University of Toronto

Sociology of Religion

Human Rights and Counterterrorism

Despite scholarly predictions that religion would decline in the face of modernization, religion plays a significant role in every single aspect of our lives. Religion shapes identity formation, social stratification, political transformation, and culture expression. For example, religion is deeply intertwined with race, ethnicity, gender, and indigeneity. The foundation of nations is shaped by religious people and their convictions. Religious groups mobilize and lobby governments to advocate for social change. Religion imbues life, especially suffering, with meaning. In this course, we will examine religious beliefs, practices, institutions, and movements, exploring their impact on some of the most pressing questions of our time.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the international community declared terrorism as the ultimate global threat, catapulting the war on terror and the expansion of counterterrorism measures. In the process, human rights were violated in the name of national security. We will explore the following questions: How is terrorism defined sociologically and legally? How did the terrorism industry emerge? How does counterterrorism lead to the suppression of human rights and civil society? What are the long-term impacts of the war on terror? Along with analyzing government actions, policies, and laws, we will focus on the people who are at the heart of these tensions, whose lives are transformed by the politics of human rights and counterterrorism. We will draw on domestic and international legal cases, UN reports, films, and testimonies. The material in this course will undoubtedly be difficult, but students will walk away with a richer sociological understanding of a problem that has animated the world in the last several decades.

University of Minnesota

Social Problems

Introduction to Sociology

In this course, we investigate how societal ills become defined as social problems. We won’t take for granted that an issue in our society is an objective problem (e.g. crime or terrorism), but instead, we’ll focus on the process through which a social issue becomes defined as a societal concern. We will ask questions such as: What tools and tactics do claims-makers use to identify, define and articulate a problem and solutions? How are these claims articulated to a public to mobilize them for change? What are moral panics? How do social problems change through space and time? How do different professions discuss the same problem differently?

This course is designed to introduce you to the study of society and what sociologists call the "sociological imagination": a way of viewing the events, relationships and social phenomena that shape our individual lives and much of our collective experience. Through the course we will examine some of the central concepts and problems that have preoccupied both classical and contemporary sociologists and gain a sense of how the sociological imagination can illuminate the social forces that have a concrete impact on our everyday lives. Throughout the course you will be asked to consider the ways in which society affects your life, and how you, in turn, affect society.

Minority Rights Group International

Minority Rights and Advocacy Training

This is a training for human rights activists on minority rights advocacy to support their organizations in becoming more effective and accountable. In this course, you will learn about the basic concepts and instruments about minority rights. This course focuses on what it means to be a minority, and the different rights they enjoy under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (UNDM).

Student Feedback

  • "This instructor was always accessible, flexible, and understanding. In addition, they made sure we understood the concepts we discussed in class/assignments, always asking and answering necessary questions."

    Student Feedback

  • "Very open with speaking on controversial subjects. Always engaged in our thoughts and stories."

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  • "The course readings that Professor Philips selected were informative, relevant, and interesting. The readings were my favorite part of the course which was a surprise for me. I was introduced to new perspectives with some and others provided more nuance to my understanding."

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