Course subject: Sociology (SOC)

An examination of the circuits of technology, creativity, and culture in new media industries, including qualitative work with start-ups and entrepreneurs.

Relation of sociological theory to specific problems of sociological analysis.

The social science research process is examined within quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches.

This course covers the basic techniques for collecting, interpreting, and analyzing qualitative data. The course will operate on two interrelated dimensions, one focused on understanding the relationship between theory, methods and data, the other focused on practical techniques such as identifying informants, and coding and analyzing data.

An instructor will teach in their area of specialization.

The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the intersections between technological innovations, law, and the regulation of social life. Emphasis is placed on how socio-technical and legal orders condition information environments, and, by extension, inform power relations and social inequalities. Focus is also placed on a range of empirical contexts to reveal how social harms are both produced and regulated through a nexus of technology, legal rules, and social relations.

An overview of sociological approaches - theoretical and methodological - to the study of health, illness, and health care. Both the social organization of the health care system and the socio-cultural determinants of health and illness are considered.

The course examines key substantive, theoretical and methodological issues of the sociology of religion through the detailed study of important classical and contemporary works in the field. Representative issues addressed are: the social and psychological nature and function of religious experience, the character of conversion processes, the social and political implications of religious ideologies and organizations, the status of religious beliefs and practices in an age of seeming secularization. Attention will be given to both western and non-western religious traditions as well as to both established and newer forms of religious life.

An overview of current sociological theories and research in the areas of crime and delinquency, and juvenile and criminal justice. The focus of the course is on recent developments in theory and research that have received widespread attention from sociological criminologists.

A critical examination of political and governmental strategies for identifying social problems and managing the conduct of individuals, groups, and populations.

A systematic review and analysis of major theories of social change. Theoretical problems are examined within a specific context such as social organization, economic institutions, social stratification, and urban structures.

The course will explore the theoretical debates within feminist scholarship surrounding the use of Western liberal legal approaches to prosecute gender violence and improve the socio-economic status of women globally. The course readings will draw from various literatures, including liberal and transnational feminist, postcolonial, and socio-legal and governmentality literatures, to analyse and critically evaluate the concept and deployment of women's empowerment in global contexts.

This course explores theoretical perspectives on migration and critically examines how states deter or facilitate migration flows, including irregular immigration, refugees and asylum seekers, and low and high-skilled labourers. A multidisciplinary approach allows students to investigate the ubiquitous rise of border controls as a state tool to control migration, and how their implementation intersects with gender, race, class and nationality.