2017-2018 Calendar Proof

2017-2018 Calendar Proof

Political Science

POLS1000 / Introduction to Politics / 6 ch (6C) [W] /
This course introduces the student to some of the important ideas of politics. It draws special attention to conceptions of the state, democracy and capitalism, and their significance for contemporary life. Available only online.
POLS1103 / North American Politics / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Introduces students to the major issues and concepts involved in the study of political science through a comparison of politics in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The course is built around an exploration of the links between the institutions and processes of government (executives, legislatures, courts and elections) and the political society of each country (its values, cultures, ideologies, and social conflicts).
POLS1203 / Political Issues that Divide Canadians / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Examines contemporary and enduring issues within the context of the Canadian political system. Topics may include: Quebec and national unity, aboriginal self-government, cultural and regional diversity, class conflict, and electoral reform.
POLS1303 / Pivotal Political Events / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Considers the political origins and long-term political impact, as well as the effect on the field of political science, of crises which have shaped the contemporary world, such as the Russian Revolution, the Holocaust, the dropping of the atomic bomb, the Cold War, the rise of the welfare state, the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
POLS1403 / Contemporary Political Ideas and Ideologies / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Introduces students to the important political ideas and movements of the past century that shape present day society. Tracing the development and thinking about political life in the twentieth century, it examines such diverse ideologies as: liberalism, social Darwinism, existentialism, feminism, ecologism, and post-modernism.
POLS1503 / Law, Power, and Politics / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Introduces students to some of the main concepts of political science, including: constitutionalism, the rule of law, rights, citizenship, obligation, authority, and legitimacy. Students will also study the concrete applications of these principles in specific circumstances by examining selected political problems, public policies, and legal procedures.
POLS1603 / Politics of Globalization / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
The term 'globalization' has quickly become one of the most popular, yet least understood, words in the contemporary political vocabulary. This course introduces students to the key issues involved in the study of globalization. Topics examined may include: militarization and warfare, the rise of the global neo-liberal order, the end of the Cold War, international ecological politics, transnational corporations, the condition of women in the global economy, changing relations between North and South, and the impact of globalization on the role of the nation-state.
POLS1703 / Issues in World Politics / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course investigates the most pressing issues in contemporary world politics with a particular focus on conflict and security challenges which have arisen since the end of the Cold War. Debates over war and terrorism, international law and human rights, and humanitarian intervention are considered, along with new challenges connected to economic development, population growth and environmental pressures.
POLS1803 / Politics of Climate Change (A) / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course surveys the politics of climate change in a global context. In the coming decades, climate change will drive politics at the international, national, and sub-national levels. Specific topics include climate change itself, international treaties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, humanitarian crises and climate change refugees, climate change and the media, and climate change deniers.
POLS1803 / Politics of Climate Change (A) / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course surveys the politics of climate change in a global context. In the coming decades, climate change will drive politics at the international, national, and sub-national levels. Specific topics include climate change itself, international treaties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, humanitarian crise and climate change refugees, climate change and the media, and climate change deniers.
POLS2013 / Introduction to Political Economy / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course surveys the basic themes of Political Economy analysis. Themes include the nature of capitalism, the work experience, class and class struggle, political organizations and parties, business associations and unions, corporations, poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, the role of the state, militarization, and imperialism.
POLS2202 / Canadian Politics / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
An introductory course in Canadian government and politics, dealing with the following topics: the constitution and civil liberties; federalism, with some focus on Quebec; the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government; political parties and interest groups; representation and electoral behaviour; nationalism in Canada. Students cannot hold credit for both POLS 2200 and POLS 2202.
POLS2303 / Politics of the Developing World / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course introduces students to key political issues facing developing countries using a comparative politics approach. Key themes include state formation; sovereignty, democracy and accountability; economic strategy; impact of globalization.
POLS2503 / Women and Politics / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course maps the rise of the Second Wave feminist movement in North America, examining women’s engagement with politics on issues concerning citizenship, the economy, legal status, the division of public and private, and bodily autonomy.
POLS2603 / Comparative Politics of the Industrialized World (A) / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course introduces students to similarities and differences in the political culture, political institutions and public policies of countries in the industrialized world (Western Europe and North America primarily).
POLS2703 / Introduction to International Relations / 3 ch (3C) /
A general introduction to the theory and practice of international relations. Issues examined include: war, the global economy, international organizations, and the environment.
POLS3103 / Rights in Conflict in North America / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Investigates competing visions of rights in contemporary North American politics in historical, ethical and theoretical perspective.
POLS3112 / Russian Foreign Policy (O) / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Russia's role in the world is examined in terms of its activities at the UN and its relationships with the major powers like the U.S., China and the European Union. Russia's policies in the Middle East are a major focus, especially with Iran, Israel and the Arab states.
POLS3323 / Cities in the 'Urban Century' / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
In the 21st century, half of the world’s population will be urban dwellers. The importance of enhancing our knowledge of cities has never been greater. This course will address cities within the context of globalization, economic change, state reform, citizenship, and social justice. While emphasis will be placed on Canadian examples, comparisons with other countries also will be made.
POLS3343 / The European Union in Transition / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course examines the economic, political, and legal aspects of the EU and its member states. Topics included are money and finance and government institutions and further political/economic integration with Eastern Europe. This course is an elective in the Law and Society program.
POLS3211 / Canadian Governance in the Global Era / 3 ch (3C) /
Introduces students to the complex mechanisms through which governance has taken shape, with a particular emphasis on recent policy shifts.
POLS3212 / Topics in Provincial Public Administration / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Focuses on the study of selected aspects of the structure and process of provincial public administration.
POLS3312 / Political Sociology (Cross-Listed: SOCI 3312) / 3 ch (3C) /
Examines the relations between society and the state by comparing traditional political sociology with the contemporary approach. Issues include the nation state as the center of political activity, how power is exercised through institutions, social groups, class, the production of identity or subjectivity, how globalization and social movements de-center state political activity, the impact of these changes on citizenship and democracy.
POLS3213 / Capitalism, Canada and Class / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course examines the shifting class structure of Canada from the standpoint of the evolution of global capitalism. Topics covered include the decline of the established worker, the growth of non-standard work, migrant labour, unemployment, the deregulation of labour law, the minimum wage debate and the gendering of low-wage sphere.
POLS3227 / Poverty, Governance, and Citizenship in Canada / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course explores the relationships between poverty policy, governmental forms, and conceptions of citizenship. Students will critically evaluate major documents from Confederation to contemporary policy debates. The central objective is to map out shifts, turning points, and transformations in governing practices and sensibilities.
POLS3410 / Survey of Political Thought / 6 ch (6C) [W] /
A survey of the most important writers and the main currents of political thought from Ancient Greece to the beginning of the 20th century.
POLS3363 / Contemporary Germany / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course deals with both the internal and external politics of unified Germany. It examines Germany's place in the European Community, studies the wide political spectrum of Germany's multi-party system, and focuses on its cultural and political influence over the rest of Europe.
POLS3237 / The Politics of Memory in Canada and the United States / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
What gets remembered and how it gets remembered are necessarily political. This course will examine specific aspects of the national memory in Canada and the United States from the late nineteenth-century through to the present. Topics will include the Native in the North American imagination, the commemoration of slavery, the commemoration of military events (for example, the Great War in Canada, the Vietnam War in the United States), and history and the tourist gaze.
POLS3391 / Governance / 3 ch (3C) /
Investigates shifts that are occurring in the rationales, strategies, and practices of governance, with a particular focus on contemporary transformations. Students will be introduced to traditional tools of public administration analysis as well as new analytical tools that have emerged at the turn of the 21st century. They will also be asked to explore how new governing mechanisms take shape through shifting discourses, programs, and techniques.
POLS3413 / Modern Theories of the State / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Examines the emergence of the modern conception of the state, and discusses some of the important theoretical arguments concerning the scope and justification of the state.
POLS3615 / International Relations Theory (O) / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Examines the evolution of international relations theory to the present. Attention is given to the socio-philosophical foundations of the Realist paradigm, and to recent challenges to Realism emanating from modern and post-modern critical schools.
POLS3241 / Canadian Foreign Policy / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
An analysis of the foreign policy formulation process and a consideration of sectors other than the Canadian-American relationship.
POLS3415 / Liberalism (O) / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
The historical and textual foundations of the liberal tradition and its contemporary variants. Central concepts and problems in the development of liberal thought to be examined will include: rights, property, liberty, toleration, and political participation.
POLS3633 / International Public Law / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Examines the sources of law such as custom and treaties and addresses specific issues in the international system: the law of armed conflict, human rights, dispute settlement, intergovernmental and supranational organizations, intellectual property rights, the environment, and the relationship between business corporations, sovereign states and private citizens.
POLS3242 / Canadian-American Relations / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
An analysis of the political aspects of sectoral relations between Canada and the United States.Restriction: Credit may not be obtained for both POLS 3242 and HIST 3364 (History of Canadian-American Relations).
POLS3461 / Public Policy Analysis / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
A critical examination of the institutions that form public policy, as well as the policy process in relation to a number of selected areas.
POLS3635 / Critical Conflict Studies (O) / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Overviews traditional conflict research and then examines the nature of contemporary warfare in terms of class, race, gender and sexual orientation. Particular focus is given to WWI, WWII, the Vietnam War, and the 1991 Gulf War.
POLS 3645 / Society, Politics and War in 5th- Century Greece / 3ch (3C) [W] /
An examination of the socio-political aspects of the late archaic and early classical periods in Greece. Themes surveyed include endemic class struggles, the social dimension of 5th-century BCE tragedy and comedy, the open political conflicts between the forces of democracy and the forces of oligarchy, the rise of Athenian imperialism, and the general sway of cultural criticism. Specific topics will range from mythological representations of war on the temples and the politics of Pericles ambitious building program to the peace plays of Aristophanes or the devastating plague in Athens at the outset of the Peloponnesian War. This course will be taught only in the Travel Study program and is designed to take advantage of the various site visits. /
POLS3247 / Trudeau's Canada / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course will focus on Canadian and Quebec politics in the Trudeau era. Topics will include the Quiet Revolution, constitutional renewal, the 1980 referendum and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The course will also focus on the Charter era through an examination of key legal decisions. Finally, the course will examine Trudeau as a cultural icon in English Canada.
POLS3423 / The Politics of Repression / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Examines a variety of thinkers and movements that are concerned with the question of repression. Attempts to answer such questions as: what is repression and what causes it? Are some groups in society particularly repressed? What are the varieties of repression?
POLS3251 / Canadian Federalism / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
Considers theories of federalism, the development of the Canadian federal system, and the impact of current issues.
POLS3433 / Late Modern Political Thought / 3 ch (3C) [W] /
This course surveys recent political thinkers from the celebrated critic of modernity Friedrich Nietzsche to the post-modernist Jean-François Lyotard. It coheres thematically by focussing on their implicit and explicit responses to the three grand questions of the 20th century: What is wrong with modernity? What happened to the proletarian revolutions of Europe? How can the Holocaust be explained? Other thinkers examined include Lukács, Weber, Gramsci, Cassirer, Horkeimer, Arendt, de Beauvoir, Voegelin and Foucault.