The Honours Program in the Sociology and Anthropology Department.
The Honours Program in the Sociology and Anthropology Department provides a select number of students the opportunity of conducting a more in-depth study in their chosen major discipline. Honours programs are available in Sociology, Anthropology, or Sociology/Anthropology.
An Honours Program allows highly qualified students the opportunity of pursuing a more research-intensive course of study than the one normally required by the regular major. The Honours degree is usually a prerequisite for undertaking study at the graduate level for either discipline, as well as providing a more in-depth preparation for students headed to professional schools and certain careers. Students contemplating entry into the Honours program should consult with potential supervisors and the Chair of the Department early on in their program of studies (during the sixth semester) so that they can receive the required mentoring. All students are also strongly encouraged to read this guide, the department's program in the university calendar and other information on the departmental web-site.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A B.A. WITH HONOURS
Students can graduate with a B.A. with Honours, or, if they have already graduated with a regular B.A., fulfill the Honours requirements and receive a Certificate converting their B.A. to a 'B.A. with Honours.' In either case, a student must take the 6 semester hours Honours Research Course (SOCI-ANTH 490) in addition to the 120 credits required for the regular B.A. degree.
The Honours Research Course constitutes the research component of the Honours program. It involves supervised reading and research on a specific topic that then becomes the subject of a substantial Honours paper written in fulfillment of the Honours program thesis requirement. The paper will be assessed by a three-member committee consisting of the student's Honours supervisor, a second member from the Sociology and Anthropology department, and a third member from another department. Selection of the Honours committee is made by the Honours supervisor acting in conjunction with the student.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES
An applicant to the Honours program must be registered in the major program or have already completed a major program in sociology, anthropology or sociology/anthropology. Applications are normally submitted in the sixth semester, allowing the student and the department the time needed for the processing of the application and consultation with a potential Honours supervisor.
Admission to the program is competitive due to the qualifications required and also the limited resources of the department. Thus, students who fulfill the minimum grade requirements cannot count on automatic acceptance. Admission into the program is based on three factors: 1) The student's prior academic performance, 2) The department's evaluation of that student's interest and ability to undertake independent research, and 3) The availability of a supervisor in the student's chosen area of interest. Due to the necessity of matching a student's interests with the expertise of a faculty member and the considerable teaching and research duties of faculty members, it is usual for a faculty member to have no more than 1 or 2 Honours students.
The minimal requirements for admission to the program are as follows:
1. Students must have an average of 70% in all courses taken prior to entry into the Honours program; 2. An average of 75% in all Sociology and Anthropology courses taken prior to entry into the program.
2. To continue in the program, students must maintain an overall average of 70% in all courses and an average of 75% in Sociology and Anthropology courses.
3. To successfully complete the Honours program, an Honours student must pass the paper/thesis stage with a minimum grade of 75%.
1. APPLICATION:
A written application for admission must be sent to the Chair of the Department by December 1 (for those planning to start the program in the winter semester) and May 1 (for those planning to start in the fall semester). A degree audit should accompany the application.
The application should consist of a statement of intent to pursue the Honours program, an explanation of the topic chosen, the reasons for the choice, and a summary of the manner in which the student intends to proceed through the three distinct phases of the program:
1) The preparation of the initial proposal, 2) The continuation of research and reading and the planning of the paper/thesis, and 3) The preparation of the paper/thesis. This proposal should include a preliminary bibliography of sources demonstrating that the student has already informed herself of the available research sources.
2. REVIEW OF APPLICATION
Upon receipt of the Preliminary Proposal, the Department will review the student's academic record and the preliminary proposal and make a decision whether to accept the student into the program. The Chair will inform the student in writing of the decision by the Department. Once accepted into the program, the student will submit a final proposal for the Honours Paper or Thesis to the Department through the supervisor.
The Roles of the Supervisor and Readers
Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with a possible faculty supervisor prior to submitting an application and a preliminary proposal. The student must be matched with a departmental faculty member who is willing to act as a supervisor who supports the proposal for the research course. The faculty member's support depends on a number of factors such as: expertise in the proposed area, familiarity with the student's ability to do independent research, contractual and work constraints, and the concurrence of the
Department. Student and supervisor meet on a regular basis to ensure that the work proceeds according to plan.
The student must submit a final proposal for the research course (Sociology/Anthropology 490) to the supervisor, who, after having approved it, will then submit it to the Department for review. When approved, a copy will be filed with the Chair.
The role of the second and third reader is to provide a second opinion on the quality of your work. While readers may and often do contribute ideas and recommendations during the proposal stage of the work, they are not directly involved in advising and supervising your work.
The Research Course, The Honours Proposal and Final Paper-Thesis
The Research Course (SOCI-ANTH 490) represents the student's regular meetings with the supervisor, readings accomplished as part of the Honours work, research conducted in preparation of the proposal and paper-thesis, and any other activities related to the successful completion of the Honours work. six semester hours of credits are assigned to this work.
The Honours Thesis Proposal is an outline describing the topic you wish to research, issues related to that topic, existing work done on that topic by scholars, the relevance of your own approach to the topic, and a description of the manner in which you intend to achieve your research and writing goals. Thus, the proposal should: a) identify an area of interest, including a preliminary discussion of literature on the topic, b) present a specific thesis or problem for study, while including a preliminary review of theories and other research, and, d) Include a preliminary bibliography of texts available for the actual research phase. Students should expect to spend about two weeks of intensive work formulating this proposal.
The proposal should be between 10 and 12 pages in length, not counting the bibliography. It is to be developed and prepared in consultation with your supervisor who will give the final approval before it is submitted to the second and third readers for comments. The supervisor will select the second and third readers in consultation with the student.
The research paper or thesis prepared at the end of the SOCI-ANTHRO 490 course should normally be no more than 65 pages in length. Student and supervisor should determine a final completion deadline. From the outset, the supervisor and student should begin searching for and contacting the two additional faculty members for the student's thesis committee.
The final form of the paper or thesis must be typed and double-spaced with 1 ½ inches of left margin, 1 inch of right margin, and I inch of top and bottom margin, typed in a standard 11 ore 12 point font, on quality paper and free of spelling and grammatical errors.
When the paper/thesis is in its final form, the student will submit 4 copies to the supervisor who will then send two of the copies to the other committee members and one copy to the Chair. The minimal acceptable grade for the paper/thesis is 75%. The supervisor will consult with the other committee members and then assign a single numerical grade and inform the student of the result.
If necessary, in order to attain an acceptable grade, revisions will be made and the paper/thesis will be circulated again for review. Since the work must be completed by the agreed upon-deadline, students are asked to ensure that their academic and non-academic commitments do not interfere with their regular progress. Students should note that faculty are not responsible for the student's rate of progress through the program, or the time involved for its completion. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of the regulations governing the Honours program and act in accordance with them.
SUMMARY OF STEPS TO FOLLOW:
1 Contact Department Chair.
2 Decide on a topic and conduct a preliminary review of the subject. Contact the faculty member whom you feel can provide you with the most helpful support (see the last page of this document for a list of professors and their areas of research expertise). 3 Write a preliminary proposal for your paper-thesis and submit it with your Application for Admission into the Honours Program to the Chair of the Department by May 1st or December 1st.
4 Following your admission to the program, write a final proposal and submit it to your supervisor. Prepare the proposal with the guidance of your supervisor. Submit the finished proposal to the Chair of the Department.
5 One your proposal has been accepted, start your research on the approved topic with the guidance of your supervisor. In consultation with your supervisor find a reader/evaluator from outside the department and invite them to be on our final thesis committee.
6 When the paper/thesis reaches its final form, prepare 4 copies for distribution.
7 Following the receipt of feedback from the other committee members, the supervisor will assign a final grade to your work.
Areas of Interest of Full-Time Sociology and Anthropology Faculty
Charles Adeyanju
Teaching and Research Interests: Ethnicity and multiculturalism; globalization; Canadian society; work and society.
Benet Davetian
Teaching and Research Interests: Classical and contemporary sociological theory; self and society; collective behavior and social movements; comparative and crosscultural/national sociology; media and society; historical sociology; civility; sociology of emotions and interaction; popular and youth culture; internet communities; work and society; economic sociology; education and teaching technologies.
Udo Krautwurst
Teaching and Research Interests: Introduction to anthropology; Africa; kinship and family forms; principles and theories of social organization; visual anthropology; contemporary issues in social anthropology; German settlers in Namibia; South African immigrants to Canada; colonialism and post-colonialism; historical anthropology; anthropology of science and culture; anthropology and post-structural philosophy.
Jean Mitchell
Teaching and Research Interests: Anthropological theory; ethnography; gender; applied and medical anthropology; Melanasia; colonial and postcolonial issues; youth; migration; modernity.
Judy-Lynn Richards
Teaching and Research Interests: Research methods; statistics; introduction to sociology; social gerontology; demography of aging; small groups; sociology of health; using; endof-life care; social policy development.
(Sample title page of an Honours paper-thesis)
TITLE IN BLOCK LETTERS INCLUDING SUBTITLES
By
Full Name of Student
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements Of the Honours Program in (discipline)
Date
Supervisory Committee: Name 1 (Supervisor) Name 2 (Second Reader) Name 3 (Third Reader)
__________________________________________________
COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR B.A. with Honours
Please note that the courses required for each Honours (sociology/anthropology, sociology, or anthropology) vary. Students interested in applying to the Honours program are, therefore, strongly recommended to examine the Honours Section in our Academic Calender.
GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE HONOURS PROGRAM
You have a few weeks to prepare your honours proposal in consultation with your honours supervisor. This proposal may (and usually does) require a revision or two prior to being approved and submitted to the Department and the readers.
PROPOSAL:
Your proposal should include a title page, a 100-200 word abstract, an introduction, a section discussing background information on your chosen topic of research (including work done by scholars whose work is relevant to your topic), a description of the methods you will use during the conducting of your research, a section discussing how the results of your work will be presented, a bibliography, and a timetable outlining the various stages of your work (preliminary reading, field or other forms of actual original research, analysis of results, and writing of your final paper-thesis). Students are encouraged to make provisions for the time required to edit and re-write the final paperthesis. It is very rare (and almost impossible) to submit a first draft that does not require a certain amount of revision.
ETHICS:
Once the proposal is approved, you may need to obtain Ethics clearance from the Research Ethics Board of the University. Please consult with your supervisor regarding this. An ethics clearance ensures that you have made adequate provisions for conducting your research in a manner that is ethical and a manner that does not leave negative effects for those involved in your research.
FINAL PAPER-THESIS:
The model you should use for the preparation of your final paper-thesis is that of a formal article intended for publication, or a thesis (which normally is longer and more explanatory). Which form to use should be decided in consultation with your supervisor. The work should include a 150-200 word abstract, an introduction indicating the research question addressed by the work and the relevance of that question, a section reviewing the work done to date on the topic by other scholars, a section presenting your own research, and a discussion section in which the material is applied to the research question presented at the onset and evaluated in accordance with the stated objective of the paper, and a list of works cited.
The paper is to be typed on quality paper, double-spaced with 1" margins, and checked for spelling and grammar, with citations and bibliography conforming to the ASA guide to citations (please see departmental site for the citations guide).
