Sociology
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Sociology examines the development, structuring, and organization of societies in all their historical and current diversity.
Courses in the Department of Sociology seek to understand how people live, think and feel. By understanding the social forces, structures and relationships that shape our world, sociology allows us to see why and how things are the way they are, and how they could be better or otherwise.
Sociology is therefore central to understanding institutions, organizations, social policy, inequality, privilege, social problems and social change.
Sociology Electives
Below is a list of all Sociology electives that anyone can register for, because they have 0 or just 1 prerequisite. For a complete list of our Sociology courses, see the university calendar.
Introduction to Sociology
(SOCI 1000)
An introduction to the concepts, principles, and topics of Sociology. This course is a prerequisite to most departmental courses.
Note: Same as the former SOCI 2000
Introduction to Criminology
(SOCI 1001)
Introduces students to criminological and sociological models and research methods for understanding the phenomenon of “crime”. As a background for developing theory, this course familiarizes students with the challenges associated with defining and researching “crime”. Along with a critical examination of the different theories and methods in criminology, students consider the implications for policy.
Co-Requisite: SOCI 1000 or the former SOCI 2000
Note: Same as Criminology 1001, the former Police Studies 2300, the former SOCI 2300
Social Inequalities
(SOCI 2100)
Introduces the subject of social inequality and stratification, examines social inequalities in historical perspective, reviews major theories about social inequalities, and considers key social developments in contemporary societies in the area of social inequalities.
Economy and Society
(SOCI 2110)
Explores different links that exist between economy and society. Emphasis will be put on embeddedness of economic processes in a broader social context. Several approaches to the study of the embeddedness will be discussed: economic sociology, institutional economics, law and economics, and others. Do we really live in a network society, where the most important thing is to ‘get connected’? How important is it to trust people in everyday life and to what extent? What role do power and coercion play in our everyday lives? The course will provide guidelines for finding tentative answers to these questions.
Technology and Society
(SOCI 2120)
An examination of the role of technology in society and society's role in shaping technology. Topics may include the emergence of modern technological society, the impact of new technologies on social organization and culture, and the institutionalization of science and the production of scientific knowledge. The course also explores the ideological functions of science and technology.
Homelessness and Social Control
(SOCI 2208)
Examines and questions the dominant political-economic logics and social control strategies used to manage homelessness. It explores common strategies that attempt to supervise, regulate, and integrate impoverished populations into civil society and the market. This course also proposes promising future directions for homeless governance in Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Communication and Culture
(SOCI 2210)
An examination of verbal and non-verbal systems of communication, and the influence of language on human cognition.
Note: Same as the former Sociology/Anthropology 2210, the former Anthropology 2210, and not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
Newfoundland Society and Culture
(SOCI 2230)
Focuses on the social and cultural aspects of contemporary island Newfoundland.
Note: Same as Folklore 2230, the former Sociology/Anthropology 2230, the former Anthropology 2230, and not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
Canadian Society and Culture
(SOCI 2240)
A descriptive and analytic approach to the development of Canadian society and culture.
Note: Same as the former Sociology/Anthropology 2240, the former Anthropology 2240, and not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
Global Social Problems
(SOCI 2250)
A sociological analysis of contemporary world issues and global social problems. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.
Families
(SOCI 2270)
A comparative and historical study of the family, and the range of variation in its processes and structure.
Note: Same as the former Sociology/Anthropology 2270, the former Anthropology 2270
Animals and Society
(SOCI 2290)
Introduces students to contemporary sociological approaches to the study of the relationship between human and non-human animals.
Science, Technology, and Society
(SOCI 3015)
Explores the relationships among science, technology, and society (STS). It is premised on the idea that science and technology affect our social, cultural, economic, and political lives. Equally, scientific research and technology development are shaped by their social, cultural, economic, and political contexts. This course draws upon the fields of anthropology, sociology, geography, history, and cultural studies, as STS is an interdisciplinary field.
Note: Same as Geography 3015
Introduction to Social Network Analysis
(SOCI 3020)
Considers the idea that who you know matters, and shows how the structure of networks relates to everyday life. Students will learn how connections impact outcomes in areas such as health, employment, business, and critically examine how forms of social inequality like gender, ethnicity and class influence who we get to know. Students will be introduced to network analysis through the collection and analysis of their own networks.
Political Sociology
(SOCI 3030)
An introduction to the sociological foundations of political life. Topics to be examined include voting behaviour, comparative power systems, ideologies, mass movements, parties, voluntary associations, and bureaucracies. Attention is given to the concepts of class, status, command, power, authority, and legitimacy.
Note: Same as the former Political Science 3030
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Introduction to the Methods of Sociological Research (SOCI 3040)
Provides familiarization with the processes and reasoning sociologists use for posing and answering sociologically grounded questions. Both qualitative and quantitative research design and analysis will be explored. We take you 'behind the scenes' of the research process to provide foundational research skills, familiarity with interpreting and gathering numerical data, and a stronger capacity for students to critically evaluate the research-based writing in sociology. All sections of this course follow Quantitative Reasoning Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/qr.
Co-Requisite: SOCI 3041
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Theory and Practice of Sociological Research
(SOCI 3041)
Develops and elaborates upon work introduced in SOCI 3040. Students will more deeply explore the theories of knowledge that underpin social research and further hone their abilities to assess different forms of sociological work and to craft research questions. This course includes lectures, discussion, and introductory hands-on experience with both qualitative and quantitative research and analysis. Instruction takes place in a classroom equipped with the computer hardware and relevant software. All sections of this course follow Quantitative Reasoning Course Guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/qr.
Co-Requisite: SOCI 3040
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Social Psychology
(SOCI 3120)
Examines sociological perspectives on social psychology: the physiological and psychological basis of sign and symbol use, the context and emergence of self, identity, role, encounters, social relationships, altercasting.
Sociology of Gambling
(SOCI 3130)
Provides a critical overview of the major social and cultural aspects of modern gambling in terms of leisure, work and economic development, social inequality, health and illness, deviance and crime, and policy. Special attention is directed at the promotion of modern gambling by the state (lotteries, casinos, video lottery terminals, slot machines, and horse racing).
Social Movements
(SOCI 3140)
Examines the major social movements that have driven social changes related to gender equality, social justice, human rights, and the environment. The course asks why people become involved in social movements, and what factors contribute to movement success. The course also examines social movements’ use of mass media and new media technologies as tools for reaching the public and provoking social and cultural transformation.
Note: Same as Sociology/Anthropology 3140, the former Anthropology 3140, and not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
Classical Social Theory
(SOCI 3150)
An introduction to the work of major 19th and early 20th-century social theorists including Marx, Durkheim, and Weber.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Contemporary Social Theory
(SOCI 3160)
An exploration of selected topics from issues in contemporary social theory, including theories of feminism, the state, the environment, culture, organization, and communication.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Ethnic Relations in Canada
(SOCI 3180)
Examines the nature of ethnocultural group status in society and various examples of ethnocultural groups in past and present societies, reviews theoretical perspectives on racial and ethnic inequality, and explores various aspects of the relationship between ethnic groups in Canada.
Note: Same as the former SOCI 3304
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Population
(SOCI 3200)
An introduction to demography, the scientific study of human populations, their size and composition, and the processes by which they change over time: nuptially, fertility, mortality, and migration. Includes analyses of past and present Newfoundland and Labrador populations.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Work and Society
(SOCI 3220)
An historical and comparative perspective on the cultural and social organization of work, its determinants and human implications.
Note: Same as the former Sociology/Anthropology 3220, the former Anthropology 3220, and not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
International Development
(SOCI 3260)
An examination of theories of development including a critical analysis of international case studies. All sections of this course follow International Studies guidelines available at www.mun.ca/hss/IS.
Note: Same as Anthropology 3260, the former Sociology/Anthropology 3260
Deviance
(SOCI 3290)
Examines major sociological theories and methodological techniques central to the study of deviance and crime. The distribution, attributes and explanations of a variety of forms of deviance are examined, which may include violence, sexual deviance, delinquency, addiction, mental disorder, theft, organized crime, political deviance and corporate deviance.
Note: Same as Criminology 3290
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000, and Criminology 1001 (or the former Police Studies 2300 or the former SOCI 2300) or SOCI 1001
Sociological Specialties
(SOCI 3300-3313, excluding 3306, 3311)
Will have a topic of current interest and importance, announced by the Department for each term, such as racial and ethnic relations, sociology of religion, health, art, language, conflict, stratification, knowledge, selected social problems.
Sociology of Disability
(SOCI 3311)
Examines the social construction of disability, and explores the intersection of disability, disability studies, and disability activism with major areas of sociological focus that often fail to address disability (e.g. race, gender, work, sexuality, identity, globalization and knowledge production). By critically unpacking concepts of ‘accommodation’, ‘inclusivity’ and ‘accessibility’ this course explores how constructions and discourses of disability shape our social world and ways of knowing.
Oil and Society
(SOCI 3317)
An examination of the sociology of the Western oil industry and of the social and cultural implications of oil activities for those regions in which they occur. Particular attention will be paid to North Atlantic societies: Scotland. Norway, and Atlantic Canada.
Note: Same as the former Sociology/Anthropology 3317, the former Anthropology 3317, and not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Culture and Aging
(SOCI 3318)
An Introduction to the study of aging from a social and cultural perspective. Distinctions between the biological and social elements of the aging process will be examined. The overview of social and cultural gerontology Includes social, economic and political influences on later life, as well as the culture-based needs and aspirations of the aged.
Note: Same as the former Sociology/Anthropology 3318, the former Anthropology 3318, and not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Terrorism and Society
(SOCI 3320)
An examination of the recourse to violence as a recurring phenomenon in social and political movements. Consideration will be given to problems of classifying and explaining various forms of "terrorism", and to discussing their consequences for society.
Note: Same as the former Sociology/Anthropology 3320, the former Anthropology 3320, and not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Sociology of Youth
(SOCI 3400)
Explores the social construction of youth and reviews major theoretical approaches to the study of youth within Western Society. The course examines youth in relation to culture and identity, place and space, social inequalities, and social institutions.
Sociology of Physical Activity & Sport
(SOCI 3410)
An analysis of functions of physical activity and sport in Canadian and North American society. Physical activity and sport will be viewed through social organization, social processes, social problems, socialization and stratification, and violence.
Note: Same as Human Kinetics and Recreation 3410
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Sociology of Gender
(SOCI 3420)
Provides a comprehensive introduction to the major themes, theories and research questions addressed by sociologists studying ‘gender’. The economic, social, cultural and political aspects of gender formations, in comparative Canadian and transnational contexts, will be examined.
New Media Methods in Social Research
(SOCI 3630)
Will explore non-print means for recording social behavior and will utilize various forms of the media as a descriptive and an analytic tool.
Note: Same as Anthropology 3630, the former Sociology/Anthropology 3630
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Post-Soviet Transformations
(SOCI 3710)
Will explore problems of development in post-Soviet countries, examining them in a broader context of modernization. 'Catch-up' modernization gives rise to a set of problems related to institutional importation, e.g., a gap between formal and informal institutions. These problems exist in Russia as well as in a number of other less-developed countries.
Prerequisite: SOCI 1000 or the former 2000
Sociology of Culture
(SOCI 3731)
A comparative examination of major contemporary sociological texts on the relationship between culture, broadly understood as symbolic systems, and social structur
Gender and Social Theory
(SOCI 4092)
A seminar which examines assumptions about what constitutes 'social theory', the history of social thought as it applies to issues of gender, and the debates surrounding the intersection of gender and social theory. The goal is to understand more about ways in which social theory has illuminated relations between gendered categories, the social world and its diverse inhabitants.
Note: Same as the former Sociology/Anthropology 4092, the former Anthropology 4092, and not applicable towards the Major or Minor in Anthropology
Prerequisite: SOCI 3040, 3150, 3420 or permission of the instructor
Indigenous Peoples in the City
(SOCI 4205)
Examines the migration and involvement of Indigenous Peoples to urban centres. Students will critically consider nationhood, affiliation, ethnicity, gender, and class as these structures relate co Indigenous Peoples, urban living, identity and culture. Students will further decolonize their understanding of Indigenous Peoples and participation in urban society.
Gender, Poverty and Homelessness
(SOCI 4208)
A critical sociology seminar using an intersectional approach to examine issues confronting the wide diversity of people living in poverty in the contemporary Canadian welfare state. Topics include pathways to poverty, health and quality of life, impact of gender and other social locations on poverty, civil society responses, social policy and actions, and the provision of financial, human, and social program resources in Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador.