Just no.

Die ************

Never responds to emails unless directed to by UBC advising and does not use canvas email, coursework overall is not bad but is left so open-ended, with barely any formatting that essay writing becomes impossible to get feedback for.

I was interested in the beginning but honestly, Prof. Armitage makes me want to drop soci as a whole. His closed-mindedness to the topics is NOT what you want in a sociology professor and though seeming like a nice person, is not cut out to be a professor.

Awful. No communication and basically no proper outline for an essay. The topic is left so open-ended with no actual guidance given.

Don't take it, the prof isn't worth the course.

Gave everyone the same grade. Ppl that had him before stopped liking him. Might've been somewhat social and outgoing but was very selective in student interaction and discussion (also cares about certain groups of people and issues more than others). Unclear, and says "come up with whatever" when he really did have expectations he just withheld

Neil cannot handle people with different sociological viewpoints and interests. Only looking at race/gender/class separately through classical theories, he rejects intersectionality, empiricism (which makes soci scholarly), other forms of inequality, and anything that students can relate to. He is also an extreme ableist, yet has his own anger management problems and will lash out when you least expect it (perhaps you start considering methodological limitations of an outside source)

Neil is extremely aggressive, verbally and physically attacking people that he doesn't like. He absolutely cannot handle another perspective, and will refuse to answer all questions and throw a temper tantrum. He has serious anger management, and his place in the university should be cleaning the bathrooms

Neil is a bigot. He has particular interests relating to identity politics, and as for all the others he shuns them. He needs to stop discriminating people based on gender, sexuality, religion, physical and cognitive abilities, and opinions. In a course about personal life, we should be inclusive, not attacking other people.

All I can say, is practice what you preach

Neil is a socialist. Everyone will get the same grade. He says he doesn't give criteria to encourage creativity, but he hates everything and everyone. I hope he hates himself too as he should

Don't. Just don't

The course includes both the textbook and the novel "Holes' (really easy read, short chapters). Basically each week you're meant to connect the concept that you read about in the textbook to the book 'Holes'. I'm not sure how the class is being conducted now, but during the summer each week in the discussion groups you would be split into different groups to collectively answer the questions and submit as a group. Then there was the option of either a final exam or final essay. Content was interesting, connecting it to the novel worked to tie it all together. I wish I could have seen a little more contextualizing into broader contemporary social issues, but it worked.

Neil may come off as passive aggressive at first, but that's just his sense of humor. Office hours are helpful if you need help with writing your essay.