Note on Departmental Foci: Faculty and student research and interests represent a variety of approaches to sociology and equity studies in education. The current composition of the department provides particular opportunities for students who may wish to focus their activities in the areas listed below, as well as in the Interdisciplinary and Interdepartmental Foci and Collaborative programs. Students are not required to stay within a single focus when selecting courses.


Learning, Work & Change

Core courses: SES2942 and SES2912. This focus is devoted to teaching and research about the interrelations of learning, paid/unpaid work, social, workforce training, and educational change. Courses offer theories and methods for understanding political, economic and ideological forces associated with educational and workplace change. Some representative themes include: influences of social class, gender, ethnicity and generation on learning practices and work opportunities; impacts of technological changes on labour markets, work democratization, changing labour processes, and related training programs; school and community relations; teachers' work and educational innovation; and problems of underemployment and the future of work. This focus is also associated with the Interdisciplinary Research Focus on Learning and Work, and with the program focus on Workplace Learning and Change in Adult Education, Community Development and Counselling Psychology.

Faculty include: David Livingstone (coordinator); Sandra Acker;, Stephen Anderson; Nathalie Bélanger;  Kari Dehli (on leave); George Dei; Rose Baaba Folson; Edward Harvey; Paul Olson, and Njoki Nathani Wane.