Rural and Development Sociology
Canadian Society
SOC2010
In this course we focus on the implications of socio-economic change in major sectors of Canadian society (energy, mining, agriculture, public service, environment, global trade). We consider gendered ethnicized class struggle in the contemporary 'neoliberal' period and its impact on Canadian society and the environment. What social responses has growing corporate power provoked? How are Canadians and Canadian industries integrated into international networks through processes of corporate and popular globalization?
Rural Sociology
SOC2080
An introduction to the structure and processes of rural society. This course deals with diverse topics such as agrarian movements, the rise of the agro-industrial complex, the role of the state in agriculture, the question of community, and rural environmental issues. A comparative perspective is cultivated, although the primary emphasis is on Canadian society.
Society and Nature
SOC3380
Classical to contemporary theories of the relations between society and the environment will be examined. These include Cartesian, Puritan, Utilitarian, laissez-faire liberal, Marxist, "deep ecologist" and eco-feminist approaches. Concepts to be explored are ecology, wilderness, growth, sustainability, species, domination, animal rights and stewardship.
Advanced Topics in Rural Sociology
SOC4210
A critical examination of the research literature in rural sociology, both in industrial and industrializing societies.
Canadian Rural Women
SOAN4220
An examination of socio-cultural structures and processes affecting the positions and roles of rural women in Canada. Starting from an historical perspective, special emphasis will be given to the study of farm and native women, and changes in their familial, economic, social and political roles.
Human Impact on the Environment
GEOG1220
A global overview of the changing relationships among society, technology and the environment. This course emphasizes the major stages of human use of resources and the environmental consequences of global changes in production systems. It contrasts Third and First World experiences, focusing on core-periphery relationships.
International Development
Third World Urbanization
GEOG3050
An analysis of the spatial and temporal patterns of urbanization in the Third World. Global, national and regional scales of urbanization are addressed through the presentation of concepts and theories and their application to contemporary processes. Specific foci include housing and employment, urban-rural relations, regional disparities, urban structural characteristics, and the relationship between urbanization and development processes.
Environment and History
HIST2250
An introduction to the field of environmental history - its nature and uses. This course provides a historical perspective to environmental issues. It examines the causes and impact of human-induced modification of the natural world in selected areas of the globe, the evolution of attitudes and ideas about the natural world over time and the growth of conservation/environmental issues and movements.
Canadian Economic History
ECON2420
This course surveys the development of the Canadian economy from the aboriginal economy to the early fur and fish trades, agricultural settlement, industrialization, the Great Depression, growth of the public sector and fast economic growth after World War Two. Particular attention is paid to international economic relations and to regional differences within Canada.
Topics in Economic History
ECON4720
The use of economic theory to analyse the process of historical economic change.
Environmental Economics
ECON4930
An advanced treatment of the interrelationship between economic activities and the state of the natural environment from the economists' point of view.
