Sociology Department

Welcome to Sociology at StFX!

The Department of Sociology looks forward to welcoming you in our classes. With expertise in areas like culture, politics and the state, and health we can guide you through exciting topic areas like disability, friendship, hockey, technology, drugs and the state, justice, and resettlement.  The beauty of Sociology is its ability to understand the complexity of society through a multitude of lenses.  In our classes we equip you with the tools to theorise and critically understand the world around us.
 

What's Happening in the Department!

Congrats to Sociology graduating student medalists and award recipients!

Kaylee Cox received the University Gold Medal for the Bachelor of Arts Program. These medals are awarded to the student with the highest average in the final three years of an Honours, Advanced Major or Major degree program or the final two years of a diploma or education degree program.

Ireland Melchior and Ro Paradela received the Canadian Sociological Association Outstanding Sociology Graduating Student Award. This national award recognizes top graduating Honours students in Canadian sociology programs.

Ro Paradela also received the Reverend Frank J. Mifflen Prize for Sociology for excellence in both academic coursework and extra-curricular activities, and the St Francis Xavier Association of University Teachers Book Prize, awarded to graduating students who demonstrate a commitment to social justice advocacy and community development on campus or in the community.

Congrats to Dr. John Phyne on receiving the distinction of Professor Emeritus in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the discipline and the academic life of the University. Dr. Phyne joined the Sociology Department in 1989 and retired in 2020. His ongoing research studies urban renewal in the city centre of mid-twentieth-century St. John’s, combining biography, history and social structure in the spirit of sociologist C. Wright Mills.

Congrats to Honours student and Sociology Student Society President Abby Hopkins on receiving a Research Nova Scotia Scholars Undergraduate Research Award! Abby's project, "Left Behind by Medicare: The Impact of Rare Disease Exclusion on Access, Experiences, and Outcomes in Nova Scotia," is supervised by Dr. Katie Aubrecht.

Congrats to Dr. Joel Garrod for receiving tenure and promotion to Associate Professor! Dr. Garrod has taught Introduction to Sociology, Social Inequality in Canada, Power and the State, Critical Political Economy, and the Sociology Honours Seminar. Watch for his new course in 2025-2026, titled 'Elites'! Dr. Garrod is a critical political sociologist and economist. He has published in the top journals in his field, and has a new book publication with University of Toronto Press titled, Royal Histories: The Transformation of the Royal Bank of Canada, 1864-2022.