Call for Applications
Teaching Assistant Positions
Department of Sociology
Queen’s University, Kingston, ON CAN K7L 3N6
In accordance with the collective agreement between Queen's University and Teaching Assistants (PSAC Local 901) applications are invited from qualified individuals for teaching assistant positions. TAships are filled according to Group Preferences set out in the Collective Agreement between Queen’s University and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
Responsibilities
Teaching assistant duties include but are not limited to grading assignments, attending lectures and tutorials in person, office hours with students, and answering emails. More specific expectations will be covered at the beginning of the term.
SOCY 100 Perspectives in Sociology
Term: Fall Term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Tues. 11:30am-1:30pm; Wed. 12:30-2:30pm
Tutorials:
Mon 1:30-2:30pm; 2:30-3:30pm; 3:30-4:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Tue 8:30-9:30am; 9:30-10:30am; 11:30am-12:30pm; 12:30-1:30pm; 1:30-2:30pm; 2:30-3:30pm; 3:30-4:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Wed 8:30-9:30am; 9:30-10:30am; 10:30-11:30am; 11:30am-12:30pm; 2:30-3:30pm; 3:30-4:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Thu 8:30-9:30am; 9:30-10:30am; 10:30-11:30am; 11:30am-12:30pm; 12:30-1:30pm; 1:30-2:30pm; 2:30-3:30pm
Description: This course introduces students to foundational and contemporary perspectives in Sociology. Students will learn to develop and use their sociological imagination. Major classical sociological perspectives are explored and then questioned and challenged. We focus on critical analysis, anti-oppressive frameworks, and inclusive pedagogy, to develop a more comprehensive sociological understanding. Different perspectives are applied to culture, social structure, social institutions, social control, inequality, and resistance. Sociological methods, methodologies, and research tools are introduced.
SOCY 101 Major Themes in Sociology
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Tues. 8:30-10:30am; Wed. 1:30-3:30pm
Tutorials:
Mon 10:30-11:30am; 1:30-2:30pm; 2:30-3:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Tue 8:30-9:30am; 10:30-11:30am; 12:30-1:30pm; 1:30-2:30pm
Wed 9:30-10:30am; 10:30-11:30am; 11:30am-12:30pm; 1:30-2:30pm; 3:30-4:30pm
Thu 10:30-11:30am; 11:30am-12:30pm; 1:30-2:30pm; 2:30-3:30pm
Fri 9:30-10:30am; 11:30am-12:30pm
Description: This course uses sociological perspectives to examine major processes, practices, and institutions shaping the social world. Social stratification, inequalities, identities, and justice, and the social world as structured by class, gender, sexuality, race, disability and poverty, are explored. Institutions, dimensions, and practices shaping social life are explored, such as nationalism, social movements, the state; the family, education, the media; work and labour, health and illness, crime, sport, urbanization and environment. Students also consider forms of public sociology and engagement.
SOCY 200 Sociology of Health and Illness
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Tues. 8:30-10:00am; Fri. 10:00-11:30am
Description: This course explores the sociological dimensions affecting the meaning and experience of health and illness in contemporary society. Topics include policy, professionalization, medicalization, mental health, inequalities, bioethics, and globalization.
SOCY 201 Introduction to Criminology
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Tues. 2:30-4:00pm; Fri. 4:00-5:30pm
Description: This course offers an introduction to the field of criminology, the study of crime, criminality, and crime prevention. Criminology is a multi-disciplinary field, borrowing primarily from sociology, as well as political science, psychology, economics, anthropology, and more. A principal tenant of criminology is the study of crime as a social phenomenon; it is the product of complex interactions between social actors, groups, communities, and institutions which make up a society. This course will introduce students to some of the basic components of criminological research including: measuring and defining crime, the role of the media in shaping perceptions of crime, theories and types of crimes, understanding crime prevention and the criminal justice system, and the intersection of ethnicity/race/indigeneity/gender and crime.
SOCY 210 Social Research Methods
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Tues. 11:30am-1:30pm
Tutorials:
Tue 2:30-3:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Wed 8:30-9:30am; 10:30-11:30am; 12:30-1:30pm; 2:30-3:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Thu 8:30-9:30am
Description: Examination of relationship between sociological theory and methods of social research; topics include logic of research, hypothesis formulation, and variables and their operationalization.
SOCY 211 Introduction to Statistics
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Wed. 9:30-11:30am
Tutorials:
Mon 8:30-9:30am; 9:30-10:30am; 10:30-11:30am; 11:30am-12:30pm; 1:30-2:30pm; 2:30-3:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Description: Introduces descriptive and inferential statistics and data analysis strategies. Topics include probability, correlation/regression, experimental design and analysis of variance. Online learning and weekly laboratories provide practice in computation, interpretation and communication of statistical findings, and large class review sessions and individual drop in assistance ensure mastery. Applications appropriate to different fields of study will be explored.
SOCY 226 Central Concepts in Sociological Theory
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Wed.11:30am-1:30pm
Tutorials:
Thu 8:30-9:30am; 9:30-10:30am; 10:30-11:30am; 12:30-1:30pm; 2:30-3:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Wed 2:30-3:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Fri 9:30-10:30am
Description: A discussion of the central concepts in sociological theory, for example, agency and structure; rationality, reason, and abstraction; social continuity and social change; subjectivity and selfhood; language and interpretation are normally considered.
SOCY 227 Theorizing Contemporary Society
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Wed.3:30-5:30pm
Tutorials:
Thu 8:30-9:30am; 9:30-10:30am; 2:30-3:30pm; 4:30-5:30pm
Fri 8:30-9:30am; 10:30-11:30am; 12:30-1:30pm; 1:30-2:30pm
Description: A discussion of theoretical frameworks for understanding contemporary societies. The course will normally cover capitalism and economy; globalization and post-colonialism; identity, politics, and social movements; science, technology, and environmentalism; consumerism and urban life.
SOCY 275 Theories of Deviance and Social Control
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Mon. 2:30-4:00pm; Thurs. 4:00-5:30pm
Description: This course focuses on the theoretical foundation examining the process by which activities are defined as deviant: such activities as 'sexual deviance', 'mental illness', and 'political deviance'. The major etiological approaches to the study of deviants are also considered.
SOCY 284 Introduction to Digital Sociology
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Mon. 11:30am-1:00pm; Thurs. 1:00-2:30pm
Description: This course introduces students to the field of Digital Sociology. By critically engaging theoretical frameworks and empirical studies, students will learn how pervasive digitization in contemporary societies shapes longstanding sociological concerns like power, inequality, culture, work, communities, and more.
SOCY 301-001 Sociology of Globalization
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Mon. 4:00-5:30pm; Wed. 2:30-4:00pm
Description: An introduction to recent sociological debates on the emergence of a global economy and society, and its impact on different parts of the world.
SOCY 301-002 Migration and Mobilities
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Tues. 8:30-10:00am; Fri. 10:00-11:30am
Description: This course critically examines migration as a complex, global phenomenon shaped by race, gender, class, dis/ability, and environmental factors. We study who moves, who cannot, and who is undesired to move, analyzing refugees, labor, and environmental migrants. Topics include biopolitics of mobility, settler colonialism, globalization, and digitalization. Through historical and contemporary perspectives, students will explore migration's ethical, political, and sociological dimensions, and how it's represented in popular culture and theory.
SOCY 301-003 Disability and Society
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Mon. 10:00-11:30am; Wed. 8:30-10:00am
Description: This course is an intermediate introduction to the sociology of disability. Students will connect with the larger, interdisciplinary space of disability studies, exploring disability as a cultural and political object. Course themes include disability and social inequality, the politics of charity and rehabilitation, education and accessibility, identity and difference within the disability category, activism and public policy, and global perspectives on disability. Students will leave the course with an understanding of disability models and terminology, the major debates in social science disability research, and the ability to apply course concepts in writing.
SOCY 301-001 Gender & Contemporary Society
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Tues. 4:00-5:30pm; Thurs. 2:30-4:00pm
Description: This course examines the central debates, concepts and questions that have preoccupied scholars in the subfield, sociology of sex and gender, over the past three decades. Broadly, sociologists have been concerned with asking, what is gender, where does it come from, what does it do (e.g., to identity and society), what are its consequences, and what can people do to navigate its impact. These overarching questions undergird several important debates in the subfield, which we will explore in depth within this course: the concern with gendered gaps (e.g., in wages, in orgasms, in penalties for parenthood), the preoccupation with better understanding agency (is compliance agentic? Are Muslim women agentic?); the challenge of embracing intersectionality as a framework (e.g., how do we mobilize this concept in empirical research?); the impact of privilege on social inequalities (e.g., hybrid masculinity; hegemonic femininity); mechanisms of inequality’s reproduction (e.g., gaslighting, stigma, the glass ceiling); and the challenges the subfield faces in the present moment (e.g., from fascism and genderism). Students will also have the opportunity to develop and pursue their own interests in relation with this broad interdisciplinary topic in sociology via group work and a term paper.
SOCY 301-002 Sociology of Religion
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Mon. 11:30am-2:30pm
Description: From megachurches and religious nationalism to spiritual influencers and LGBTQ faith communities, religion sremains a powerful social force in contemporary society. This course uses sociological theories and research to examine how religion shapes and is shaped by power, culture, identity, and social change. In particular, the course focuses on intersectional and transnational perspectives to study religion.
SOCY 305 Sociology of Professions
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Mon. 8:30-10:00am; Thurs. 10:00-11:30am
Description: This course offers an introduction to theories and empirical studies of professions and occupations. Using case studies of lawyers, physicians, engineers, scientists, accountants, social workers, and other occupations, this course examines historical change, social structure, market competition, hiring, career advancement, workplace interaction and culture, job satisfaction, work-life balance, demographic diversity, social service, professional ethics, retirement and other aspects of professions from the late nineteenth century to the age of globalization and digitization.
SOCY 306 Consumer Culture
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Mon. 8:30-10:00am; Thurs. 10:00-11:30am
Description: A comprehensive introduction to the major theories and empirical studies of consumer culture with emphasis upon the historical, socioeconomic, and cultural aspects of consumption in sociological context; substantive focus upon diverse topics such as food, tourism, the home, children, and marketing.
SOCY 315 Algorithmic Cultures and Digital Justice
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Tues. 2:30-4:00pm; Fri. 4:00-5:30pm
Description: This course examines how algorithms and digital technologies reshape social behaviors and cultural norms, focusing on how race, class, gender, and disability intersect with algorithmic decision-making. Students will analyze how algorithms impact daily life, reinforcing or challenging inequalities, and explore the ethical implications for marginalized communities. Through contemporary issues in surveillance, criminal justice, and digital justice, the course addresses the socio-cultural consequences of an algorithm-driven world.
SOCY 363 Science, Knowledge and Power
Term: Winter term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Wed. 1:00-2:30pm; Fri. 11:30am-1:00pm
Description: This course critically examines the roles of scientific knowledge in contemporary societies, with particular emphasis on the politics of difference. Students will learn key theories of scientific knowledge production and familiarize themselves with debates how biomedical understandings of human difference are socially shaped; for example, but not limited to, race, sex and gender, sexuality, and ability.
SOCY 388 Sociology of Criminal Justice
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Tues. 4:00-5:30pm; Thurs. 2:30-4:00pm
Description: Comparative examination of criminal justice system and its major institutions; Canadian research emphasized.
SOCY 389 Gender and Crime
Term: Fall term (on campus)
Class Time(s): Mon. 11:30am-1:00pm; Thurs. 1:00-2:30pm
Description: This course examines gender differences in offending, victimization, and criminal justice processing. The course starts by critically examining the extent and distribution of crime. Next, we study the sociological explanations of gender differences in criminal behavior. We explore gang-related crime, domestic violence, homicide and femicide, criminal harassment, sexual assault, human trafficking, and prostitution. Finally, this course investigates gender in relation to courts and sentencing, incarceration, community corrections, and pathways out of crime.
Contract Hours
The hours in the TA contract will be determined based on the actual course enrollment.
To Apply
The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen’s University is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, racialized persons, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ persons and such other groups as may be designated by legislation.
The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs.
Application Process
The process of assigning qualified graduate students to these positions is outlined in the Collective Agreement between the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC 901) and Queen’s University. Remuneration will be in accordance with the Collective Agreement, and appointments are subject to funding or enrollment criteria. Applications will be reviewed, and positions allocated in reference to candidates’ teaching and academic experience as it applies to the course subject field and in reference to the candidates’ priority for a Teaching Assistantship as specified by the Collective Agreement.
If you wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship listed above, please complete the Teaching Assistant Application Form.
In addition, please note that you will be required to upload your CV and transcript (unofficial Queen’s transcripts are okay for Queen’s students).
For any questions, please contact:
Celina Caswell
Graduate Program Advising Coordinator, Hub 1, SOCY Lead
Queen's University
Mackintosh-Corry Hall, Room B411
Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6
socygrad@queensu.ca
Application Deadline
Submit your application and supporting documentation no later than July 15, 2026 at 11:59pm. Only those applicants who will be offered a teaching assistantship will be contacted.
Call for Applications: Teaching Assistant Positions 2026-27 [PDF 93.6 KB]