Teaching and Research Interests
Classical and contemporary sociological theory; self and society; collective behaviour and social movements; comparative and cross-cultural/national sociology; media and society; movies and culture; historical sociology; civility; social ethics; sociology of emotions and interaction; globalization; corporations; sociology of the body; educational technologies.
Former chair of Sociology and Anthropology (2007-2010), Dr. Davetian is one of the world's leading experts on 'civility' and its role in human interaction, social organization and conflict. He has researched civility in France, England and America and appeared on special documentaries produced by CTV and CBC. He has also appeared on numerous media programs and is founder/director of the privately-owned
The Civility Institute.
His most recent book,
CIVILITY: A Cultural History (
University of Toronto Press) has been recognized by world-renowned academics and media critics as a seminal work in sociology and cultural studies. An earlier book,
The Seventh Circle, was awarded the Mordecai Richler Prize for best book of the year. His articles on multiculturalism, social theory and inter-civilizational conflict have been quoted internationally.
In 2004, he was selected for inclusion in Canada's Who's Who in recognition of his contributions to literature, multiculturalism and Canadian identity. In 2010 he was awarded the UPEI Faculty Association Scholarly Merit Award.
His various scholarly activities have been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the British Commonwealth Association of Universities. He has delivered keynote speeches at various conferences.
He maintains an internationally-popular website for sociological research and course delivery:
SOCIOLOGY WEB, and a YouTube director's channel
SOCIOLOGICAL that features hundreds of videos on subjects of interest to sociology and anthropology students.
Selected Articles and Links:
'What is Human Society'
'Towards an Emotionally Informed Sociology'
'Moral Tensions Between Western and Islamic Cultures'
'Out of the Fire and into the Melting Pot. In defense of
Canada's multiculturalism policies.'
Sage Encyclopedia of Case Study Research: 'Symbolic Interactionism' (2009)
Sage Encyclopedia of Case Study Research: 'Social Interaction Theory' (2009)
