Urban Sociology

In this course students will develop a basic framework within which to define and analyze social problems, their causes, and their relationships to particular groups and sub-populations living in urban areas, and in society as a whole. Students will examine how social problems can have an impact upon the life and life chances of individuals and groups in the larger Canadian society. How individuals and groups cope with these social problems, and what experts say can be done to address them will also be discussed. Socio-economic and environmental factors will be considered from the perspective of how they contribute to, or detract from people's lives, as will deeper structures such as race, class, gender, age, and disability. How social services workers can apply these analytical skills to their work with clients who live in urban areas will be an important part of class discussions.