This is a syllabus from the Fall term 2004

 


 

 

COURSE TITLE: Canadian Politics and Identity

COURSE NUMBER: POLS 325

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Tracy L Summerville

OFFICE: Admin 3067

E-MAIL: summervi@unbc.ca

PHONE NUMBER: 960-6637

OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday and Thursday 1-3

OFFICE: Admin 3067

This syllabus and other information regarding Political Science at UNBC can be found at:

http://www.unbc.ca/politics

Web Page: http://web.unbc.ca/politicalscience/summerville.html

 

 

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course looks at Canada's current political climate from both a sociological and a theoretical perspective. It examines how identity politics has come to dominate our political, and particularly constitutional, agendas. It also looks at the challenges of globalization for Canadian domestic policy.

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Students will:

 

REQUIRED TEXTS:

 

Buckley, Joanne. Fit To Print.6th edition Toronto: Harcourt Brace and Company, Canada

 

Iyer, Pico. An Outsider’s Hope for a Global Future. University of Toronto: The Hart      House Lectures, 2001.

  

Taylor, Charles. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on: Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Guy Laforest ed. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993.

 

Taras, David and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: Canadian Studies for the 21st Century. Fourth Edition Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001.

 

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADE WEIGHTING

 

Assignment

Due Date

Grade

Weight

Assignment 1

September 29

20

Assignment 1 2nd submission

October  13th

 

Class Presentation

To be scheduled in the first two weeks of class

20

Participation in Canada Day

November 17

20

Classroom Participation

Each week

20

Final Examination

To be scheduled by the registrar

20

 

 

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

Assignment 1

Students are required to read Charles Taylor’s article, "Alternative Futures: Legitimacy, Identity and Alienation in Late-Twentieth-Century Canada." in Guy Laforest ed. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993: 59-119 and complete the exercise as outlined in the Appendix.

 

Class Presentation and Participation in Canada Day

UNBC's "Canada Day" - Part 1

Students will be required to do a group presentation in class on a significant event in Canada's political history. The purpose of the presentation is to discuss regional perceptions of the event. The student will be required to give a background of the event and to explain its significance to Canadian political culture. The presentation can use multi-media including video presentations (pre-recorded videos cannot take up more than 5 minutes of the total presentation), PowerPoint, overhead projection, slides, photographs etc. Please arrange with media services to have any equipment you need present in the class on the day of your presentation. Students will be expected to give the class an outline of their presentation. Students will also be expected to give their notes to the professor for evaluation.

 

UNBC's "Canada Day" - Part 2

Students will be required to participate in the UNBC Canada Day on November 17th, 2000 from noon until 4:30 p.m. Students will adapt their classroom presentation so that the university and Prince George community can participate in understanding your findings about Canada's political culture. Students may wish to prepare a quiz, use music or costumes etc. to liven up the presentation. Students who will need to be excused from other classes on that day will need to ask me to write a letter to their professor(s) by September 22nd.

 

Classroom Participation

Students are required to participate in the structured reading discussions in the classroom. The objective of the sessions is to help students identify the key points in the readings. This will take the form of group work and presentations to the class. Each student will hand in a response form at the end of the structured discussions.

 

Final Exam

The final exam will be scheduled by the Registrar over a period of two days (see student responsibilities). The final exam will be an oral examination. Students will receive a short article to read on the last day of class and will be asked to situate the article in the context of the course. I will ask each student 2 questions and the exam will be 15 minutes in length. Students are expected to refer to the readings, lectures, presentations, and videos in their answer.

 

COURSE SCHEDULE:

 

Date

Subject

Readings and Videos

Student Presentation

September  8

Introduction

 

An Outsider’s Hope For a Global Future

David Taras and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies. Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001, 1-6

 

September 15

Why Identity Politics?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creating a grading rubric for presentations and posters

Taylor, Charles. "Shared and Divergent Values." in Guy Laforest ed. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993: 155-186

 

Taylor, Charles. "Impediments to a Canadian Future." in Guy Laforest ed. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993: 187-202.

 

 

September 22

The Malaise of Modernity

 

Taylor, Charles. "Alternative Futures: Legitimacy, Identity and Alienation in Late-Twentieth-Century Canada." in Guy Laforest ed. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993: 59-119.

 

 

September 29

Assignment 1 Due

Blood and Belonging

 

to be discussed in class

Foundations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor, Charles. "A Canadian Future?" in Guy Laforest ed. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993: 23-39.

 

David Taras and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies. Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001, 8-75

 

October 13

Quebec

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor, Charles. "Nationalism and the Political Intelligentsia." in Guy Laforest ed. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993: 3-22.

 

David Taras and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies. Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001: 78-104

 

 

October 20

Changing Canada

David Taras and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies. Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001: 106-182 (excluding 139-160 – this article is required later in the term)

 

Taylor, Charles. "Institutions in National Life." in Guy Laforest ed. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993: 120-134.

 

Taylor, Charles. "The Stakes of Constitutional Reform." in Guy Laforest ed. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993: 140-154

 

October 27

Canada and Globalization

Taylor, Charles. "Why Do Nations Have to Become States." in Guy Laforest ed. Reconciling the Solitudes: Essays on Canadian Federalism and Nationalism. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1993: 40-58.

 

David Taras and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies. Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001: 184-236

 

November 3

The Dynamics of Culture

David Taras and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies. Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001: 238-291

 

November 10

First Nations

Dancing Around The Table

 

David Taras and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies. Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001: 139-160

 

 

November 17

Canada Day

 

 

November 24

Regionalism

 

 

David Taras and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies. Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001: 293-373

 

December 1

Regionalism

David Taras and Beverly Rasporich eds. A Passion For Identity: An Introduction to Canadian Studies. Toronto: ITP Nelson, 2001: 376-476

 

 

December 4-16

Final Exam Period

 

 

 

 


 

Student Responsibilities

 

Extensions on assignments are not permitted, except in case of illness or due serious extenuating circumstance.  In the event of illness or serious extenuating circumstance, the student must inform the instructor before the due date, and documentary evidence of the illness or serious extenuating circumstance must be provided to the instructor.  In addition, the student must also provide the instructor with a draft of his or her assignment at the time of the illness or serious circumstance that indicates that substantial progress has already been made towards a final product.  Assignments that are not submitted on the due date receive a grade of zero.

 

Exam Policy Please note that the term ends on the final day of the exam period NOT on the last day of classes. Students are advised not to make arrangements to travel on a date prior to the date of the final exam as scheduled by the Registrar.  The instructor will not hold early exams for the purpose of accommodating travel requests.

 

Plagiarism is a serious academic offence.  The minimum penalty sought for any student caught plagiarizing on any written assignment will be failure in the course.  Depending on circumstances more severe sanctions may be sought.  Anyone who is unclear about the meaning of plagiarism is advised is to consult the calendar and the instructor. Students are asked to read and sign the Program’s plagiarism policy.

 

Deferred Grades If for any reason the student’s grade is deferred, students must contact me within 2 weeks of the next semester to arrange to complete the course.

 

Disability Service If there are students  in this course who, because of a disability, may have a need for special academic accommodations, please come and discuss this with me, or contact Disability Services located in room 7-103.

 


 

APPENDIX

 

Reading and understanding an academic paper can often be daunting. How often have you read an assigned reading and after finishing find that you are not really clear as to the paper’s purpose or conclusions? This assignment is designed to help you learn to better read a social science paper. Read the assigned article and answer the following questions in one sentence (two at the most).

(a)    what is the background of problems, facts or observations that led to the problem,

(b)   the objectives of the study

(c)    the methods used to answer the objective/question

(d)   the main finding (conclusions) and

(e)    what they mean (i.e. to the world)

 

Students should answer each of the questions in one or two sentences. The objective is to be brief and concise. I will correct the assignment and return it for revisions. Students will be able to revise and resubmit the assignment.