SOCIOLOGY

SOC 101:
Introductory Sociology I 3 credits

Prerequisite: none

Transferability: UBC, SFU, UVic, OU, TWU

An analysis of the basic concepts, methods, and theoretical orientations which are characteristic of sociology, this course is designed to acquaint you with the discipline and to facilitate critical and logical thought concerning explanations of society and social interaction.

SOC 210:
Social Problems of Canadian Society 3 credits

Prerequisites: SOC 101

Transferability: UBC, SFU, UVic, OU, TWU

This course examines a number of selected social issues in Canadian society from a variety of theoretical perspectives. It focuses on change and continuity in Canadian society. Issues include poverty and power, the place of ethnic and minority groups, social impacts of economic change, and other social problems facing Canadians.

SOC 215:
Socialization 3 credits

Prerequisites: SOC 101 recommended

Transferability: SFU

Socialization is the process by which people learn the norms and values of the society in which they live. This course examines the process of socialization in one or more of the following institutions: family, education, media, and/or religion. Particular emphasis will be placed on issues of gender, ethnicity and class in North America.

SOC 220:
Sociology of Women – Women in Canada 3 credits

Prerequisites: SOC 101 preferred

Transferability: UBC, SFU, UVic, OU, TWU

This course will explore basic sociological approaches to understanding the changing roles of women in Canada. After introducing the process whereby women and men learn gender roles, the course will emphasize the changes occurring for Canadian women in the family, the labour force, and the community. Students will have the opportunity to research local issues and to examine changes in their own social world.

SOC 230:
The Individual and Society 3 credits

Prerequisites: SOC 101

Transferability: UBC, SFU, UVic, OU, TWU

As members of a society, we spend our lives working and playing within a variety of institutional structures. From birth through infancy, childhood, adulthood, and old age, our lives and consciousness are moulded by social forces. This course will focus on education and ethnic stratification, with attention also being paid to the family, the workplace, and other socializing agencies.

SOC 250:
Sociology of Development — The Third World Experience 3 credits

Prerequisite: none

Transferability: UBC, SFU, UVic, OU, TWU

A great deal of attention is given to the problems of the underdeveloped world. In this course we look at the major explanations of underdevelopment and consider what policy implications they may carry. Case studies from Latin America are used to evaluate critically the alternative paths of development. As such, the course will be of interest to anybody concerned with the present and future of the Third World. It will be of specific interest to those planning to teach, to anyone hoping to work in or travel to the Third World, and to those people interested in Canada’s position in the international scene.

SOC 255:
Introduction to Social Research 3 credits

Prerequisites: SOC 101 or ANTH 102

Transferability: OU, SFU, UBC, UVic

An introduction to the conduct of sociological and anthropological research. Topics include the relationship between theory and research, concept formation, operationalization, exploratory studies, hypothesis generation and testing, data collection techniques within both sociology and anthropology, the assessment of causality, the critical evaluation of research on both theoretical and methodological grounds, the definition of research problems, and ethical issues in social research.

(This course was previously numbered SA 255, and is known as such at SFU. Students having credit for SA 255 at UCFV or SFU will not receive additional credit for SOC 255.)

Note: This course can be counted as either Sociology or Anthropology credit. Students wishing to take this course for Anthropology credit should register in ANTH 255. Credit cannot be obtained for both ANTH 255 and SOC 255.

SOC 310:
Regional Studies: Latin America 4 credits

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include at least six credits in anthropology, sociology, and/or LAS. (One or more of SOC 250, ANTH 220, or LAS 102, 110, 200 or 201 recommended).

Using sociological and anthropological approaches, this course is designed to provide you with insights into the society and culture of a specific nation or region within Latin America. In so doing we shall move effortlessly and with intellectual grace from the heady heights of macro analysis and theoretical sociology to the details of micro analysis and ethnography, and back again. In so doing, the course will increase our awareness of the diversity of the Latin American experience — an experience that is becoming increasingly important and which also offers many insights into our own society.

Note: Students cannot take ANTH 310, SOC 310, LAS 310, SOC 463, or ANTH 463 with the same letter designation for further credit.

SOC 331:
Sociology of Families 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include at least six credits sociology.

Transferability: OU, SFU

A description and analysis of family structures in modern industrial society. Major theoretical perspectives on families and family change in developed societies will be examined, as well as varying methodological approaches to the study of families. Topics may include mate selection, marriage and divorce, family size and structures, domestic labour, power relationships within family, childhood socialization, variant family forms, and policy issues related to families. (Seminar)

(This course was previously numbered SA 331, and is known as such at SFU. Students having credit for SA 331 at UCFV or SFU will not receive additional credit for SOC 331.)

SOC 333:
Schooling and Society 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include at least six credits sociology.

Transferability: OU, SFU

A sociological analysis of the education system and its relation to major social institutions in Western industrial societies, in particular Canada. Aspects studied may include the classroom, teachers, student culture, bureaucratization, inequality, employment, and social policy. (Seminar)

(This course was previously numbered SA 333, and is known as such at SFU. Students having credit for SA 333 at UCFV or SFU will not receive additional credit for SOC 333.)

SOC 334
Cultural Policy 4 credits

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include at least six credits sociology and/or MACS.

Transferability: SFU

An analysis of the various facets of the cultural arts in Canada — film, video, art and photography, theatre and dance, writing and publishing — concentrating primarily on the policies and laws affecting them.

Note: Credit cannot be obtained for both MACS 334 and SOC 334.

SOC 335:
Gender Relations and Social Issues 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include at least six credits sociology. (SOC 215 and/or 220 recommended.)

Transferability: OU, SFU

A sociological study of the position of women and men in one or more of the major social institutions in western industrial societies, in particular Canada. Social institutions that may be examined include the family, education, the economy, the polity, law, and the mass media. Particular attention will be paid to social policy issues.

(This course was previously numbered SA 335, and is known as such at SFU. Students having credit for SA 335 at UCFV of SFU will not receive additional credit for SOC 335.)

SOC 350:
Classical Sociological Thought 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisite: 45 credits, to include at least six credits sociology.

Transferability: OU, SFU

An examination of selected works of the 19th or early 20th century sociological theorists.

(This course was previously numbered SA 350, and is known as such at SFU. Students having credit for SA 350 at UCFV or SFU will not receive additional credit for SOC 350.)

SOC 355:
Quantitative Methods 4 credits

Prerequisites: MATH 104 or MATH 106, and SOC 255

Transferability:

An examination of measurement issues within sociological and anthropological research, focusing on the logical and conceptual construction and interpretation of tables, and an examination of the uses and abuses of statistics. Students will blend classroom knowledge of statistics with “real life” analysis of sociological data (including the use of computer software) to develop practical research skills. The course focuses on the application, rather than the mathematics, of statistics.

SOC 356:
Qualitative Research Methods 4 credits

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include SOC 101 and SOC/ANTH 255.

Transferability: SFU

This course examines methods used in the collection and analysis of sociological data including interviews, participant observations, ethnographic research, archival research, feminist methodologies, and research ethics.

SOC 363:
Processes of Development and Underdevelopment 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include SOC 101 and at least three additional credits sociology, anthropology or LAS. (SOC 250, ANTH 220, and/or LAS 200 recommended.)

An examination of sociological and anthropological theories of development and underdevelopment as applied to the Third World. Topics include the nature and consequences of world system linkages, colonialism and decolonization, patterns of social and cultural change in selected societies and regions. (Seminar)

(This course was previously numbered SA 363, and is known as such at SFU. Students having credit for SA 363 at UCFV or SFU will not receive additional credit for SOC 363.)

Note: This course can be counted as either sociology or anthropology credit. Students wishing to take this course for anthropology credit should register in ANTH 363. Credit cannot be obtained for both ANTH 363 and SOC 363.

SOC 387:
Canadian Native Peoples 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include ANTH 102 and at least three additional credits of anthropology and/or sociology.

Transferability: OU, SFU

The study of traditional and contemporary Canadian Native peoples. The focus of the course will vary from semester to semester. (Seminar)

(This course was previously numbered SA 387, and is known as such at SFU. Students having credit for SA 387 at UCFV or SFU will not receive additional credit for SOC 387.)

Note: This course can be counted as either sociology or anthropology credit. Students wishing to take this course for anthropology credit should register in ANTH 387. Credit cannot be obtained for both SOC 387 and ANTH 387.

SOC 388:
Comparative Studies of Minority Indigenous Peoples 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include ANTH 102 and at least three additional credits of anthropology and/or sociology.

Transferability: OU, SFU

This course focuses on the social and cultural patterns of aboriginal populations within various modern nation-states, including their relations with majority societies and with other indigenous groups across the world.

(This course was previously numbered SA 388, and is known as such at SFU. Students having credit for SA 388 at UCFV or SFU will not receive additional credit for SOC 388.)

Note: This course can be counted as either sociology or anthropology credit Students wishing to take this course for anthropology credit should register in ANTH 388. Credit cannot be obtained for both ANTH 388 and SOC 388.

SOC 440:
Selected Topics in the Sociology of Religion 4 credits

Prerequisites: 60 credits, to include at least nine credits of sociology and/or Religious Studies.

An advanced course in the sociology of religion. Topics will change from semester to semester. The course is usually offered conjointly with the courses in other specialty areas (e.g., LAS, WS, etc.)

SOC 440A:
Selected Topics in Sociology of Religion: Latin America 4 credits

Prerequisites: 60 credits, to include at least nine credits of sociology, LAS and/or Religious Studies. (HIST 261, 262, 459 can be considered LAS courses. ) (ANTH 130 can be considered Religious Studies.)

Most people know of Latin America as the crucible for recent developments in Catholicism like liberation in theology. However, religion has long played a central role in shaping Latin American societies just as it has been shaped by them. This course will explore the connections between religion and society in the Latin American context. The emphasis of the course will shift from semester to semester, but it will normally focus on some combination of the following: pre-Columbian religions, Catholicism and conquest, syncretism, liberation theology, religion and revolution, evangelism, the survival of indigenous religions and other related topics.

Note: Credit cannot be obtained for both LAS 440 and SOC 440A.

SOC 450:
Selected Issues in Sociological Theory 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisites: 60 credits, to include at least nine credits sociology. (SOC 350 recommended.)

Transferability: SFU (pending)

An advanced seminar devoted to an in-depth examination of a topic not regularly offered by the department. The disciplinary designation will change to reflect specific topics. (Seminar)

SOC 460:
Issues in the Information Society 4 credits

Prerequisites: 45 credits, to include at least nine credits of sociology and/or MACS, or permission of instructor.

This course is an opportunity to discuss issues that relate to our use of interactive networked computers. How do the new information technologies affect privacy, democracy, access to information, family life, work, and communities? Students will use e-mail, online conference software and the Internet for some course work, but technical proficiency is not a prerequisite.

Note: Credit cannot be obtained for both MACS 460 and SOC 460.

SOC 463:
Special Topics in Development Studies 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisites: 60 credits, to include at least nine credits of sociology and/or anthropology. (ANTH 220, ANTH/SOC 363 and SOC 250 recommended. )

Transferability: OU, SFU

An examination of processes of social and cultural change in selected Third World societies. Topics will change from semester to semester, but may include liberation movements and colonialism, the comparative study of post-revolutionary societies, the persistence, transformation and disappearance of contemporary peasantries, directed change programs.

(This course was previously numbered SA 463, and is known as such at SFU. Students having credit for SA 463 at UCFV or SFU will not receive additional credit for SOC 463.)

Note: This course can be counted as either sociology or anthropology credit. Students wishing to take this course for anthropology credit should register in ANTH 463. Credit cannot be obtained for more than one of LAS 310, ANTH 310, SOC 463, or ANTH 463 with the same letter designation.

SOC 468:
Environment and Society 4 credits

Developed in partnership with Simon Fraser University

Prerequisities: 60 credits, to include ANTH 102 and at least six additional credits of sociology and/or anthropology.

This course examines ecological and environmental approaches and studies in anthropology and sociology, and studies of environmental issues in contemporary situations. Topics include relationships between forms of social organization and resource use, studies of resource use conflicts, and the ways in which different cultures view the environment. This course draws extensively on case studies by anthropologists and sociologists, with a special emphasis on the Pacific Northwest and communities in the Fraser River watershed.

Note: Credit cannot be obtained for both ANTH 468 and SOC 468.

SOC 470:
Race and Racism: Selected Topics 4 credits

Prerequisites: 60 credits, to include at least nine credits of sociology and/or anthropology.

Questions of race and ethnicity arise frequently in the context of popular discussions of social problems, national identity, and even national unity. They are equally important in academic discussions about modern societies around the world. This course explores selected topics related to race, racism and ethnicity from sociological and anthropological perspectives. Topics covered may include ethnic conflict, immigration and immigration policy, multiculturalism, racism, the development of immigrant identities and communities, charter groups/dominant cultures, indigenous and migrant subordination, the meaning of exile, etc. Students should consult the department to determine the content for a particular semester.

Note: Credit cannot be obtained for both ANTH 470 and SOC 470.

SOC 470A:
Race and Racism:
Selected Topics: Latin American Immigrants and Immigration 4 credits

Prerequisites: 60 credits, to include at least nine credits of sociology, anthropology and/or LAS (LAS 110 and/or HIST 261 recommended).

Immigration has been a crucial element in the formation of Latin American society and culture. It has shaped identity and community among Latin Americans abroad and has had reciprocal effects on the immigrants’ societies of origin. This course explores various aspects of Latino immigration from several perspectives. Topics covered may include: the push/pull factors causing immigration, immigration policy, the development of immigrant identities, the meaning of exile, and the formation of immigrant communities and their relationship to the cominant culture of Canadian society.The course will be of interest to students in Latin American Studies and others who will work with Latino communities in Canada.

Note: This course can be counted as either sociology or anthropology credit with respect to extended minors. Students wishing to take this course for Anthropology credit should register in ANTH 470A. Credit cannot be obtained for more than one of LAS 470, SOC 470A, or ANTH 470A.

SOC/ANTH 490:
Directed Readings in Sociology/Anthropology 4 credits

Prerequisites: 60 credits, to include at least nine credits of sociology and/or anthropology, plus permission from supervising faculty member and department head.

Directed reading in a selected field of study under the direction of a single faculty member. A major paper will be required.

Note: Credit cannot be obtained for both ANTH 490 and SOC 490.


Return to Course Descriptions Index