¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

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Sociology

Master of Arts

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Requirements

See 1.3 for general requirements. In addition to these requirements, the department also requires a written statement about current interests and prospective research. How well the applicant’s proposed research coincides with the research and teaching interests of the faculty is an important admission consideration.

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV applications are normally considered once each year at the end of January. The program commences in September. Contact the graduate program chair or secretary for further information.

Areas of Study

The department offers the following areas of study.

  • anthropology and sociology of medicine, health and society (particularly politics of knowledge production, disability, mental health, AIDS)
  • Canadian society (ethnic relations, demographic issues, social inequality, political economy)
  • critical pedagogy
  • development studies (especially the Third World, including studies of tourism and international health)
  • environmental issues
  • minority indigenous peoples (particularly Canadian Native peoples)
  • political sociology (with emphasis on political economy, ethnic relations and social movements)
  • social and cultural anthropology (with emphasis on the anthropology of contemporary life)
  • social policy issues (aging, family, gender relations, government administration of native peoples)
  • sociological and anthropological studies of law and legal systems
  • sociological theory, anthropological theory, and the philosophy of the social sciences (European intellectual history, holistic, comparative, historical and post colonial perspectives)
  • sociology of agriculture, and science, technology and society
  • sociology of sexuality and moral panic, and social problems and deviance

Graduate Seminar

All full-time graduate students must attend and actively participate in the graduate seminar during their first two program terms. In subsequent terms, attendance and enrolment is voluntary. Special arrangements will be made for part-time students to fulfil this requirement.

Language Requirement

Although French or a foreign language is desirable, there is no prescribed language requirement but, where a language other than English is necessary for field work or reading, proficiency is required.

Time Limits

Normally, the MA program is completed within six terms, or two full years of study. Required courses are normally completed within the first three terms of MA program enrolment.

Program Requirements

Students may be required to complete more than the following seven required courses at the discretion of the supervisory committees.

Students complete a total of 38 units, including all of

SA 840 - Graduate Seminar I (1)

Orientation to university, professional development, and cohort building. Required course for the first year MA and PhD students in Sociology and Anthropology.

SA 841 - Graduate Seminar II (1)

Presentations by faculty members, senior graduate students, and guest speakers. Required course for first year MA and PhD students in Sociology and Anthropology.

SA 849 - Selected Topics in the History of Sociological Thought (5)

Examines the classical tradition of sociological thought, represented in the writings of a range of early leading theorists such as Karl Marx, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim, Georg Simmel and/or George Herbert Mead. Will also include a review of the writings and influence of thinkers such as Montesquieu, Rousseau, Descartes, Spinoza, Bacon, Hobbes, and/or Locke. Required course for MA and PhD students in Sociology. Students from other departments and faculties may enrol with permission of instructor. Offered each fall term.

SA 850 - Selected Topics in Contemporary Social Theory (5)

Examines at least two perspectives from the body of social theory that has developed since World War II. Perspectives to be discussed may include but are not limited to: symbolic interactionism, feminism, structuralism, post-structuralism, post-marxism, post-modernism, post-cololnialism, queer theory and neo-functionalism. Required course for MA and PhD students in Sociology. Students from other departments and faculties may enrol with permission of instructor. Offered each spring term. Prerequisite: SA 849 or permission of instructor.

SA 856 - Qualitative Methodology (5)

Examines contemporary approaches to qualitative methodology in Sociology and Anthropology including epistemological and ethical debates surrounding the practice of qualitative methodology in diverse contexts. Students will investigate qualitative research methods applicable to their graduate research projects. Required course for MA and PhD students in Sociology and Anthropology. Students from other departments and faculties may enrol with permission of instructor.

SA 857 - Research Design Seminar (5)

Guides students through the process of designing a prospectus for MA or PhD thesis research. Required course for MA and PhD students in Sociology and Anthropology. Students from other departments and faculties may enrol with permission of instructor. Offered each summer term. Prerequisite: SA 856 or permission of instructor.

and two elective courses from the following

SA 855 - Advanced Quantitative Methods in Sociology (5)

Examines the use of quantitative methods and statistical analysis in social research. Students will develop the knowledge base and skills necessary to understand and critically evaluate contemporary sociological literature that utilizes advanced quantitative methods. Lab sessions offer students the opportunity to apply a variety of statistical techniques. Prerequisite: An upper division undergraduate course in quantitative methods which covers statistical analysis (including probability and significance, hypothesis testing, and univariate and bivariate techniques), or permission of the instructor.

SA 856 - Qualitative Methodology (5)

Examines contemporary approaches to qualitative methodology in Sociology and Anthropology including epistemological and ethical debates surrounding the practice of qualitative methodology in diverse contexts. Students will investigate qualitative research methods applicable to their graduate research projects. Required course for MA and PhD students in Sociology and Anthropology. Students from other departments and faculties may enrol with permission of instructor.

* Students may also choose a graduate course or graduate directed readings course in another ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV department, or from another university that is part of the Western Dean's Agreement. Supervisory committee and departmental graduate program committee approval required.

Thesis

The thesis, completed by all students, will normally consist of no more than 75-100 pages, inclusive of bibliographies, appendices and tables. At the discretion of the supervisory committee, the maximum number of pages may be increased, normally only to facilitate the inclusion of large appendices and tables. The student’s supervisory committee and a qualified external examiner will examine the thesis, and a public oral defence will be held. Theses are bound and placed in the library.

Academic Requirements within the Graduate General Regulations

All graduate students must satisfy the academic requirements that are specified in the  (residence, course work, academic progress, supervision, research competence requirement, completion time, and degree completion), as well as the specific requirements for the program in which they are enrolled, as shown above.

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