This course surveys various qualitative methods sociologists use. Students gain insight into the craft of sociology through reading examples of the different qualitative methods, discussing the theories behind the methods, conducting hands-on research exercises and analyzing qualitative data. The objective of this course is to learn to design and conduct a qualitative research project and to analyze qualitative sociological data. All students in the Sociology and Criminology, Law and Society Specialist programs are required to take this course.

This course examines how the concept of race, and the ideologies that inform it, impacts identity politics for Indigenous peoples. Special attention will be paid to the socio-cultural and legal effects of racialized knowledge production. Topics may include: human genome projects, museums, recognition politics, legal definitions, criminalization, access to resources, stereotypes and personhood.

This course is intended for Sociology Specialists and Majors who wish to explore a specific Sociology topic in depth. To enrol, a student must prepare a proposal form in consultation with a faculty supervisor and submit the approved form to the academic counsellor.

Note: Professors have discretion whether to take on an independent study; they are not required to serve as faculty supervisors.

This course is intended for Sociology Specialists and Majors who wish to explore a specific Sociology topic in depth. To enrol, a student must prepare a proposal form in consultation with a faculty supervisor and submit the approved form to the academic counsellor.

Note: Professors have discretion whether to take on an independent study; they are not required to serve as faculty supervisors.

This course is intended for Criminology, Law and Society Specialists and Majors who wish to explore a specific Criminology, Law and Society topic in depth. To enrol, a student must prepare a proposal form in consultation with a faculty supervisor and submit the approved form to the academic counsellor.

Note: Professors have discretion whether to take on an independent study; they are not required to serve as faculty supervisors.

This course is intended for Criminology, Law and Society Specialists and Majors who wish to explore a specific Criminology, Law and Society topic in depth. To enrol, a student must prepare a proposal form in consultation with a faculty supervisor and submit the approved form to the academic counsellor.

Note: Professors have discretion whether to accept students wishing to pursue an independent studies course; they are not required to serve as faculty supervisors.

This course provides a richly rewarding opportunity for students in their third or fourth year to work in the research project of a professor in return for SOC399H5 course credit. Students enrolled have an opportunity to become involved in original research, learn research methods and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

This course provides a richly rewarding opportunity for students in their third or fourth year to work in the research project of a professor in return for SOC399Y5 course credit. Students enrolled have an opportunity to become involved in original research, learn research methods and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

In this seminar course, students learn to communicate insights based in sociological research to a broader audience, beyond the university. Student design and execute projects (essays, creating a podcast or video, and/or public speaking) on sociological topics of their choosing related to law and/or crime. The course also provides students with guidance on how to locate sociological research through library resources and how to incorporate that research into their public sociology projects. Priority may be given to Criminology, Law and Society students.

This course addresses a fundamental question in the social sciences: "Why do people do what they do?" Readings and discussion focus on classic and current sociological approaches to understanding human action, giving attention to topics such as rational calculation, decisions, cultural processes, values, attitudes, identities, perception, interaction, situational influences, and automatic cognitive processing. A recurring theme is the tension between individual and situational explanations of behavior.

This seminar course will focus on possible solutions for issues related to prisons, punishment and surveillance across the globe. Along with this surveillance you have a rise in prisons and other forms of state sponsored punishment.

This lecture course will explore a particular area within Social Policy. Topics vary from year to year and are noted on the timetable once confirmed. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L,S,T,P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. See the UTM Timetable.

This course introduces students to theories of surveillance and risk in the digital era. The era of big data has given rise to smart policing, preventative security measures, and data driven solutions which are producing new knowledge about risk. It focuses on how surveillance is shifting institutional risk practices within law and criminal justice systems and how marginalized populations and particular geographical spaces are constructed as security risks.

This seminar examines the social problem of “vigilantism”. It focuses on how the act is defined in terms of scholarly works on punishment and policing, as well as mainstream popular opinion. The course looks at questions such as how vigilantism manifests in different geographic spaces (e.g. the “global north” and the “global south”), in rich and poor areas, and in different historical periods.

This course introduces concepts, theories, and policies of development and underdevelopment. With China as a case, it focuses on social, economic, political, and cultural factors shaping the nature and meaning of social change.

This reading-intensive course explores historical and contemporary manifestations of anti-Muslim racism through a transnational lens, while paying special attention to scholarship from and about Canada and the United States. Issues related to gender and sexuality, race, citizenship status, Orientalism, colonialism, and military intervention cut across the readings.

In this course we will take an in-depth look at a number of topics related broadly to masculinity and the internet, including such things as the “manosphere”, incels, and representations of masculinity on social media. These topics will be examined through the lens of the sociological literature on gender and masculinities. A recurring theme relates to the questions: “Is masculinity changing?” Students will be encouraged to critically examine and evaluate these topics and the sociological literature in multiple ways.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in the sociology of inequality.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in the sociology of social institutions.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in the sociology of work.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in the sociology of gender.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in political sociology.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in Indigenous Studies.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in the sociology of culture.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in the sociology of globalization.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in the sociology of health.

This course offers an in-depth examination of selected topics in Race and Ethnicity.

Restricted to Criminology, Law and Society Specialists and Majors. Topics vary from year to year and are noted on the timetable once confirmed.

Restricted to Criminology, Law and Society Specialists and Major. Topics vary from year to year and are noted on the timetable once confirmed.

The body is an inevitable part of our existence, but it has not always played a central role in sociology. This course aims to bring the body into sociology by drawing on multiple approaches to theorizing and researching the body as a fundamental element of social interactions. We will work to connect the body to power, social problems and diverse forms of exploitation, but we also examine how the body serves as a source of pleasure, joy, and resistance. Fundamentally, we will study the processes by which bodies are shaped, and in turn, shape our social life. Body topics that may be covered include, but are not limited to, the following: health and illness, fatness, fitness and sport, diet culture, taste, aging, disability, sexuality, beauty, cosmetic surgery, and eating disorders.