As part of their final year, students in our specialist programs participate in an independent research course (SOC439Y5/SOC440Y5), preparing a thesis on a topic of their choice. This page features a selection of their abstracts, highlighting the curiosity, critical thinking, and research skills our students bring to the world of Sociology and Criminology, Law and Society.
Research on Crime, Public Safety & Urban Environments
Preventing Homicides in Toronto—A Correlational Analysis (2023-2024)
By: Jasmine Sodhi
HBA | Criminology, Law and Society (Specialist), Forensic Science (Minor)
My undergraduate thesis examined whether Toronto sustained an effective methodology for curbing the homicide rate since 2005. To assess this, I examined Toronto homicide trends between the years 2015 and 2020, by using policy data from Public Safety Canada and homicide data from Toronto Police Services. Between 2015 and 2020, Toronto used three programs: the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS), the School Resource Officer Program (SRO), and the Youth in Policing Initiative. While it is debatable whether TAVIS and SRO were used for crime prevention in general or homicide-related crime, they were both disbanded in 2017 due to their ineffectiveness. My hypothesis was that the homicide rates would be at a consistent rise and cluster spatially in low socioeconomic status neighbourhoods, despite these programs. I found that, from 2015 to 2020, the homicide rates in Toronto declined and were dispersed across neighbourhoods, which runs counter to my hypothesis. Further, not having enough research on the effectiveness of these programs and on the cause of homicides and violent crimes in Toronto neighbourhoods limited my ability to correlate changes in homicide rates to the presence of these programs. I found that there was a general lack of scholarship on the causes of homicide in Toronto neighbourhoods. Due to this, it is uncertain what motivated the city to implement certain programs to curb the homicide rates, and further, to judge their effectiveness in doing so. My conclusions are that Toronto homicide is under-studied and, second, there is a need for case study analyses on city-wide program implementation to judge effectiveness in crime reduction.
Riding in Fear: Media, Crime, and the TTC Commute (2024-2025)
By: Clair Thomas
HBA | Criminology, Law and Society (Specialist), Sociology (Major)
The objective of my thesis was to understand the relationship between public safety at the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and how transit crime is perceived, reported, and experienced by transit users. Asking the question: "How do the everyday experiences of TTC users shape their perceptions of public safety on public transit?", previous research on transit crime identifies theft and assault as primary concerns, with vulnerable populations—including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and transit employees—being disproportionately affected. The research, however, did not focus on the Canadian aspect—a gap which my study sought to fill. The data I collected concentrated on conducting qualitative research through semi-structured interviews with eight TTC users. Participants reported that the physical environment of the TTC—including unclean and poorly maintained stations, dim lighting, and isolated areas—made them more wary of their surroundings. Second, most participants turned to social media when they heard about TTC crimes, which often reshaped their perception of using the transit system, leading some to choose walking or using Uber instead. Furthermore, all participants, including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and racialized men, expressed at least one negative experience on the TTC, such as verbal abuse, harassment, and witnessing a crime. Lastly, despite their experiences, most participants chose not to report their incidents due to various reasons, including the distrust in law enforcement and the inconvenience associated with reporting transit crimes. Therefore, this study is essential as it highlights the barriers to crime reporting, policy considerations of the infrastructure of transit, and a more approachable way to report transit crime.
Shifting Definitions and Responses to Safety Concerns on Toronto Public Transit
By: William Bryce McMurtry
HBA | Sociology (Specialist)
I conducted a critical discourse analysis of Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) board meeting documents from January 2020 to December 2025 that discuss safety and security policies and practices on the transit network. I found that the TTC safety and security discourse focused on COVID-19 pandemic-related notions of safety until mid-2022, when the discourse shifted to emphasize criminality and threat, with a theme of anti-homelessness consistent throughout both periods. From February 2023 onward TTC safety and security discourse and policies centred on removal of unhoused people and people with substance abuse and mental health issues from the transit system, despite acknowledging a lack of empirical evidence that these groups were responsible for an increase in transit incident rates. The security-focused policies were developed in consultation with other North American transit organisations, special interest groups, municipal, provincial, and federal institutions, and a small number of employees and members of the public, wholly excluding input from unhoused people and people with mental health and substance abuse issues. I conclude that TTC safety and security policies reproduce the issues it claims to address and potentially inflicting psychological and material harm on those targeted by safety and security policies, with broader societal implications that consider the proliferation of similar transit policies in other Canadian urban centres and changes to the federal Criminal Code.
Research on Social Media & Digital Influence
Scrolling Through the Pandemic: The Lasting Impact of Social Media on Young Adults
By: Pariza Qamruzzaman
Criminology, Law and Society (Major), Sociology (Major), History of Religions (Minor)
My undergraduate thesis examined how social media has impacted the mental health of young adults since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. To examine this, I collected qualitative data through six semi-structured interviews with young adults between the ages 18 to 26, focusing on their social media use during and after the pandemic. I was particularly interested in how increased reliance on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn shaped their emotional wellbeing, daily routines, and perceptions of self. With a focus on theories including Social Comparison Theory and Self-Regulation Theory, I analyzed how compulsive scrolling, exposure to idealized content, and lack of in-person interactions resulted in higher levels of anxiety, low self-esteem, and social isolation. While participants acknowledged that social media served as a significant source of connection and mental health awareness during lockdown, many also described developing lasting habits and negative emotional effects that persisted even after returning to school in-person. One of the major findings from my study was the paradox of social media acting as both a source of support and a source of stress, as statistics showed that while young adults felt they had a stronger understanding of mental health since the pandemic, cases of anxiety and depression were still rising. This research suggests that the pandemic has intensified the emotional effect of online engagement, and that young adults continue to navigate this complexity daily. My findings highlight the need for improved digital literacy and mental health strategies tailored to understanding a post-pandemic world in which young adults are consistently struggling to find a balance between their virtual and in-person lives.
Networks of Fear: TikTok's Misinformation on Sex Trafficking
By: Sandali Vithanage
HBA | Sociology (Specialist)
For my undergraduate thesis project, I researched TikTok’s misinformation on sex trafficking through sensationalized viral videos, specifically focusing on the hashtags associated with these videos. Since hashtags play a key role in driving user engagement and shaping which types of content reach targeted audiences, and because there is little social network analysis (SNA) on emerging platforms like TikTok, this gap largely shaped the direction of my research. My research addressed two main questions: (1) What is the network structure of sex trafficking-related hashtags on TikTok? and (2) Which hashtags are most frequently used in relation to viral sex trafficking content on the platform? To collect data, I manually analyzed 100 TikTok videos using multiple user accounts to minimize algorithmic bias. I then applied SNA techniques to map the relationships between hashtags. I expected to find a densely connected network centered on #humantraffickingawareness. While that hashtag, along with #fyp (for you page, TikTok’s main content discovery feed), appeared frequently, the overall network was less interconnected than expected. Instead, it consisted of fragmented subgroups, with certain hashtags serving as bridges between them. This structure highlights that no single narrative or set of hashtags dominates discussions about sex trafficking on TikTok. Rather, these discussions are dispersed across various subgroups and hashtags, with key hashtags tying these distinct clusters together. These findings show that conversations about sex trafficking on TikTok are far from unified. Instead, they reflect a range of perspectives and levels of awareness, often shaped by viral trends. Understanding this structure matters because it can help us better address how misinformation spreads and how certain hashtags shape online narratives about sensationalized topics.
Unpacking the Extended Self: A Qualitative Study of “What’s in My Bag” and the Material Manifestation of Identity
By: Leah Moon
HBA | Criminology, Law and Society (Major), Sociology (Major)
For my undergraduate thesis, I researched “What’s in My Bag” (WIMB), a social media trend where individuals show their belongings and share personal stories tied to each item. The popularity of WIMB indicates that material possessions are more than functional objects; they are a core medium for expressing one’s identity. Yet online WIMB content increasingly moves away from unscripted reality toward highly curated, stylized self-presentation. Building on Russell Belk’s “extended self,” which suggests that material possessions can become part of who we are, I examine the gap between the digital representation of WIMB and actual material practices. Using TikTok content analysis and 21 semi-structured interviews with University of Toronto Mississauga students, I investigated how students’ identities are articulated and how they relate to their belongings under the influence of institutional demands, social norms, and cultural expectations. While WIMB TikTok videos prioritize aesthetic coherence and flawless self-presentation, typically manifested through a minimalist, affluent, or culturally up-to-date self, my findings reveal that students’ real-life belongings are pragmatically shaped by academic demands and uncertainty. My findings expand understandings of the extended self in two ways: first, by suggesting that utility itself can become part of identity, showing that instrumental objects can become part of one’s extended self; and second, by demonstrating that choosing not to carry an item is just as significant in identity work as carrying one.
Research on Work, Culture & Behaviour
Tacitly Acquiesced Occupational Deviance in the Canadian Tree Planting Industry
By: Jordyn Wood
HBA | Criminology, Law and Society (Specialist), Ethics, Law and Society (Minor)
My undergraduate research explored the relationship between occupational deviance and the workplace culture and structural incentives within the social context where this deviance occurs. To do this, my research looked at a phenomenon called “stashing” in the tree planting industry, where workers dispose of trees rather than plant them. I found that this phenomenon may be driven by both the competitive occupational culture of the tree planting industry and by compensation systems in which workers were paid a piece rate wage and supervisors earned commission on these wages, creating overlapping incentives for both management and workers to engage in or condone stashing as a case of occupational deviance. To explore the phenomenon of stashing in the tree planting industry, I conducted semi-structured interviews with experienced Canadian tree planters and used NVivo 15 to code the qualitative data collected from these interviews. Existing research on occupational deviance suggests that it can be divided into two categories: white-collar crime, where an offender engages in deviance within their working duties to benefit themselves, and corporate crime, where an offender engages in deviance as an agent of an organization for the organization’s benefit. My research suggests that this dichotomy may oversimplify the issue of occupational deviance and suggests that it can also arise at the intersection of overlapping incentives for deviance.
Research on AI Use in Educational Environments
AI in the Classroom, Silence in the Syllabus
By: Ameer Eldebassy
HBA | Sociology (Major), History of Religions (Minor), Philosophy (Minor)
In my thesis, I set out to understand something I was seeing all around me: students were using AI tools like ChatGPT all the time, but no one was really sure what was allowed. I wanted to move past the idea that AI is simply “cheating” or “helpful” and instead look at how students actually experience it in their day-to-day academic lives. I collected survey data from 86 UTM students and conducted ten in-depth interviews to understand the reasoning behind those patterns. Most students aren't using AI to avoid thinking; they're using it to keep up. They rely on it to break down complex ideas, clarify confusing lectures, and manage heavy course loads when instructor support isn't always accessible. But here's what struck me most: over 70% of students said AI policies are unclear, and that ambiguity doesn't stop them from using AI; it just makes them anxious and secretive about it. Students described constantly second-guessing whether they were crossing a line, even when they believed their use was completely responsible. The stress wasn't about ethics; it was about not knowing the rules. I also found that this uncertainty isn’t equal across disciplines. Some students are given clear guidance and feel confident, while others are left to figure things out on their own. What this showed me is that the real issue isn’t AI itself; it’s how institutions are handling it. When guidance is unclear, students are left to navigate risk, anxiety, and fairness on their own.
Read the full paper here
Research On Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Who Gets to Speak in News Coverage of Intimate Partner Violence in Canada and Whose Voices are Left Out?
By: Kashvi Shah
HBA | Criminology, Law and Society (Specialist), Education Studies (Minor)
My research asks a simple but important question: who gets to speak in news coverage of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Canada, and whose voices are left out? While we often assume news stories provide a full and balanced account, I found that they are shaped by a narrow set of voices. To explore this, I analyzed 75 articles from CBC, CTV, and the Toronto Star, focusing on who was quoted, where their voices appeared, and how much space they were given. A clear pattern emerged. Institutional actors, particularly police and court officials, consistently dominated the narrative. Across the dataset, survivors were quoted just 17 times, while police alone appeared more than 70 times. These institutional voices also appeared earlier and at greater length, while survivor perspectives, when included, were typically brief and placed at the end of articles. This pattern matters because voice shapes how violence is understood. When institutions define the story, IPV is framed primarily as a legal or procedural issue, while the lived realities of fear, control, and survival are pushed to the margins. Ultimately, my research shows that improving how IPV is reported is not only about including survivor voices, but about reconsidering who has the authority to shape the story from the outset.
Research on Crime and Media
An Intersectional Approach to Fictional Crime Media: How Victims and Offenders are Constructed in the Law & Order Universe According to Race, Gender, and Type of Crime
By: Jessica Carter
HBA | Criminology, Law and Society (Specialist)
My SOC440 thesis examined how victims and offenders depicted in the Law & Order franchise represent broader social ideas around race, gender, and crime. My main research question was, “How are victims and offenders constructed within the Law & Order franchise, according to type of crime, race, and gender?” Existing scholarship indicates that fictional crime television dramas tend to sensationalize violent crimes through predictable storylines of ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ which rely on racial and gender stereotypes. To extend this scholarship, I applied an intersectional lens to my research and examined how the type of crime contributed to stereotypic depictions. I used a mixed-methods approach, where I collected both quantitative and qualitative data from 42 episodes across three Law & Order shows, looking at victim and offender demographics, as well as how they acted, how they were described, and how others acted towards them. A key finding of my analysis was a dominance of White male offender and White female victim representation, and a lack of variety in how those from different racial groups were portrayed. I was able to conclude that victims and offenders in the Law & Order universe were depicted in gender-stereotypical ways, while race was primarily avoided through a colourblind approach to representation. By understanding how cultural ideas about race and gender are embedded in media images of crime, we can better examine the biases that operate within the real criminal justice system as well.
Research on Fresh Food Accessibility
Effects of Geographic Location and Socioeconomic Status on Fresh Food Accessibility
By: Justin Caleb Alveranga
HBA | Sociology (Specialist), Economics (Major), Applied Statistics (Minor)
My undergraduate thesis evaluated the effects of geographic location and socioeconomic status on fresh food accessibility within grocery stores in Mississauga. I wanted to find out whether access to fresh foods is different depending on the neighbourhood one resides in and how these differences can manifest in problems such as unequal access to healthy diet options, food security and how purchasing patterns of residents can be affected. This approach differs from existing literature by examining the Sociological concepts of the intersections of race, class and geographic location. I shifted the discussion from one that was previously public health centered to an evaluation of the implications of food environments on communities. I accomplished this by collecting observational data through my neighbourhood study, in which I analyzed the availability, quality, variety and pricing of fresh foods in five grocery stores in Cooksville and Port Credit. This study examined these four food environments of fresh produce from a general standpoint. I also applied it to a comparative analysis of commonly eaten staples of fruits and vegetables in Canadian households along with fresh cultural staples within South Asian, East Asian and Caribbean communities within Mississauga. Analyzing this specific geographic context showed me how complex the topic of food accessibility is, regarding the factors that impact access within communities. This is because the findings were mixed concerning the pricing of various fruits and vegetables as well as the availability and quality within certain grocery stores. Overall, my research suggests that inequality between grocery stores within neighborhoods based on socioeconomic status exists and actively contributes to the unequal access to fresh foods for local residents.
Research on Disability Visibility
How does the visibility of a disability affect a student's academic journey?
By: Maria De Alencar
HBSc | Sociology (Major), Psychology (Major)
Our study investigates how disability perceptibility shapes student's experiences with Accessibility at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). Drawing from 15 in-depth interviews (Dec 2025–Feb 2026) with students registered with accessibility services, the sample captures insights from both perceptible and predominantly imperceptible disability groups (including ADHD, autism, and mental health conditions). We found that students with imperceptible disabilities battle internalized stigma and legitimacy doubts, while those with perceptible disabilities face physical and social visibility barriers. However, the overarching determinant of inclusion for all students is whether professors actively understand inclusive practices and employ them in their courses. This work highlights that although accessibility services are successful in supporting students, the next steps for campus accessibility relies on improving social attitudes toward disability, especially regarding self-stigma, which has been overlooked. Additionally, informed faculty on how to create an accessible learning environment will improve students' learning experiences.
Read the full paper here