Inverting the lens: An exploration of the theoretical foundation of sociology departments within a Canadian context

The purpose of this paper is to examine the theoretical foundation of sociology within a Canadian context. Primarily using the work of Donald Levine (1995) and R.W Connell (1997), I discuss the boundaries of sociological thought, and how sociology departments construct their theoretical education. The aim is to bring to light the theories that are read by students, and forwarded by their professors, in order to understand the frames by which students are taught to pursue sociological inquiry. This paper conducts a qualitative study in the form of a content analysis of department information, professor research interests, and syllabi data. Ultimately, I argue that marginalized theorists, most represented by women, and persons of colour, lack adequate representation in the sociological theoretical curriculum. The strong presence of Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, confine the boundaries of classical thought, limiting the usage of other theorists' work. With efforts to make contemporary theory a genre of various perspectives, there still needs to be more representation of diversity, which includes but is not limited to women's and global perspectives. This would ensure that the dialogue between sociologists lie on a rich theoretical foundation, which will provide a clearer understanding of the social condition.