For a summary of departmental statements, committees, equity-based recruitment, and additional EDI initiatives, please see below:
Departmental Statements
Statement on Immigration and Islamophobia
We in the Department of Sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga are deeply troubled by the recent U.S. travel ban targeting refugees and citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and by incidents of Islamophobia in Canada and around the world. Such incidents include but are not limited to the shooting in a Quebec mosque on Sunday, January 29. 2017. In this environment, it becomes critical to speak from our social scientific knowledge to support each other and to ensure that all among us can thrive. Read more »
Statement Regarding Racialized Violence
Racialized violence is an endemic problem of Canadian society. The most recent examples of violence against Black people have sparked outrage around the world. Each instance of police brutality threatens not just individuals but the legitimacy of society as a whole. These instances are not isolated events. They are connected to larger systems that reproduce racial inequalities which are particularly pernicious for Black and Indigenous communities. This social and political context is painful and dire.
As members (faculty, staff and graduate students) of the Tri-campus Department of Sociology at University of Toronto, we do not pretend that a statement will ameliorate racism in Canada, or even in our own department. Still, we must take action to address racism in Canadian society. Our department can do more, and MUST do more. Read more »
In addition to the above statement, Associate Professor and Chair Phil Goodman also sent an email regarding racialized violence to Sociology faculty on March 17, 2021. Read the email »
Committees
The department’s Anti-Racism Task Force was formed in the Fall of 2021. One of its key activities is an Undergraduate Racial Climate Assessment, which has been presented to faculty; the task force is currently in the process of discussing actions to prioritize.
The task force also generated a discussion with the four chairs of the tri-campus Sociology department about structural and cultural changes to support retention of BIPOC faculty.
Additionally:
- Professor Julius Haag led the session on Race-Based Data Collection and Use at the 2020 National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities.
- Professors Jennifer Adese and Robin Gray sit on the Indigenous table.
Equity-Based Recruitment
The department’s Anti-Racism Task Force provides input into hiring and has representation on search committees.
In addition, faculty and staff have completed two cycles of Indigenous Cultural Competency Training from the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres.
Additional EDI Initiatives
Sociology faculty members are global leaders in anti-racism work — within the department, the University and the community at large.
Recent examples:
- Professors Hae Yeon Choo and Akwasi Owusu-Bempah are featured in the January 2022 Race, Equity & Action Speaker Series presented by the Anti-Racism & Cultural Diversity Office.
- Professors Hae Yeon Choo, Sida Liu, and Weiguo Zhang published the following article on fighting Anti-Asian racism.
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Akwasi Owusu-Bempah shared his perspective on the legacy of George Floyd and anti-Black racism in Canada.
Last updated August, 2023