Summer 2026 - SA 887 G200
Special Topics in Sociology/Anthropology (5)
Class Number: 3086
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jun 29 – Aug 10, 2026: Tue, Thu, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Dany Lacombe
lacombe@sfu.ca
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An advanced seminar devoted to an in-depth examination of a topic not regularly offered by the department.
COURSE DETAILS:
How do individuals labeled as deviant navigate a society that seeks to exclude, reform, and punish them? And how do they reclaim their agency by telling their own stories?
This course explores the making of “the outsider” through the dual lenses of storytelling and cinema. Moving beyond simple categories of deviance, we examine the specific social processes—legal, familial, and medical—that push individuals to the margins of “normal” society. We investigate how “troubled lives,” while deeply unique and personal, are often products of institutional failure, moral hysteria, or rigid societal expectations.
Through one biography and a selection of films, we will analyze how institutions, community and media-driven moral panics work together to transform individuals into outcasts. By uncovering the gap between the public perception and the lived reality of these “outsiders,” we will ultimately highlight the power of storytelling to resist isolation and reclaim resilience.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
Analyze how institutions construct and enforce categories of deviance
Identify techniques used to create moral spectacles and public pariahs
Evaluate the role of first-person narrative in challenging dominant social labels
Analyze ethical challenges researching perpetrators
Grading
- Tests: 2 at 25% 50%
- In-class writing exercises 35%
- Class participation 15%
NOTES:
Grading: Where a final exam is scheduled and the student does not write the exam or withdraws from the course before the deadline date, an N grade will be assigned. Unless otherwise specified on the course syllabus, all graded assignments for this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned. An N is considered as an F for the purposes of scholastic standing.
Grading System: The undergraduate course grading system is A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F, N (N standing indicates student did not complete course requirements). Intervals for the assignment of final letter grades based on course percentage grades are as follows:
A+ (95-100) | A (90-94) | A- (85-89) | B+ (80-84) | B (75-79) | B- (70-74) | C+ (65-69) | C (60-64) | C- (55-59) | D (50-54) | F (0-49) | N* *N standing to indicate the student did not complete course requirements
Academic Honesty and Student Conduct Policies: The Department of Sociology and Anthropology follows SFU policy in relation to grading practices, grade appeals (Policy T 20.01) and academic honesty and student conduct procedures (S10-S10.05). Unless otherwise informed by your instructor in writing, in graded written assignments you must cite the sources you rely on and include a bibliography/list of references, following an instructor-approved citation style. It is the responsibility of students to inform themselves of the content of SFU policies available on the SFU website: http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student.html.
Centre for Accessible Learning: Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need classroom or exam accommodations are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (1250 Maggie Benston Centre) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Talking Reform: Making and Unmaking a Life in Canada’s Prisons
Author(s): Dany Lacombe
Publisher: McGill-Queens University Press
Year of publication: 2025
ISBN: 97802280263
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Graduate Studies Notes:
Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.