Sociology (SOCI)
This is a list of the Sociology (SOCI) courses available at KPU.
SOCI 1125 CR-3
Introduction to Society: Processes and Structures
Students will learn essential concepts, theoretical perspectives, and methods used in the discipline of sociology. They will explore sociological analysis on topics such as culture, socialization and social interaction, deviance, social inequality, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, aging, health, dis(abilities), mass media, family, education, work, religion, economy, polity, population and demography, social change, and globalization. Students will critically examine assumptions we make about social life and will develop informed views on social issues that are important in their own lives and the lives of others in local, national, and global communities.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2225 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1225 )
Canadian Society: Conflict and Consensus
Students will study various aspects of Canadian society. They will use sociological perspectives to critically analyze such things as Canadian identity, ethnic diversity and multiculturalism, national unity, regional differences, foreign control, and international relations. Students will explore the structure of Canadian society including issues related to health care, education, economy and work, social inequalities, government, and social policies.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2230 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1230 )
Racialization and Ethnicity in Canada
Students will explore the impact of racialization and ethnicity on Canadian social policy and practice in areas such as law and justice, education, human service delivery, arts, and the media. They will analyze evidence of systemic patterns of advantage and disadvantage based on race, ethnicity, and aboriginality in Canadian society. Students will critically examine the effects of race, ethnicity and aboriginality on social, political, and academic discourse, and on resistance movements.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2235 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1235 )
The Development of Sociological Thought
Students will explore the development of sociological thought from early modernist thinkers through to contemporary, post-colonial, and post-modern theorizing. They will critically evaluate essential sociological concepts, models, and theoretical approaches in light of the historical contexts in which they were developed, ongoing debates within the discipline, and their relevance to contemporary social life.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2240 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1240 )
Women in Canada
Students will examine the diversity of women's lives in Canada. They will consider various approaches to the study of gender (i.e., what constitutes femininity and masculinity), as well as various perspectives on gender inequality. Students will examine the diverse ways in which women's experiences shape and are shaped by institutions such as the economy, the state, education, family, and mass media. They will analyze the interrelationships in gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, sexuality, disability, and geography as well as their impact on the conditions of women's lives both within Canada and globally.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2250 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1250 )
Families in Canada
Students will examine the institution of the family in Canada in both historical and contemporary contexts. They will consider issues and approaches relevant to the sociology of the family and explore the structure and organization of various family forms and relations in the context of social, economic, and cultural transformation. Students will analyze the impact of gender, race, ethnicity and class on the institution of the family and compare cross-cultural and other differences among families both within Canada and globally.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2255 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1255 )
Sociology of Everyday Life and Interaction
Students will inquire into everyday practices, interactions, and social processes involved in the accomplishment of identities and the social order. They will learn how to frame scenes and situations through which identities and the social order emerge as lived experience. They will examine the relativity of relationships, participation and belonging, self-presentation and performativity, and the importance of communicative ideals. They will analyze the ways that reality is socially constructed and the social order is reproduced, challenged, and transformed through common place taken-for-granted social interactions, rituals, routines, and representations. Students will explore everyday social practices, images, and spaces in a way that offers new meaning to social phenomena such as fashion, flirting, friendship, leisure, workplaces, and city life.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2260 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1260 )
Research Methods in Sociology
Students will study the research methods used in the social sciences. Students will examine both quantitative and qualitative approaches used to conduct social research. They will emphasize practical applications of research while learning all the stages involved in designing and executing a research project.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2270 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1270 )
Sociology of Education: A Critical Perspective
Students will critically explore the sociological, philosophical, and psychological concepts and theories of education and learning. They will examine the historical, socio-economic, and political factors responsible for the establishment and growth of the education system and schooling in the Canadian and global contexts. Students will investigate and analyze current educational issues and controversies. They will analyze the effects of discrimination and inequality on the achievement levels of students, and the organization of schools and universities. Students will critically examine the effects of "race"/ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, and disabilities on the experiences of teachers and students in schools.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2275 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1275 )
Mass Media and Society
Students will study the place of the mass media in Canadian society and their role in the social construction of reality. They will examine the development of print, radio, television, and new media in a global context, and will focus on the interconnection between media and other social institutions. Students will evaluate and apply various theoretical approaches to media production, content, and audiences.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2280 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 1280 )
Sociology of Health and Illness
Students will learn how social, cultural, economic, and political factors surround the experience of the individual with regards to health and illness. They will learn about the structure of Canada's health care system, the roles of health care professionals, health care delivery systems, the interaction between health providers and service users, and policy issues in health care.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2285 CR-3
Gods in the Global Village: A Sociological Perspective of World Religions
Students will examine the social dimensions of religion in communities and countries across the world. They will explore the social relevance of religion to individuals and collectives in both the local and the wider global village. Students will explore several interpretations of religion offered by sociologists, past and present. They will also examine religion's contribution to the shaping of social reality and the status of religion in the world today as well as its future.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2311 CR-3
Social Justice in the Global and Local Contexts
Students will explore social, political, and economic justice in the global and local contexts. They will also examine social justice-related concepts of exploitation, oppression, resistance, privilege, power, inequity, self-determination, and (respect for) cultural diversity, from the sociological and related historical, philosophical, and political perspectives. Finally, students will examine the connections between local and global social justice-related issues and conflicts and how these issues and conflicts are handled in international bodies such as the UN.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125 (POLI 1150 or POLI 2130 recommended)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 2365 CR-3
Introduction to Social Research Statistics
Students will study basic statistical techniques used in sociology. They will examine descriptive and inferential statistics at an introductory level with an emphasis on practical applications. Students will learn to interpret and summarize data, perform basic bivariate analysis, and report findings in an informative and unbiased way.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125 and (CRIM 1208 or SOCI 2260)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3210 CR-3
Technology and Society
Students will examine the complex relationship between technology and society in Canada and internationally from a sociological perspective. They will focus on the social and ethical implications of modern technology, as well as its historical development and cultural foundations. Students will learn to think critically and comprehensively about the role of technology in contemporary societies, through comparative analysis and theoretical evaluation. They will pay particular attention to the social, economic, political, and cultural transformations brought about by computerization, and explore the value conflicts and social challenges created by the new information technologies.
Prerequisites: 45 credits, at 1100 or higher, including SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3230 CR-3
International Migration and Ethnic Communities
Students will critically examine the causes of international migration, refugee movements, and the establishment of ethnic communities outside of their countries of origin. They will focus on environmental crisis, ethnic strife and cleansing, wars, economic crisis, disease, and cultural issues. Students will look at the development of ethnic communities as a result of migration and the viability of such communities in the context of both multi-culturalism and uni-culturalism. They will also examine the ways in which gender, class, ethnicity, racialization, and legal status organize migration and settlement.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: 30 credits including SOCI 1125 (SOCI 2230 recommended)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3235 CR-3
Classic Sociological Theories
Students will examine classic sociological theories including the works of theorists such as Comte, Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Cooley and Mead, as well as early feminist and non-western theorists. They will explore the historical contexts in which the theories were developed and bring them to life by engaging in conceptual and critical analysis that furthers self-understanding and uncovers dimensions of our lives often take for granted. They will engage the theories through dialogue, join in debates that characterize sociology, and apply classic social theories to contemporary phenomena, issues, and problems, rather than treat the theories as relics of the past.
Note: this is a seminar course
Prerequisites: SOCI 2235
SOCI 3240 CR-3
Gender in Global Context
Students will examine the social, sexual, economic, and political dimensions of gender from multiple geographic and cultural locations. They will explore the foundational explorations of feminism into the study of gender, and reflect on subsequent diverse approaches to the study of gender from cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches such as post-colonial and critical race theory, queer theory, cultural studies, political economy, and Indigenous traditional knowledge. Students will analyze social identities, ideologies, structures, and policies that rest upon gendered processes of imperialism, neoliberalism, racialization, and sexualization in both local and global contexts.
Prerequisites: SOCI 2240
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3245 CR-3
Gender, Bodies, and Sexualities
Students will explore historical and contemporary conceptions of sexualities and embodiment relating to gender in Westernized societies. Students will study the changing construction of gender, sexual identities and politics of embodiment that shape our everyday lives in relation to other socialized differences such as race and class. They will explore, discuss, and debate important theoretical and conceptual frameworks in gender and sexualities studies such as social structure, intersectionality, and social constructionism.
Prerequisites: 30 credits at 1100-level or higher including SOCI 2240 or permission of the instructor
SOCI 3260 CR-3
Qualitative Methods in Sociology
Students will learn the theoretical and ethical underpinnings of qualitative research as well as the practical tools of the trade. They will use a broad range of applications including observational analysis, in-depth interviews and focus groups, participatory action research, ethnographic research, case studies, and narrative research. Students will gain practical knowledge of the many ways in which qualitative research techniques provide a contextual and in-depth understanding of social phenomenon. Students will use computer software and will also learn to organize, manage and interpret qualitative data.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: SOCI 2260
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3270 CR-3
Education, Nation-Building and Globalization
Students will critically examine the historical, socio-economic, and political factors responsible for the establishment and growth of education systems in different parts of the world. They will explore the roles of the education system in colonial intervention, promotion of Westernization, nation-building, and modernization globally. Students will explore the effects of globalization, neo-liberalism, and neo-conservatism on education systems and students in various countries from critical multidisciplinary perspectives.
Note: This is a seminar course
Prerequisites: 30 credits of 1100 level or higher, including SOCI 1125 (SOCI 2270 recommended)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3275 CR-3
Sociology of Popular Culture
Students will explore the role of popular culture in their everyday lives and its connection with social structures and processes. They will apply various sociological perspectives, concepts, and interpretive strategies to a critical examination of a variety of popular culture forms, consumer goods, and leisure activities. They will analyze the production and consumption of popular culture within the local and global contexts and explore the relationships between popular culture, and community, identities, ethnicity, gender, the body and sexuality.
Prerequisites: SOCI 2275
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3280 CR-3
Sociology of Dying and Death
Students will critically examine cultural, historical, and contemporary attitudes and practices concerning dying and death. They will focus on the dying process, medicalization of death, funerals and body disposal, grief and bereavement, the coroner's role, suicide, assisted death, and other end of life decisions.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: 60 credits, at 1100 level or higher, including SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3300 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 2300 )
Sociology of Work and Occupations
Students will study the sociological aspects of work and occupations in the Canadian context. They will explore topics such as the historical transformation of work, the meaning of work, the impact of new technologies, and work structuring and restructuring. They will also examine the social organization of occupations, the relationship between work and social inequality, employment opportunities and insecurities, and control and resistance. Students will critically analyze issues related to work and occupations that affect Canadians in significant ways.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3310 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 2310 )
Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Students will explore the emerging interdisciplinary field of Conflict Analysis and Resolution (CAR). They will critically analyze the basic elements and processes of human social conflict in interpersonal and broader social contexts. Students will learn core concepts and theories of conflict, including the thoughts and emotions that support conflict and the ones that challenge it; the social structures and processes that support, uphold, or diffuse it; and the ways in which the the conditions that support conflict can be transformed. Students will analyze an interdisciplinary body of scholarship that includes theoretical, professional, and applied studies of conflict and its resolution.
Note: This is a seminar class
Prerequisites: 45 credits at the 1100 level or higher, including SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3320 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 2320 )
Sociology of Global Inequalities
Students will critically examine a number of perspectives on development and underdevelopment within a global context, focusing in particular on economic, political and social change. They will critically examine the globalization process, including problems of inequality and its social, political, and economic roots. They will also analyze the role of regional and world bodies, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in development and underdevelopment, paying particular attention to the effects of these organizations on communities and individuals.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: 18 credits of 1100-level or higher, including SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3330 CR-3
Contemporary Sociological Theories
Students will engage in an extensive and critical examination of the assumptions, terminologies, and implications of the dominant frameworks of contemporary sociological theory from the early 20th century to the present.
They will examine and explore several sociological themes, including power and social structure, the individual in modern society, modernity, postmodernity, and globalization. Students will examine the works of leading theorists of the contemporary period.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: SOCI 2235
Not Transferable
SOCI 3345 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 2345 )
Social Policy in Context
Students will examine how social issues are defined, and how social policies are formulated, administered, and revised. They will explore the dynamic relationship between social policy and Canada's social structure from varying theoretical perspectives. Students will consider historical and global influences, contemporary welfare state programs, as well as ideological, social, and economic factors shaping policy formation.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 3365 CR-3
Quantitative Research Methods
Students will study statistical methods for research in the social sciences at an advanced level. Students will employ statistical theory to enhance understanding beyond the basic applications of descriptive and inferential statistics. Students will use existing sociological empirical case studies to examine the issues motivating the research, the key research questions, and the reports of findings. They will analyze secondary data using statistical techniques in the context of the broader logic of quantitative sociological inquiry, with a special focus on applied regression analysis.
Prerequisites: SOCI 2365 or PSYC 2300 or permission of the instructor
SOCI 3385 CR-3 (Formerly SOCI 2385 )
Introduction to Demography
Students will study the analysis of population and its three main components: fertility, mortality, and migration. They will engage in an examination of demographic patterns in contemporary Canadian society, along with extensive cross-cultural and historical analysis. Students will also undertake in-depth study of significant contemporary international demographic changes, particularly those taking place in Asia and the USA.
Prerequisites: SOCI 1125
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 4225 CR-3
Advanced Topics in Canadian Issues
Students will engage in an intensive and critical examination of a number of Canadian issues, as selected by the instructor. Students will conduct a primary research project outside the classroom and/or in the field for a portion of the semester on a specific topic. They will review relevant literature, write a proposal, collect and/or analyze data, write a paper, and give a presentation of the paper.
Note: The topic(s) of study will be established in advance by the department. Please check with the department for proposed offerings. This is a seminar course. Students may take this course multiple times for further credit on different topics.
Prerequisites: 60 credits at the 1100-level or higher including SOCI 2225 and SOCI 2260 (or CRIM 1208 or PSYC 2300 or PSYC 2400)
SOCI 4230 CR-3
Advanced Topics in Race/Ethnicity: A Global Perspective
Students will engage in an intensive and critical examination of a number of issues and policies relating to race and ethnicity globally, as selected by the instructor. Students will conduct a primary research project outside the classroom and/or in the field for a portion of the semester on a specific topic.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Note: The topic(s) of study will be established in advance by the department. Please check with the department for proposed offerings. For further credit on different topics, students may take this course multiple times.
Prerequisites: 45 credits at 1100 level or higher, including SOCI 1125 and SOCI 2230
SOCI 4275 CR-3
Lost in Transmission: Diversity and the Media
Students will explore the historical and contemporary role of the media in framing images of, and discourses about ethno-racial minorities, women, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and sexualized minorities in Canadian society. They will examine both historic and modern-day media portrayals of minority communities in Canada, and will further explore the impact of those portrayals on the public's perception and behaviour, as well as individual responses. Students will also examine the cultural history and experiences of minorities, and how and why minority groups have created systems of mass media self-representation to counter the mainstream mass media.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: A minimum of 60 credits at the 1100-level or higher, including SOCI 1125 and 2275
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 4310 CR-3
Terrorism, Globalization, and Social Justice
Students will explore the socio-economic and historical foundations of globalization, inequality, social (in)justice, resistance, and terrorism. They will analyze social (in)justice, globalization and terrorism in local and global political, ideological, and religious conflicts. Students will analyze forms of resistance, oppression, and global inequality. Finally, they will examine theories and practices of conflict resolution, global economic justice, international and inter-ethnic arenas and peace initiatives of the United Nations and other bodies.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: 45 credits of 1100 level or higher, including SOCI 1125 (SOCI 2230 and 3320 recommended)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
SOCI 4320 CR-3
Advanced Topics in Global Studies
Students will engage in an intensive and critical examination of a number of global issues, as selected by the instructor. Students will conduct a primary research project outside the classroom and/or in the field for a portion of the semester on a specific topic.
Note: This is a seminar course.
Note: The topic(s) of study will be established in advance by the department. Please check with the department for proposed offerings. For further credit on different topics, students may take this course multiple times.
Prerequisites: 45 credits at 1100 level or higher, including SOCI 1125 and SOCI 3320
SOCI 4325 CR-6
Sociological Aspects of Community Service
Students will gain employment experience through volunteer work at not for profit social service agencies, international organizations or other community groups. They will work to complete a mutually agreed upon project that focuses on an issue or problem faced by the host agency. Through this project they will integrate sociological theory, concepts and methods and apply to the understanding of practical social issues. Students will also be involved in classroom based analysis and reflection about the interrelationships among organizations, culture and society.
Prerequisites: 60 1100-level or higher credits including SOCI 1125 and (SOCI 2260 or PSYC 2400 or CRIM 2103)
SOCI 4330 CR-6
Global Community Service
Students will deepen their formal preparation for local and global citizenship and gain practical experience through a field placement, doing volunteer work as part of a team with international non-for-profit/non-governmental or other community organizations in another country. They will engage in praxis-oriented, reciprocal learning about social justice issues through the application of theoretical and sociological knowledge, concepts, and methods to the practical, everyday lives of disadvantaged people and groups. They will work to complete a mutually agreed upon project that focuses on a social justice issue or problem faced by the host agency. Students will also be involved in classroom based analysis and critical reflection about the interrelationships among organizations, cultures and global society.
Prerequisites: 45 credits at 1100-level or higher including SOCI 3320
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
