Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

ANTH 277: The Archaeology of Ancient Peoples is an introductory-level anthropology course on world prehistory from the time of the earliest humans to the development of the first states and civilizations.

Anthropology 310: Primate Behaviour is a three-credit, intermediate-level course that provides a general introduction to primate behaviour, with an emphasis on the insights derived from field studies.

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the study of cities and civilizations and their development from the earliest civilizations to the great states of the Near East, the Mediterranean World, Northeast Africa and Asia, and the Americas.

Anthropology 336: Evolutionary Anthropology is a three-credit, intermediate-level course that provides a general introduction to various topics related to the evolution of human adaptations, including various human behaviours.

This course introduces you to an important subfield of anthropology—anthropological linguistics.

This course is designed to provide you with an understanding of the precontact cultures of North America, from the first peopling of the continent to the arrival of Europeans. The course has three major objectives: to foster an appreciation for the dynamic field of North American archaeology, particularly the gathering of information and interpretation of past cultures; to furnish an understanding of the general historical sequence of North America’s past and an appreciation for the diversity of the peoples and cultures that thrived here; and to provide the ability to evaluate the ways in which contemporary archaeologists consider and communicate with other stakeholders in North America’s past.

Anthropology 384 looks at the family from an international and cross-cultural perspective.

ANTH 394 is designed to provide you with an extensive overview of urban settlements, from their first appearance some 5000 years ago, to contemporary cities in the developing and developed world. As you proceed through the course, you will gain a comprehensive knowledge of the development of cities, their physical structures, the diversity of urban groups, and various urban social issues. You will also gain an understanding of the theoretical and methodological approaches taken not only by anthropologists, but also by geographers, sociologists, political economists, and social psychologists as they study cities and city life. Anthropology 394 is best described as having an interdisciplinary approach, but with a strong anthropological focus.

In Anth 402: Ethnographic Research Methods, we will review approaches to ethnographic research, review methodology appropriate for ethnographic research, and gain practice in designing an ethnographic research project and in field methods.

ANTH 407 provides students with an opportunity to investigate problems or issues in greater depth than is normally possible in an introductory course. For example, a student who has taken an introductory course on Arctic or African ethnology may wish to study a specific problem such as kinship, ritual, or cultural ecology of the peoples of that region. Both the regional and theoretical focus of the course are issues that students discuss with the course professor before being allowed to register in ANTH 407.

Ethnobiology can be conceived of as the study of the cultural knowledge of living things and the environment.

Anthropology 499: Medical Anthropology critically examines the evolution and geographical distribution of disease and the ways in which people’s medical beliefs and practices are consciously directed at alleviating it and promoting health.

You will learn about the history and origins of cultural studies, analyse and discuss some of the key theoretical debates around what constitutes cultural studies, and review examples of the approaches that continue to shape and reshape the ever-expanding boundaries of the field. You will also be given the opportunity to apply this knowledge by producing an analysis of a cultural text or practice—in short, to actually do cultural studies yourself.

EDUC 201 is an introductory level, three-credit course that provides those interested in becoming teachers with a general and balanced overview of the profession. The purpose of this course is to give prospective teachers a better sense of the reality of classroom teaching by looking more closely at what teachers actually do and how they do it.

This course is designed to introduce you to an analysis of the development of Canadian education that takes account of historical, social, cultural, and philosophical influences. The course will help you develop an understanding of the origins of the Canadian public education system and demonstrate the historical roots of many contemporary education debates.

The overall intent of this course is to spur deep critical reflection on two broad concepts: culture, and the complexities and ramifications of schooling's socialization/enculturation function in contemporary Canada's multicultural society-specifically, the feasibility of schooling's libratory ideals.

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the concepts, players, and issues involved in achieving a match between the skills required by the labour market and those offered for remuneration in that same labour market.

This course will introduce you to some of the key understandings around work and learning. It will examine the claims made for this new area of study; it will discuss some of what we know and point to what we don't know.

Educ 412 is a senior-level, three-credit course which allows students, under supervision, to engage in individual research projects. Students will submit a proposal and complete a major research paper on a topic of their choice in consultation with the course professor. Enrolment in the course will be subject to the approval of the course professor.

This course presents an extensive and detailed investigation of Canadian labour and working–class history from 1763 to 2000.

HRMT 386/ORGB 386 is designed to provide an introduction to the theoretical and practical aspects of human resource management (HRM) in contemporary organizations.

Human Service 306 Critical Reflection for Practice is a project course that students normally take following completion of two years of study at the junior level.

Ideology and Policy Evolution provides an overview of ideology and its influences on human services policy and on the historical evolution of North American human services policy in particular.

IDRL 215: Introduction to Labour Relations is an introduction to the economic, legal, political, and social aspects of union-management relations, and serves as a foundation for other IDRL courses. Specifically, it looks at contemporary issues in labour relations and examines union organization and structure, labour legislation, and how collective agreements are negotiated and administered. It does so within the context of exploring the nature of employment and the key theoretical perspectives that inform the study of labour relations.

IDRL 308 examines issues of life and death on the job within their political and economic context.

IDRL 309 / LGST 310 examines the impact that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has had, and will continue to have, on industrial relations. The course will be of interest to those connected with the labour movement, with management, or involved in industrial relations.

Industrial Relations 316: The Practice of Labour Relations is a three-credit, senior-level course that builds upon the foundations introduced in IDRL 215: Introduction to Labour Relations and examines the topics of bargaining and arbitration in greater detail. It looks at both the formal rules and procedures involved in these processes as well as the informal dynamics that arise. It aims to provide a solid grounding in these two rather technical areas of labour relations. It provides insight into the practice of bargaining and arbitration by offering tips on how to navigate the processes. The course also examines how bargaining and arbitration fit into the broader context of labour relations and conflict between workers and employers.

This course explores the economies of rich countries like Canada from the perspective of working people. It follows them to labour markets, into the production process and to markets for consumer goods. The course also explores economic policies and international economic relations. Working people encounter company owners and managers in all of the aforementioned markets and institutions. The course shows the conflict of interest between these two different groups of people and concludes with a unit on the prospect of labour movements.

LBST 332 course explores the relationship between women and unions from a global perspective.

LBST 413 investigates the theory and practice of trade unions in contemporary capitalist societies.

Psychology 345: The Psychology of Women, looks at a number of topics in psychology that are of specific relevance to, and about, women. The course explores scientific findings and sexist myths about male and female differences and examines a variety of gender issues from a feminist perspective.

The focus of this course is work: how it developed into its present forms; how it is organized; how individuals experience it; and the social relationships and institutional frameworks so essential for it to occur.

This course offers the opportunity for you to begin feminist research and provides guidance for assessing the research of others.

Women's Studies 266 provides an overview of the history of feminism in a Western context, a look at the major theories used by feminist scholars, and an examination of feminism’s association with the Women’s Movement.

WGST 301 aims to provide students with a deeper understanding of the workings of gender in contemporary North American society. It will begin by challenging the notion that gender roles are dualistic, fixed, and rooted in biology. This will entail familiarizing students with social constructionist theories of “doing” gender and postmodern theories of gender as a performance. Both feminine and masculine identities and representations will be studied. The course will also examine gender and disability as well as queer and transgender sexualities.

Welcome to WGST 303: Issues in Women's Health. Your work in this course should help you to better understand issues such as gender and the politics of health care, women's reproductive health and health care; special issues in women's health (cancer, violence, and aging); and women's health and the global environment.

This course will engage you in issues and practices critical to working with First Nation, Métis, and Inuit women in culturally appropriate ways that promote principles of human dignity, decolonization, and self-sovereignty.

WGST 333 examines the evolution, fragmentation and recreation of spiritual traditions, myths and legends associated with the goddess. The course explores the symbolic significance of female divinity and the impact of its loss on all aspects of Western culture. By critically reflecting on how spiritual symbols have been used historically to empower and disempower women, the course draws connections between the sacred legacy of the goddess and women's relationship to the contemporary environmental movement.

This three-credit, senior-level course explores the changing nature of the work—paid and unpaid—done by women in Canada. Studying work from both historical and contemporary perspectives allows us to identify accomplishments and setbacks, measure progress, and pinpoint areas where further change is needed. Although this course focuses on women in Canada, increasing world globalization requires that we compare women's work in Canada with that of other countries.

In this course we investigate the emergence of modern consumer society in western Europe and North America. Gender is central to our explorations. Have men and women experienced consumer society differently? What are the relationships among femininity, masculinity, sexuality, and shopping? What have been the experiences of women in the beauty and fashion industries? How have consumers challenged the limits of capitalist commodity distribution? Why do many people living in western Europe, Canada, the United States, and several other countries now view consumption and citizenship as inextricably linked? Through this course’s readings, assignments, and final examination, we develop deep understandings of consumption’s gendered histories. We also develop advanced skills in critical thinking, scholarly writing, and historical research.

WGST 365/HIST 365 introduces you to major themes in Canadian women's and gender history.

Women's and Gender Studies 401: Contemporary Feminist Theory offers an overview of feminist theories and women's movements in Canada and elsewhere in the world, and a critical discussion of varieties of feminism as they pertain to issues such as gender violence, reproduction, work, families, and sexuality.

Women’s and Gender Studies 421/Human Services 421: Advocacy from the Margins introduces you to the meaning, history, tools, group processes, and strategies associated with advocacy for women and other marginalized groups who face injustice around the world. The course stresses the importance of advocacy group processes as well as advocacy strategies and tools. It also encourages you to begin advocating with those who are on the margins and faced with injustice.

This course looks at motherhood and mothering within the context of Western society. As you study the materials in this course, you will be encouraged to distinguish between ‘mothering’ as a construct that informs personal identity and ‘motherhood’ as a role determined and shaped by gendered, social, economic, and cultural structures.

The primary objective of this course is to provide you with the resources that will inform your knowledge and understanding about how women’s roles in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields have evolved over time, the major forces contributing to this evolution, and the consequences of women’s exclusion from STEM. This course draws on sociological, feminist, and historical theory, data, and interpretations to explore women’s roles in STEM and computing disciplines.

This independent study course is designed through consultation between professor and student. It will include a significant component of advanced and more theoretical reading. A major written piece of work will generally be required; the form it will take is dependent upon the focus of the work. Students are responsible for obtaining access to all necessary materials.

ANTH 275 focuses on the cross-cultural study of human diversity. Study topics include patterns of social organization, the family, economics, politics, religion, the arts, and language.