Sociology: Introduction

This course is designed to engage students in major sociological issues, debates, and theoretical perspectives, and to introduce key concepts and sociological research methods. Topics for analysis are wide in scope and are relevant to the everyday lived experiences of students. These include culture, class, 'race' and ethnicity, sex and gender, ability and disability, deviance, education, aging, religion, and health.

An introduction to these basic concepts, theoretical frameworks and social issues will enable students to understand how social structures and cultures shape personal experience, and, how we as individuals may influence those social structures. As opposed to relying on belief, opinion, or ideology, sociology as a discipline attempts to provide reasoned, well-informed, socially scientific explanations for both our individual and collective human behaviours.