About the School

A street in Hong Kong — Faculty of Social Sciences

School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies

About the School

Welcome to the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies at the University of Ottawa.

Our School was first established in 1955 as a Department of Sociology, which then became a Department of Sociology and Anthropology in 2006, with the introduction of undergraduate (2006) and M.A. in Anthropology (2010) programs, and finally transitioned to School status in 2014 by incorporating the multidisciplinary program in Social Sciences. The M.A. in Sociology program has been in existence for about 30 years, the Ph.D. in Sociology program has been offered since 2008, and our new Ph.D. in Anthropology program began in 2021. We have also developed a one-year Master's in Applied Sociology to better meet the needs of community and government workers.

Meet your Director, Nathan Young

My research interests are...

My research is about the relationships between humans and nature. I believe that better understanding how people relate to nature can help encourage behaviour change and enact better environmental policies.

Are you affiliated with any other academic units?

I am affiliated with the Institute of the Environment and supervise many students in the Environment and Sustainability program.

The best part about my job

The work of a professor is about service to our communities that include students, colleagues, and the public at large. The best part about my job is when my knowledge and expertise is useful to someone who is engaged in learning or problem-solving.

My greatest inspiration…

I still draw inspiration from my mentors, who showed me how to build a complete academic life based on curiosity-driven research and caring about the personal and professional development of students and colleagues.