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Inquisitive Sociologist
Researcher Mike Zajko investigates internet policy, surveillance and the ethical implications facing some of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies.
“Now, more than ever, when we’re communicating with others, what we say is going through an internet service provider or messaging platform — and along the way those organizations are implicated in a number of different decisions.”
Mike Zajko
Assistant Professor, Sociology
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Global Studies
The Global Studies interdisciplinary graduate program at UBC’s Okanagan campus addresses prominent themes and trends in a globalized world. It is a truly interdisciplinary program that concentrates on the intersection of global politics, economics, social policy, and culture.
The program emphasizes both theory and the everyday applications of knowledge. Students learn to analyze complex global issues in a practical manner, using both traditional and avant-garde conceptual approaches.
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Power, Conflict and Ideas
The interdisciplinary graduate degree in power, conflict, and ideas at UBC’s Okanagan campus brings together diverse perspectives, insights, tools, and techniques needed to comprehend and address today’s challenges, and allow graduates to become agents of change.
Students will study the dynamics of political environments, learn how to use archives and historical data, study social theory and theoretical approaches, learn how to apply ethical frameworks, and develop critical analytical skills. In pursuing this field of study, students will be able to pursue rigorous graduate study that culminates in an in-depth individual research project. The interdisciplinary nature of the program, drawing from multiple faculties and departments, allows for a range of teaching and research opportunities in different departments.
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Urban and Regional Studies
The interdisciplinary degree in urban and regional studies at UBC’s Okanagan campus gains theoretical and critical analytical skills in topics related to:
- urban and rural studies
- regional history
- public and private economics
- governance and leadership
- relationships of identity, place, and community within regions
As populations around the globe continue to urbanize, there are important and under-studied phenomena that affect both those in urban environments and those in the peripheral rural settings. Regions are being increasingly recognized as important for the social, economic, and cultural wellbeing of people and communities, and this program explores the many opportunities and challenges facing people who find themselves outside of the internationally interconnected global cities.
INSTITUTES
Institute for Community Engaged Research (ICER)
ICER is an academic research centre that unites researchers from a broad range of disciplinary backgrounds, including anthropology, gender studies, indigenous studies, economics, education, health studies, human geography, nursing, social work, and sociology.
Sharing a commitment to research that supports diversity, equity, and social justice, the Institute facilitates the participation of community members, organizations,students, and academics as co-researchers. ICER is a hub for building relationships, collaboration, and effective knowledge creation and exchange.
Research Themes
Environment
Global and local political economy, human impact on the environment and the impact on societies of environmental change, commercial agriculture, animal rights, vegetarianism, ecofeminism and climate change
Surveillance and Cybersecurity
Internet access and broadband extension as issues of social justice, Indigenous communities and rural internet access, government regulation, surveillance and intrusion, citizens’ rights
Science and Technology
History and sociology of science, critical interpretations of the impact of technological change on societies, medicine and change, gender dynamics, transformation of the nature of work
Digital Humanities
Digital pedagogy, audio and video recording, photography, preservation and archiving, text encoding, data mining, interactive mapping
Migration
National and international policies, border and regime change, individual and structural push and pull factors, forced and voluntary migration, re-creation of cultures in new societies, hybrid cultures
Labour
Labour relations, social constructions of labour, gender and labour, government regulation, prison and other captive labour—both historical and current, labour rights and organization
Human Rights
Civil rights, state violence, land dispossession, prevalence and patterns of human rights violations, global and local political economy, global solidarity initiatives, gender mobilization, racism, socio-legal studies
Race and Ethnicity
Patterns of structural and historical racism—both national and international, racial and ethnic regulation, government bureaucracy, legal restrictions and remedies, cultural criminology, critical race studies
Religion
Intersections between religion, economics and definitions of personhood, religion and societal transformation, connections to gender, labour, race and global capitalism
Opportunities for Undergraduate Students
The Department of History & Sociology offers many opportunities for undergraduate students to gain valuable research experience. You can participate in research either as a volunteer research assistant, or through Directed Studies and/or Honours opportunities. Explore your options below.
The opportunity: Get experience helping faculty members, graduate students, or a mixture of the two, with their research projects. This is a non-paid, non-credit based opportunity that will give you the chance to participate in various elements of conducting research. The duties and length of the opportunity is determined by the supervising faculty member.
Prerequisites: Typically, no experience is required, but some opportunities may require the completion of certain courses prior to volunteering.
Consult your program advisor or a faculty member for more information.
The opportunity: Carry out your own research project under the supervision of a faculty member in history or sociology. You can earn three or six credits, depending upon the project.
Prerequisites:
- History: fourth-year standing, 6 credits of upper-level history courses, and permission of a faculty member to supervise the project. A minimum of 72% in all completed upper-level history courses is required.
- Sociology: permission of the department head and a faculty member to supervise the project.
Consult your program advisor or a faculty member for more information.
The opportunity: Research and write a research paper under the supervision of a faculty member. You will be involved in all aspects of the research process, and participate in colloquia and seminars
Prerequisites: Third-year standing, a minimum of 12 credits of history coursework, an average of 76% in all attempted history courses, and a minimum overall average of 72%.
Consult your program advisor or a faculty member for more information.
Awards for Undergraduate Students
The Undergraduate Research Awards (URA) provide exceptional research experiences for students at UBC’s Okanagan campus.
The purpose of the awards is to encourage undergraduate students to pursue innovative and original research as part of their learning experience.
Our Partners and Donors
Together, we are making a difference, locally and around the world. Our partners and donors allow us to carry out our mission of helping the community, making advancements in research, and providing quality education in the field of history and sociology.
If you are interested in becoming a partner or donor, we would love to hear from you.