For a summary of departmental statements, committees, equity-based recruitment, and additional EDI initiatives, please see below:
Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:
The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous Peoples of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who contribute to the further diversification of ideas. Additionally, Sociology is a tri-campus-oriented department, and our EDI initiatives strongly reflect this.
Departmental Statements
The Sociology Department is troubled by incidents of Islamophobia in Canada and around the world. Read more »
Racialized violence is an endemic problem of Canadian society. The most recent examples of violence against Black people have sparked outrage around the world. These instances are connected to larger systems that reproduce racial inequalities which are particularly pernicious for Black and Indigenous communities. 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 »
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
All search committee members have been requested to take unconscious bias training, which has been applied to recruitment.
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.
- Akwasi Owusu-Bempah shared his perspective on the legacy of George Floyd and anti-Black racism in Canada.
- Professor David Pettinicchio has published numerous articles on disability-based discrimination.
Last updated September 2025