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Sociology Major
Program Requirements
Students complete 120 units, as specified below.
Lower Division Requirements
Students should complete all lower division requirements before completing upper division courses.
Students complete a total of 23 units, including all of
An examination of Canadian society from the perspective of the social sciences -- an introduction both to the nature of Canadian society and to the use of sociological and anthropological concepts applied to the analysis of modern societies in general. This course is meant to appeal to those who specifically wish to expand their knowledge of Canadian Society, and also to those who may be considering further work in sociology and anthropology. Topics to be considered include class structure, the nature of Canada's population, regional variation, gender relations, multiculturalism, native issues. Prerequisite: . Writing/Breadth-Social Sci.
An introduction to the study of human social and cultural life from an anthropological perspective. The course will explore the scope and nature of the discipline of anthropology through study of selected cases drawn from both technologically simple communities and complex modern industrial societies. Students with credit for SA 170 may not take SA 101 for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences. Equivalent Courses: SA170. Breadth-Social Sciences.
The study of basic concerns of sociology, such as social order, social change, social conflict and social inequality. Breadth-Social Sciences. Equivalent Courses: PSA.101. Breadth-Social Sciences.
An account of sociological theory, outlining the main ideas and concepts of the principal schools of thought. Prerequisite: SA 150.
An introduction to the conduct of sociological and anthropological research. Topics covered 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. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150. Quantitative.
Descriptive and inferential statistics aimed at students in the social sciences. Scales of measurement. Descriptive statistics. Measures of association. Hypothesis tests and confidence intervals. Students in Sociology and Anthropology are expected to take SA 255 before this course. Intended to be particularly accessible to students who are not specializing in Statistics. Students with credit for STAT 101, 102, 103, 201, 270, ARCH 376 or, BUEC 232 (formerly 332), may not subsequently receive credit for this course. Recommended: a research methods course such as SA 255, CRIM 120, POL 213 or equivalent is recommended prior to taking STAT 203. Quantitative. Prerequisite: REQ-Students in Sociology and Anthropology are expected to take SA255 before this crs. Students with credit for STAT101, 102, 103, 201, 270, ARCH376 or, BUEC232 (formerly 332), may not receive further credit. Recommended: SA255, CRIM120, POL213 or equiv. Equivalent Courses: STAT102 STAT103 STAT201 STAT270 STAT301. Quantitative.
* Students with an equivalent post-secondary statistics course are exempt from STAT 203. It is, however, highly recommended that students complete SA 255 before completing STAT 203.
Upper Division Requirements
Students complete a total of 32 SA units, including
An examination of aspects of the work of one or more of the nineteenth or early twentieth century sociological theorists. Prerequisite: SA 250.
and one of
An examination of the principal methods of empirical research in political science. This course is equivalent to SA 355. Prerequisite: POL 201, or SA 255 or STAT 203 (formerly 103). Students with credit for POL 315 may not take SA 355 for further credit. Quantitative.
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. Through an introduction to 'hands on' use of the computer, this course emphasizes the applications, rather than the mathematics, of statistics. Prerequisite: STAT 203 or equivalent and SA 255. Students with credit for SA 355 may not take POL 315 for further credit. Quantitative.
and one of
An examination of qualitative field methods, including participant observation, interviewing, archival research, cross-cultural research, life histories, network analysis, mapping, and ethical problems of fieldwork. Prerequisite: SA 255. Writing.
Students will formulate a research problem suited to a quasi-experimental (survey) design, and perform all the research steps needed for its completion. Prerequisite: SA 255. Recommended: SA 355. Writing/Quantitative.
and eight upper division units chosen from the Calendar list of sociology (S) courses. An additional 12 upper division units are required, to be chosen from any A, S, or SA course.
Students must meet theory and methods requirements (see program options for specifics. In our information-based society, many employers and most graduate schools require considerable knowledge of conceptualizing research problems, information gathering, analysis and presentation. Students are strongly urged to balance theory courses with methods courses above the minimum and they may choose to range broadly across the two disciplines or to focus on a special interest. Courses fall broadly into the following groups.
Courses in Sociology (S)
Courses in Anthropology (A)
Courses in Sociology and Anthropology (SA)
Courses in Sociology (S)
These courses count as sociology credit toward the sociology major or minor.
An analysis of the social institutions and structure of Canadian society. The focus of the course will vary from semester to semester, but typically it will examine different theoretical approaches to the study of Canada and, from these, develop a framework for the analysis of Canadian social institutions and class structure. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
This course examines how the organization of control (formal and informal) affects both individuals and society. It will investigate how control takes form, how it functions, the ideologies supporting it, and the resistance it produces. We will ask the following questions: who are the agents of social control; who or what do they control; and how do they control? Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
A study of the sources, development and effects of social movements in transitional and modernized societies. Specific types of movements will be analysed. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of the relations of power and authority. This course will analyze the interrelations of family, church, class, interest groups, etc., particularly as they influence and are influenced by the state. The relations of law and ideology to the structures of government will form the context for this analysis. The course may also focus on broad theoretical questions of contemporary political interest. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of recent social thought that is concerned with environmental and ecological themes. It will address a selection from the following themes: technology evaluation; technology and science as ideology; ecology and social inequality; the concepts of ecosystem, environment and wilderness; the self-world relationship; politics of environmental uses; environment and the economy. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of sociological theories concerning the interaction of social structures, and meaning and belief systems. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
A sociological examination of the contested nature of contemporary domestic and intimate relations. The course will focus on debates arising from equality movement politics (e.g. gender, sexuality, race). Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
A sociological study of the position of women and men in 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. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W. Students with credit for SA 292 (when offered as gender relations) or GSWS 308 (or WS 308) may not take SA 335 for further credit.
The categories that organize our understandings of sex, gender and sexuality have powerful histories and roles in organizing social relations in western society. Social activists and academics contest the naturalness of these categories, particularly that of the binary opposition between male and female, and related assumptions about sexuality and sexual orientation. This course encompasses a range of perspectives on sex/gender identity, sexuality, and the relationship between the two. These perspectives include feminist, lesbian and gay, and queer and transgender challenges to traditional understandings of sex/gender identity and sexuality. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of aspects of the work of one or more of the nineteenth or early twentieth century sociological theorists. Prerequisite: SA 250.
A detailed study of classical Marxist social thought. Prerequisite: SA 250.
A sociological examination of sport focuses on the role of this important set of institutions and activities in shaping social relations and understandings about difference and identity. Sport has a long history of naturalizing racial and gender differences in such a way as to reinforce and reflect social inequality more broadly. Racial segregation in sport (at least in formal legal terms) is no longer considered acceptable in western societies or in the Olympic movement at the global level. But the power of sport in reinforcing and naturalizing racial inequality continues while the naturalness and inevitability of sex segregation in sport remains largely unchallenged. This course will explore the relationships between sport and social inequality, sport and nationalism, and sport and the economy. Prerequisite: Minimum of 30 units including SA 150. Students with credit for SA 216 or SA 315 (when offered as Society of Leisure) may not take this course for further credit.
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. Through an introduction to 'hands on' use of the computer, this course emphasizes the applications, rather than the mathematics, of statistics. Prerequisite: STAT 203 or equivalent and SA 255. Students with credit for SA 355 may not take POL 315 for further credit. Quantitative.
Students will formulate a research problem suited to a quasi-experimental (survey) design, and perform all the research steps needed for its completion. Prerequisite: SA 255. Recommended: SA 355. Writing/Quantitative.
An examination of the social and political implications of the global economy. Topics to be considered include the influence of neo-liberal economics, the decline of the national welfare state, transnational political agencies and public policy, the internationalization of culture, the global labour market, the 'world city' hypothesis, ethnic resurgence and alternatives to these developments. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
Explores a topic in Sociology not regularly offered by the department. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
This seminar will be taught co-operatively by LAS associated faculty or by a visiting professor. A topic will be chosen which can be examined profitably from a multidisciplinary perspective. Prerequisite: Minimum of 72 units including LAS 200, or consent of instructor. Students who have taken LAS 403 cannot take this course for further credit.
Offers specialized instruction on advanced topics pertaining to the social and moral regulation of human subjects in both historical and contemporary contexts. It explores the ideologies, policies and practices of regulation and governance in application to selected social contexts and subjects including, but not confined to, welfare, justice, medicine, the 'psy' sciences, immigration, labour, sexuality, pornography, racialization, gender and family. Students will acquire specialized knowledge about the profound impact of civil and state regulation projects on societies past and present, and about the rich diversity of institutional, cultural and human experience that these social ordering ideologies, policies and practices encompass. Prerequisite: Minimum of 72 units including either SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
This course may focus variously on one or all of the following: the social origins and functions of art, sociological theories of aesthetics, and contemporary issues in art, such as the fate of art in modern society, popular culture, mass media, ideology in art. Prerequisite: Minimum of 72 units including SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of sociological approaches to the study of health and health care, emphasizing the connections between social theory and empirical data. Topics may include: the social determinants of health, health inequities, the structure and reform of health care systems, and the application of human rights frameworks to the study of health. Prerequisite: minimum of 72 units which must include SA 255, or must have graduate student status in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Students who have taken SA 360 Special Topics: Medical Sociology in 2006-3 may not take this course for further credit. Prerequisite: REQ-Minimum of 72 units which must include SA 255, or must have graduate student status in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Students who have taken SA 360 Special Topics: Medical Sociology in 2006-3 may not take this course for further credit.
The structural and behavioral implications of aging. Topics included will be: demographic aspects of aging; the relationship of aging to political, economic, familial and other social institutions; the psychological significance of aging. Prerequisite: 72 units including SA 101 or 150 or SA 201W, or acceptance into the diploma program in gerontology, or by consent of instructor. This course is identical to GERO 420 and students cannot take both courses for credit. Students may use GERO 420 to fulfil their major or minor requirements in lieu of SA 420.
A senior seminar on current perspectives in sociological theory. Emphasis will differ from semester to semester. Prerequisite: Minimum of 72 units including SA 350, a GPA of at least 3.25 and consent of the instructor.
An advanced seminar devoted to an in-depth examination of a topic in Sociology not regularly offered by the department. Prerequisite: Minimum 72 units including SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
Directed readings in a selected field of study under the direction of a single faculty member. A paper will be required. Prerequisite: minimum of 72 units including SA 101 or 150 or 201W. Students with credit for SA 496 may not take SA 497 for further credit.
Courses in Sociology and Anthropology (SA)
These courses count as anthropology or sociology credit whenever they are completed.
An introduction to the political economy and culture of capitalism in relation to global problems. Case studies may focus on issues of population, famine, disease, poverty, environmental destruction, social inequality, and nation-state violence. Resistance, rebellion and social movements in response to these problems also will be addressed. Students who took SA 294 in 03-1, 04-1 and 04-2 may not take SA 302 for further credit. Writing/Breadth-Social Sci.
Explores the new social spaces and social practices fostered by new information technology. Special attention will be paid to who is making decisions about what technologies to adopt and how, what social changes are resulting, and who benefits and who loses. A significant portion of activity in this course will involve direct engagement with new information technology.
An examination of tourism from the perspectives of sociology and anthropology, focusing primarily upon the social and cultural impacts of tourism and the social policy implications of tourism development in different societies. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201w.
An examination of the relations between religion and the social environment. Consideration will be given to classical theoretical debates in the anthropology and sociology of religion. Specific topics vary from year to year, and may include: religion in personhood and communities; religion, gender, ethnicity and social class; secularization and secularism; the role of religion in political mobilizations; interreligious relations; religious freedom and citizenship. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of how sociological and anthropological theories and methods can be applied to the examination of social problems and issues which become the object of social policy. A central concern of the course is the question of how social issues are defined as problematic. Particular attention will be given to gender, ethnicity, class and generation. Substantive examples of social policy issues will be selected from a number of fields. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An introduction to critical perspectives on the social construction of race, nation building and transnational migration, with an emphasis on state policies and the experiences of immigrants. The course will cover a review of colonialism and the construction of racialized labour market. Core topics may include: racialization of space, anti-racist feminist thought, immigration policy, settlement services, multiculturalism, citizenship, racial profiling, diasporas, and refugees. Comparative material will be used to complement the Canadian focus. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of qualitative field methods, including participant observation, interviewing, archival research, cross-cultural research, life histories, network analysis, mapping, and ethical problems of fieldwork. Prerequisite: SA 255. Writing.
An analysis of the nature of explanation in the social sciences: 'mind' and action, positivist and interpretive modes of explanation, sociological and historical explanation, objectivity, forms of relativism, the concept of rationality. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
A seminar exploring a topic not regularly offered by the department. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of sociological and anthropological theories of development and underdevelopment as applied to the Third World. The nature and consequences of world system linkages; colonialism and decolonization; patterns of social change in selected societies and regions. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
Anthropological approaches to urbanization, the nature of the city as a social system, and urban cultures and lifestyles. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W. Students with credit for SA 464 may not take SA 364 for further credit.
An examination of environmental issues in their social context. Environmental issues are on the leading edge of contemporary public concern and public policy debates. This course will examine such issues as the relationship between social organization and mode of subsistence, the politics of hunger, and the way in which human societies in their particular social, historical, and cultural contexts view and interact with the natural world. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of the ways in which ethnographers seek to understand a world experiencing profound changes in the relationships between governments and the societies they govern. Topics to be considered may include: relations between indigenous peoples and governments; the social and cultural dynamics of public policy making; the articulation of human rights issues. The focus of the course will vary from semester to semester. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An introduction to the peoples and institutions of Latin America in historical and contemporary perspective, emphasizing macro-level patterns of similarity and diversity. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W. Students with credit for SA 391 or LAS 392 may not take this course for further credit.
An examination of selected aspects of social structure, culture and processes of social change in a specific regional area. The focus will vary from term to term. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An investigation of the social, cultural, and political issues that contribute to problems of ill-health in resource-poor countries and the major efforts in international public health to address these problems. It explores the application of knowledge about social, and especially gender relations in international health, with particular attention to local perspectives and grassroots initiatives. Institutional frameworks intended to promote health development are examined in historical and contemporary perspective through case studies on topics such as: malaria, population control, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis. Prerequisite: 90 credit hours, which must include SA 101 or 150. Highly recommended: SA 218, 302 and 318. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Through a program of focused readings, films, and case studies, this course examines the experiences of women in the Third World in relation to the global economy and reorganization of states and cultures. The course challenges conventional ways of thinking about everyday life in households and workplaces, and emphasizes that issues which may seem specifically third World-based are shared by many around the world. An awareness of this commonality helps us assess the balance of structural constraints and opportunities, and stimulates a discussion on the organization of alternative ways of living. Prerequisite: A minimum of 72 units including SA 101 or 150 or 201W. Students who took SA 463 in 2003 SA 460 in 2003 and SA 360 in 2004 may not take this course for further credit.
Through a program of focused readings, case studies, and films, this course offers a new perspective on the study of globalization. It balances classical themes with contemporary approaches to global processes of economic, political, and cultural transformation. The course tackles such topics as the material aspects of cooperation and coercion, class relations in structures of capital accumulation and global governance, and cultural dynamics. Alternatives to Euro-American centrism are explored through the examples of citizenship, cultural politics, ethnic and religious conflicts, human rights, indigenous rights, and women's rights. Prerequisite: Minimum of 72 units including either SA 101 or 150 or 201W. Students with credit for SA 463 completed in 2004-3 may not complete this course for further credit.
An advanced seminar devoted to an in-depth examination of a topic not regularly offered by the department. Prerequisite: Minimum 72 units including SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
An examination of processes of social 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. Prerequisite: Minimum of 72 units including SA 101 or 150 or 201W.
Advanced field project in a research setting. 間眅埶AV dependent on availability of appropriate field placements and departmental supervisory capacity. Prerequisite: Students must successfully complete a Criminal Record Check.
An honors essay to be written under the direction of a member of faculty, a copy of which is to be permanently lodged with the department. Applications should be submitted to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee 4 weeks prior to the beginning of the term in which SA 499 is to be undertaken. Students should submit a paper proposal, a work plan, and confirmation of faculty supervisor.
Theory and methods requirements should be completed early in the upper division program. Students are strongly urged to balance theory courses with methods courses over the required minimum.
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Major Requirements
For all bachelor of arts (BA) programs (except the honours program), students complete 120 units, which includes
- at least 60 units that must be completed at 間眅埶AV
- at least 45 upper division units, of which at least 30 upper division units must be completed at 間眅埶AV
- at least 65 units (including 21 upper division units) in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses
- satisfaction of the writing, quantitative, and breadth requirements
- an overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division CGPA of at least 2.0, and a program (major, joint major, extended minor, minor) CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 2.0
Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements
Students admitted to 間眅埶AV beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See for university-wide information.
WQB Graduation Requirements
A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit
Requirement |
Units |
Notes | |
W - Writing |
6 |
Must include at least one upper division course, taken at 間眅埶AV within the student’s major subject | |
Q - Quantitative |
6 |
Q courses may be lower or upper division | |
B - Breadth |
18 |
Designated Breadth | Must be outside the student’s major subject, and may be lower or upper division 6 units Social Sciences: B-Soc 6 units Humanities: B-Hum 6 units Sciences: B-Sci |
6 |
Additional Breadth | 6 units outside the student’s major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements) |
Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit
The University’s residency requirement stipulates that, in most cases, total transfer and course challenge credit may not exceed 60 units, and may not include more than 15 as upper division work.
For calendar technical problems or errors, contact calendar-sfu@sfu.ca | Calendar Changes and Corrections