York Sociology: A Public Sociology

Our department's contribution to the world of sociological thought and research is to offer our students a sociology of engagement; a critical approach to scholarship that challenges assumptions, and in so doing, aims for greater social justice and an appreciation that history – our own and that of others around the world – has a lasting impact on the present.

This commitment is evident in our faculty members' local and international work with communities and organizations,and in the public recognition of our faculty as experts in their respective fields. Our faculty members are passionately involved in innovative and meaningful research that addresses vital social issues of our time.

	Who are we? We are one of the largest, most productive and innovative communities of scholars engaged in interdisciplinary research and undergraduate and graduate teaching with over 80 Full-time Professors, Professors Emeriti, and Part-time Instructors, more than 100 graduate students and 2,500-plus majors. +/- The sheer size and diversity of our undergraduate and graduate programs are a strong draw for bright students and dedicated faculty, as are the wealth of research centres and other programs at York, and the vitality of Toronto as an urban centre. York was founded by a sociologist and opened its doors in 1960, which has left a significant legacy upon our department. The 1960s was the era of the Vietnam War, civil protest and violence, and challenges to the dictates of governments in striving for justice – even at the risk of overturning accepted establishment practices. At that time, many faculty members, Canadian and American, just completed doctoral programs in the United States, and thus the flow of ideas and politics of the 1960s blended into and formed the unique approach of York sociologists.
	What is Sociology? Sociology is an exciting and dynamic field of study that analyzes and accounts for key moments in our personal lives, our communities and our world. The sociological imagination is a unique and socially significant way of understanding society. +/- Specifically, it is a perspective in which we understand ourselves and the groups we are members of by studying how persons and groups are linked with the structure and culture of their society, and that of others in our increasingly global society, in a particular historical period. The contemporary sociological imagination links the quality of mental and material life of individuals with memberships in local social groups and networks, memberships in groups with the culture and structure of their society, and their own society with other societies. Inequality, gender, racism, crime, immigration, health, sexuality, and family relations for example, can all be sociologically studied in this way. Discover what makes us tick as individuals and as a society by exploring social relations, interactions and various power dynamics. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures. Sociology majors learn to study people and the roles they play in society, both as individuals and in groups. The discipline of sociology covers a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to: Race and Racism, Crime and Social Regulation, Social Policy, Family, Work and Labour, Gender, Aging, Canadian Society, Immigration, Education, Health and Health Care, Social Organizations, Culture, Poverty, Social Interaction, Socialization, Social Demography and Criminal Justice Systems.
	Events May 22, Professor Martin Fuchs, Keynote Speaker, Constellations, Confrontations and Aspirations: Reflections on Diaspora and Transnationalism Through the Lens of Youth Formations, organized by Professors Michael Nijhawan and Ratiba Hadj-Moussa May 30 & 31, Quantitative and Qualitative Methods Workshops at the Canadian Sociological Association Meetings, organized by Professor Ann Kim May 31, Professor Deborah Davidson presents on the panel, Disability and Undecidability: Re-imagining Disability Knowledge(s), at the 2012 Canadian Sociological Association Meetings May 31, Professor Sheila Cavanagh performs Queer Bathroom Monologues at the 2012 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences June 2, Plenary on Patterns and Possibilities in the Occupy/Decolonize Movement at the 2012 Canadian Sociological Meetings, organized by Professor Lesley Wood
	News & Announcements Congratulations to Emeritus Professor Paul Anisef, who will receive a Distinguished Member Award from the CSSHE in May 2012! Congratulations to all our Faculty of LA&PS Awards recipients! Janelle Brady (undergraduate student), recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Student Leadership Award in the Faculty of LA&PS(SCOLAPS) Craig Fortier, a doctoral student in Sociology and recipient of the 2012 Ian Greene Teaching Award in the Teaching Assistant Category in the Faculty of LA&PS (SCOLAPS) SUSA on receiving the Commitment to Student Experience and Alumni Engagement Award in the Faculty of LA&PS (SCOLAPS and York Alumni Relations) Congratulations to our 2012 award recipients, students, TAs & faculty Our undergraduate students go international 2011 - 2012 Undergraduate Mini-Calendar Available

Undergraduate Program

Graduate Program

Faculty

Our curriculum is comprehensive and diverse, and it falls under 5 main areas:

Students can choose from a range of degree options.

One of the largest sociology graduate programs in the country, the Graduate Program is a center of critical and engaged sociology, and interdisciplinary scholarship.

Graduate students participate in courses, workshops, and colloquia, and draw on faculty from departments across the University.

Our more than 80 distinguished Full-time and Contract Faculty members and Professors Emeriti have won highly competitive research and teaching awards.

Did you know?
Two out of six of York's past presidents were sociologists. The first president of York University, Murray George Ross (1910-2000), was a sociologist, which speaks to the academic culture that was envisioned for York University.

York Sociology: A Public Sociology

Who are we?

What is Sociology?

Events

News & Announcements

Undergraduate Program

Graduate Program

Faculty