Sociology

Sociologists study the ways in which social structures, social processes and cultural products constrain and enable human behaviour. Sociology combines the rigour of a scientific discipline with concern for social relevance.  Some sociologists focus on face-to-face interaction in everyday life. They use biographies, narratives and life stories to explore issues of self-identity, trust, risk and embodied aspects of the self. Other sociologists explore the interface between social processes and individual lives by studying the institutionalized aspects of social life. They ask how class, gender, race, ethnicity, age, and geographic region affect individuals' access to scarce resources like wealth, income, power and prestige. They also explore the nature and operation of the social institutions that make up Canada and other societies.