary workers. The course will further assess how Canadian immigrant employment in these types of jobs may result in lower earnings leading to wage disparities. Finally, the course will examine government intervention and immigration policy reform for the economical integration of Canadian newcomers. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to identify and discuss the contemporary issues related to precarious labour in Canada, critically discuss the prevalence of social inequality within Canadian labour markets with respect to migration and become familiar with key concepts regarding the sociology of work and marginalized Canadians.

Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in one of SOCI 301, SOCI 261, SOCI 361 or SOCI 368.

Permission Required: No