C. Wright Mills’ “sociological imagination” is our ability to see the connection between our personal troubles and social structure. Sociology studies the interactions between individuals and the societies in which they live. If you are interested in how and why social constructs such as gender, race, class, ethnicity and religion influence our individual choices and social circumstances, consider an academic career in sociological study.
The Associate of Arts Degree (Sociology) is a 2-year, 60 credit, multidisciplinary program that includes arts courses with a focus on sociology (minimum 18 credits).
Course Descriptions
Select a course below to see full descriptions. (#) Indicates amount of credits per course
This course introduces the sociological perspective, which interprets social behaviour and group relations through study of the intersection between social phenomena and personal life. The course examines the basic themes, concepts, and theories that frame the sociological approach to understanding the world, asking how social circumstances influence the way we know ourselves, how sociologists gather data and evidence to portray an accurate picture of social reality, and how sociological thinking helps to remedy social problems. The course provides a broad foundation for further study and research in this area.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 098
Transfer to:
UBC SOCI 1st (3); ALEX SOCI 100 (3) & ALEX SOCI 103 (3) = UBC SOCI 100 (6)
SFU SA 150 (3), B-Soc
UVIC SOCI 100A (1.5)
UNBC SOSC 1XX (3)
TRU SOCI 1110 (3)
The study of Canada as a developed, ethnically diverse, and multicultural society, with special attention to the adaptation experiences of its Asian immigrant groups and their descendants (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, South Asian) and to the struggles of Indigenous peoples in Canada. The course will examine what it means to be Canadian and the contradictions that sometimes entails. Although highlighting a uniquely Canadian perspective, the course provides a foundation for further sociological study and research.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 098
Transfer to:
UBC SOCI 1st (3); ALEX SOCI 100 (3) & ALEX SOCI 103 (3) = UBC SOCI 100 (6)
SFU SA 1XX (3), B-Soc
UVIC SOCI 103 (1.5)
UNBC SOSC 1XX (3)
TRU SOCI 1XXX (3)
How do social scientists know what they know? How do we know this information is reliable? This course offers an introduction to the design and practice of social research that provides the skills to ask and answer questions about the everyday and changing social world. Various concepts, research strategies, and techniques are surveyed that enable exploration of the pressing issues of social life. A broad range of qualitative and quantitative methods are presented that include survey research, interviewing, descriptive and inferential statistics, participant observation and ethnography. Students will consider the ethical questions that arise in doing social research, as well as the political implications of its results
An introduction to the study of crime, criminality and corrections in the context of contemporary Canadian society. The course aims to explain the shifting causes and consequences of crime, including the changing profile of its victims and perpetrators, and to promote critical thinking about official responses to crime.
Social movements are an important means by which ordinary people in civil society organize to shape public policy and bring about social change. Such movements typically represent attempts by the normally powerless to challenge entrenched institutions and dominant groups that block social transformation. This course will examine some current and historical movements in which people have joined together to struggle for and sometimes conversely against social change. Examples of activist collective behaviour will be drawn from various places and times, focusing largely on contemporary movements within North America.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 100, SOCI 100 or SOCI 103
Transfer to:
UBC SOCI 2nd (3)
SFU SA 2XX (3)
UVIC SOCI 316
UNBC SOSC 2XX (3)
TRU SOCI 2XXX (3)
This course provides a theoretical, practical, and critical introduction to the study of health, disability, and society. Students will learn about the social, cultural, economics, and political factors surrounding the experiences of health and disability within a social context. Key to the course is the exploration of social inequalities in relation to the social construction of health and disability and the structure of Canada’s health care system, including the role of health care professionals and health care delivery systems.
What are the patterns, meanings, and rituals in popular culture that shape our lives and serve as a mirror of society? This course will show how the study of popular culture is a window into sociological thinking and an ideal topic for sociological analysis. Through the medium of popular culture (art, music, film, fiction, fashion, television, and the mass media) societal actors both reproduce and resist dominant values propagated by the culture industries in society. By thinking deeply about the ostensibly trivial, and by taking our popular pleasures seriously, the sociological imagination can unveil how we routinely maintain and sometimes challenge powerful social forces such as social inequality. In essence, the course will explore the domain of the popular in order to highlight the political and social debates it mobilizes.
“Globalization” — a buzzword that emerged in the 1990s— has made for an increasingly fluid and interdependent world; but the new forms of connectivity have had uneven impacts on different regions and localities. This course offers a critical examination of the economic, social, cultural, technological, and political aspects of globalization as it has evolved in recent decades. Issues of global governance, corporate accountability, and global justice will be among those surveyed in probing the paradoxes of globalization and imagining the changes required for creating a more equitable society and an ecologically sustainable world.
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, SOCI 100 or SOCI 103
***The English prerequisite for this course is increasing to ENGL 100, effective from Winter 2025.***
Transfer to:
UBC-V SOCI 2nd (3)
SFU SA 2XX (3)
UVIC SOCI 2XX (1.5)
UNBC SOSC 2XX (3)
TRU SOCI 2XXX (3)
A study of the seminal ideas of five of the pre-eminent social theorists of the 19th and early 20th centuries (August Comte, Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, Max Weber, Georg Simmel) and their impact on the formation of the discipline of Sociology. This focus will be supplemented by discussion of some of the latter-day variants of these classical theories that uphold the relevance of fundamental questions regarding social change, power relations, human nature, inequality and social collectivity
Prerequisite(s):
ENGL 099, SOCI 100 or SOCI 103
***The English prerequisite for this course is increasing to ENGL 100, effective from Winter 2025.***
Transfer to:
UBC SOCI 2nd (3)
SFU SA 250 (3)
UVIC SOCI 210 (1.5)
UNBC SOSC 2XX (3)
TRU SOCI 2XXX (3)
Samantha’s research and teaching experience includes sociology and language revitalization as well as English as a Second Language teaching and academic writing.
After graduating from Simon Fraser University, Samantha gained first-hand experience as an international student while on the Japanese government MEXT program in Okinawa, Japan.
She completed her master’s in Linguistics and Communications and doctorate in Comparative Regional Culture and Area Studies at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan, and continues her Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL)-sponsored research on language reclamation in Okinawan cultural arts.
Chris Hay has a BA and MA Sociology from the University of Alberta and Carleton University. Chris has taught Sociology and Criminology courses for a number of Universities and Colleges for the past 22 years. Further, he has worked as a Social Worker for an Indigenous community, a Probation Officer, as a Civilian Member of the Edmonton Police Service, and as the Executive Director of a criminological non-profit organization over the past 36 years. Last, Chris wrote a Criminology text book entitled: Criminology in Canada: Its Mechanisms, Theories and Failings (2022) published through Kendall-Hunt Publishing.
Craig received his PhD in Social and Political Thought from York University in Toronto. His dissertation research was on arrhythmic experiences of sleep, naturalized cultural and scientific logics of sleep, modalities of gendered interventions into sleep, and the racialized appropriations of sleeplessness in white supremacist ideology.
He has a broad teaching background in the social sciences, including courses taught in gender relations & feminist theory, classical and contemporary theory, social inequality, criminology, globalization, citizenship, consumer society, environmental sociology, urban studies, and visual culture. He has been teaching at Alexander College since 2019, and also teaches in criminology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and sociology at University of British Columbia.
He has received student nominated awards for teaching excellence at Alexander College and for accessibility at University of British Columbia.
Dr. Emily Cheung is a sociologist whose research and teaching focus on inequality, social policy, and community resilience. She holds a PhD and BA (Honours) in Sociology from the University of British Columbia and an MA in Sociology from the University of Toronto. Her doctoral research examined the lived experiences of food bank users in Canada, investigating how structural barriers such as poverty, housing insecurity, and stigma shape access to essential resources. Dr. Cheung’s work draws attention to how charitable food systems can obscure the root causes of inequality, which deeply informs her teaching approach.
In the classroom, Dr. Cheung encourages students to make meaningful connections between sociological theory and current social issues. She uses her research on food insecurity to help students critically examine the role of institutions, policies, and social norms in everyday life. Her teaching is grounded in empathy, inclusion, and a strong commitment to student engagement.
In 2020, Dr. Cheung received the Killam Teaching Award for excellence in undergraduate instruction at the University of British Columbia. In 2024, she was honored with the Instructor Appreciation Award at Alexander College in recognition of her commitment to inclusive and engaging teaching. Her goal is to empower students to think critically about the world around them and to see themselves as active participants in shaping a more just and equitable society.
Jillian Deri has earned a BA in Geography, MA in Women’s Studies and a PhD in Sociology. She also instructs online through Yukon University. Jillian researches sociology of emotions, and has written a book, Love’s Refraction on jealousy and compersion in polyamorous relationships. Her interests include art, fashion design, hiking, calisthenics and dance.
Dr. Jing Zhao received her PhD in sociology from the University of British Columbia. Her research and teaching interests include sociological theories, immigration, life course, education, culture and knowledge. She also shares academic life with the public through settlement workshops, bilingual reading groups, and immigration forums.
Joe Munsterman is a sociology instructor. As a member of the Regional Leaders of Open Education (RLOE) Network, he authored the Alexander College Strategic Plan, which aims to integrate open educational resources (OER), pedagogy, and practices across all levels of the institution. In addition, he is developing an open-access textbook, A Journey Through the Human-Shaped Structure: An Introduction to Sociology, designed to make sociology more accessible to students.
Julija (she/her, pronounced Yulia) Jeremic has been teaching communications and sociology courses at Alexander College since 2022. She has a doctoral degree from Simon Fraser University, Faculty of Education, department for Educational Technology and Learning Design and master’s degree in education from University of Belgrade, Serbia.
Dr. Jeremic worked with marginalized communities in Southeast Europe and Canada on building and strengthening their individual and organizational capacities, supporting people with disabilities and disability organizations, Roma people, 2SLGBTQAI+ youth, and seniors. She participated in media and public awareness campaigns as a designer and copywriter and contributed to local newspapers and newsletters.
Her research and teaching interest is the mutual impact of technology and society, in particular media and computer technologies. She is especially interested in the education of future technology developers and how to empower them to create socially conscious technologies. Julija has also explored the interaction of older adults with computer technologies and video games and supported them in creating short video stories about their life.
As a former student and youth activist, she is a lifelong supporter of social movements that build inclusive and just societies.
Lindsay holds a M.A in Anthropology from Simon Fraser University.
Her thesis, Studenthood: An ethnography of post-secondary student life, explores the distinct subjectivity of students through a variety of participant action research methods with a focus on the notion of student fragility. Using life course theory and the related concepts of tacking and vital conjunctures, Lindsay explores student navigational strategies and rethinks this demarcated period in the life course which has been traditionally perceived as a period of adolescent indecisiveness encapsulated as liminality.
Lindsay’s future research aims to better understand how higher education marketing fosters an environment of student fragility that necessitates numerous institutionally sanctioned stress-relief practices.
Lindsay is currently working with Simon Fraser University and The University of Toronto on a national workforce intergration social enterprise (WISE) longitudinal evaluation project (SSHRC Insight Grant, 2017-2022).
This study follows youth graduates of social enterprise-based training programs to see to what extent they can integrate into the workforce. Lindsay’s previous experience includes working with SFU’s Urban Studies Department on an employer transit subsidy study (ETSS). This project involved conducting experimental research on a worker transit subsidy program for downtown Vancouver hotel workers and included an examination of transit ridership levels, commuting patterns, and workplace performance.
Mahdokht is a PhD candidate in Social and Cultural Analysis at Concordia University, where her research explores school-based drug prevention programs as a form of governance. Her work critically examines how such initiatives function not only as educational tools but also as mechanisms for shaping behavior and citizenship through subtle forms of control.
Mahdokht joined Alexander College in January 2024 and with a strong foundation in qualitative research, she encourages students to develop and apply their sociological imagination. Mahdokht’s academic interests lie at the intersection of governmentality, drug politics, political economy, and the discourse of responsibility. She also explores themes related to law enforcement and its role in the regulation of marginalized communities. Her approach is informed by critical theory and tries to reveal how power operates through institutions that are often taken for granted.
Besides teaching at Alexander College, she also teaches law enforcement courses at Justice Institute British Columbia (JIBC).
Dr. Westennan obtained her PhD in Sociology at the University of British Columbia in 2008, completing a dissertation entitled Tempered Radicals and Porous Boundaries: The Challenges and Complexities of Anti-Harassment Work at Canadian Universities. She has 35 years of post-secondary educational experience in both university and college settings. She has extensive teaching experience, covering introductory and upper-level courses in both Sociology and Gender and Women’s Studies. She is a recipient of the Douglas College Teaching Excellence Award. She has also held administrative positions as a department chair, a program coordinator (Douglas College), and a human rights educator and investigator (University of Regina).
Her research focus in recent years includes studying the impact of Sociology courses on students’ attitudes towards marginalized social groups. She is particularly interested in strategies to encourage transformative learning through the development of a sociological imagination.
Masayuki Iwase is a Japanese-born, Vancouver-based educator, scholar, and multimedia artist. He holds a BA in Sociology and a MA in Communication from Simon Fraser University, as well as a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia. Through a multidisciplinary lens that spans these academic backgrounds, his teaching and scholarly research engage with media-based pedagogy and explore issues and potentials of popular and commercial culture, new media and technologies, and human memories and temporalities. As a multimedia artist, he blends sociopolitical and philosophical inquiry with his filmic and sound creation. For further information about his work, visit https://masayukiiwase.com/
Pamela Tudge is an interdisciplinary social scientist with over 15 years of academic experience, specializing in food studies, climate change education, and community-based research. Her work also explores the social and environmental impacts of emerging technologies, particularly in relation to food systems and sustainability.
She currently teaches Sociology and Geography at Alexander College and has previously taught Communication Studies. She holds an Honours double major in Geography and Environmental Studies, an Interdisciplinary Master’s in Geography from the University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D. from Concordia University, where her research focused on food-based waste through critical design and public pedagogy.
In addition to teaching, she serves as Assistant Editor of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, supporting the publication of research on technology’s role in society. Her academic publications include the 2014 study “Evaluating climate change vulnerability assessments: a case study of research focusing on the built environment in northern Canada” and the 2012 report “Collaborating Towards Innovation,” which explored climate communication via GeoWeb tools.
She is also active in public scholarship, contributing works such as the 2025 editorial “Research to Reality: Scholars as Agents of Change” and a 2017 article in The Conversation on redesigning food systems to reduce waste.
Ran is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of British Columbia, where his current research focuses on the role of political comedy and satire in the public sphere. He studies media, popular culture, theory, and the sociology of humor and comedy.
Ran earned his master’s in sociology from UMass Boston, with a thesis examining aspects of gender in the international relocation of scholars and professionals. His PhD dissertation, written at Northeastern University, Boston, seeks to understand how political comedy and satire intervene in public discourse, public opinion, and processes of political polarization. Ran has also studied stand-up comedy as a unique comedic form, looking at how sociological dispositions like class, race, and gender are negotiated with the audience in live performance.
Before joining Alexander College, Ran taught introductory sociology and sociological theory courses at Northeastern University.
Sara Vieira holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia in Interdisciplinary Studies and has published articles on transnationalism, community, and ethno-cultural spaces in Canada. Sara has taught at AC since Spring of 2021 in the Social Sciences, often teaching Sociology or Geography courses. She thoroughly enjoys teaching and blending theory with practice. Sara also has experience in program quality and best practices for student learning. She brings this knowledge into her classes where students are encouraged to go beyond memorization and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. When she is not teaching, Sara enjoys reading and writing, as well as gardening.
Sohail Majoka(he/his) received his B. A (Geography and Economics) and M.Sc. (Human Geography) from University of the Punjab, Lahore. His areas of interest are Political, Economics and Environmental Geography. He Joined Alexander College in 2023 and teaching Geography, Global Society and Canadian Society courses, his research interests are, Socio-political dynamics of religious/racial minorities situation in South Asia and Canada.
Prior joining to Alexander College, he served as Lecturer Geography at Forman Christian College (A Chartered University) Lahore for 13 years and was also part of Global Course Connection program under the umbrella of GLAA (Global Liberal Arts Alliance). He is also serving as Member of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accommodation (EDIA) Standing Committee of Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG).
Learning Methods
In addition to traditional lectures and class readings, sociology students will complete hands-on individual and group assignments and have the opportunity to meet guest speakers in class, complete a mini-research project, or attend a field trip. Students can expect to use up-to-date technology and interactive online and in-class learning tools that engage students and promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Career Outlook
Sociology graduates develop the critical thinking, communication, and research skills needed for future careers in social work, labour relations, human resources, market research, law, public relations, social policy research, education, health administration, and counselling.
Resources
The Canadian Sociological Association (CSA) is a professional association that promotes research, publication and teaching in Sociology in Canada. Its membership comes mainly from sociology departments in Canadian universities, but there is a notable group from other social science departments, community colleges, from a wide range of non-academic settings (government, NGO, and private sector) and from abroad. The total membership is approximately 1,000.
The American Sociological Association is the American national organization for sociologists. It is a non-profit membership association based in Washington, DC that is dedicated to advancing sociology as a scientific discipline and profession serving the public good.
The International Sociological Association (ISA) was founded in 1949 under the auspices of UNESCO. The goal of the ISA is to represent sociologists everywhere, regardless of their school of thought, scientific approaches or ideological opinion, and to advance sociological knowledge throughout the world. Its members come from 126 countries.
Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
