YORK UNIVERSITY
AP/PPAS 2200 3.0 N
Communities and Public Law
WINTER 2012
Seminar: Mondays, 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: 1152A Vari Hall
Course Director: Dr. Naomi Couto –
Office: 230 McLaughlin College (x: 22278)
Office Hours: By Appointment
Course Description:
Cross listed to:AP/POLS 2200 3.00
Introduces students to the Canadian legal system and the major components of public law. More specifically it examines the relationship between communities and the fundamental principles underpinning administrative law, constitutional law and criminal law. Course credit exclusions: None. Prior TO FALL 2009: Course credit exclusion: AK/PPAS 2200 3.00.
Our course asks, “What is justice?” and how can we account for participation or lack of it in our communities? Students are challenged to find the connection between the subject matter and the experience of the situation in the community. The course aims at a critical understanding of the world around us by considering legal institutions as a product of actions and interactions of both specialists and ordinary citizens. Additionally, it examines the role of the law as a potential vehicle and agent of change. It gives a practical and academic introduction to public law and its role in shaping how we think about and act in our communities.
Reading List:
David W. Elliot. Introduction to Public Law: Readings On The State, The Administrative Process, and Basic Values. Sixth Edition. Captus Press, 2007.
**Text will be complemented by Lecture material drawing on historical and contemporary sources in order to further develop the readings assigned.
Note: students are also responsible for any in-class video/DVD material.
Suggested Readings for Essay Guidance:
Hamilton, Carole L. Anthem Guide to Essay Writing. Anthem Press, 2011.
Taylor, Gordon. A Student’s Writing Guide: How to Plan and Write Successful Essays. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
READING & WRITING SCHEDULE:
January:
9: Course Introduction
Text: Introduction to Public Law
16: Part 1, Law, State, and Social Goals and Techniques
23: Part 1 continued
30: Part 7, Basic Values and Their Protection
February:
6: Part 7 continued
13: In Class Test (20%), 7:00pm-8:30pm.
20: READING WEEK
27: Part 9, Fundamental Freedoms and Fundamental Justice
March:
5: Part 9 continued
12: Part 10, Equality
19: Part 10 continued
26: Final In-Class Test (20%), 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Major Essay Due (30%) (In Class between 7:00pm – 8:00pm)
Note: All/any late work deducted at -2 marks per day!!
Thank You and Enjoy Your Spring/Summer!
Grading Breakdown:
1)Test # 1 – written in class February 13, 2012 (from 7:00-8:30pm) – 20%
2)GroupPresentation (30-45 minutes) – 30%
3)Final Test – written in class March 26, 2012 (from 7:00-8:30pm) – 20%
4)Major Essay – due in class March 26, 2012 (from 7:00-8:00pm) – 30%
NOTE: Any essay arriving after 8pm will be considered late.
**It is important that students complete the required readings for each class in order to fully engage in the seminar experience. Note that it is the responsibility of each student to arrive prepared and ready for group discussions.
Essay Evaluation Criteria
Writing at the University Level:
These are things that you should be able to do competently in order to feel confident with writing university essays.
Introduction: a clearly expressed answer to the question(s) implied by the assignment, set within an opening paragraph that gives your reader an overview of your argument(s).
Paragraphing: clear topic sentences linked to your overall argument; show of development and readability; no one-sentence or one-page paragraphs.
Grammar and Style: clarity and correctness; no colloquial language; no clichés; no incomplete sentences.
Separating the Competent (C+) from the Good (B) from the Very Good (B+):
Analytical content: comprehension and interpretation of course material (text and lectures); thinking beyond mere summary or description.
Development of argument: main and subordinate points supported by apt illustration.
Rare Achievement: Excellent (A) and Outstanding (A+):
Particular persuasiveness and depth of argument.
Originality and inventiveness: exploring passages of the text not taken up in tutorials, fresh ideas or synthesis; creative use of essay form and language.
Special Requirements:
What will distinguish a really good paper from a merely adequate one will be the imaginative use of all the required readings and the lecture materials, and their skillful integration into the design of your project. The readings and the points made in lecture have been chosen both for the broad relevance of the substantive issues they deal with – AND for the hints they provide about the challenges of doing social scientific research, be they practical, methodological, epistemological or ethical ones. These things are not always explicit, and those of you who read between the lines, who extrapolate from the particular case being discussed and apply those insights to your own research problem, will do well. Those who write their papers with no attention to the course readings and lectures will do poorly. Yes, this paper may require additional readings, but the most important ones are those you have been addressing every week during the course.
ARGUMENT AND EVIDENCE
A crucial distinction for you to bear in mind when writing essays at the university level is the distinction between description and argument. While your work will probably always contain some description, a successful essay in Sociological Theory (as well as in other courses) will require that you make and defend an argument.
What is an argument? According to one useful definition, it is "a process whereby we connect evidence in a reasoned, logical way in order to arrive at a conclusion." Its purpose is to persuade. Even when an argument is essentially explanatory, it is also your task to persuade the reader that what you are offering is a sound explanation.
Your first term essay must present just such a persuasive argument; it must not merely describe the materials you have read. Your argument will be presented in its most concise form in your thesis statement, and will be supported in the body of the essay by a selection of the best evidence you can draw from course readings and lectures. Remember: PERSUADE WITH EXAMPLES, NOT WITH OPINIONS.
The points you make in support of your argument are sometimes referred to as its premises. These are the reasons you offer the reader for accepting your conclusion (thesis). Premises are often set up with "cue words" such as since, because, given that, as illustrated by, and so on. Conclusions, on the other hand, are often set up with words such as therefore, consequently, thus, implies that, points to, and so on. While you need not use such cue words, they let the reader know just which ideas you are connecting with which, and what claims you are making with respect to logical connection. They also should remind you to be cautious: when you say "therefore", you better be prepared to back it up!
In fact, you should be careful with all of your "logical connector" words: they are not just 'filler' with which you link sentences to keep your work from sounding too choppy. For example, these connectors are useful when you want to amplify (enlarge) a point you have already made: furthermore, in addition, moreover, indeed. Some connectors, on the other hand, serve to qualify (restrict) a point: admittedly, granted, on the' other hand. Yet others reassert your point after you have registered this qualification: nevertheless, even so, still. Finally, while it is technically acceptable to use such connectors as obviously and of course, they may imply greater assurance than is warranted by your beginner's knowledge of your subject; while self-confidence is a good quality in the presentation of argument, arrogance is not. Remember that what may be obvious to you may not be obvious to the reader (whom you are, remember, trying to persuade).
One final consideration in these early stages of learning to mount an argument is the anticipation of counter-arguments. If you spend some time thinking about just what points an opponent might raise in response to your claims, you can build a defense against them into the presentation of your premises. Don't overuse this defensive strategy, but be aware that it can sharpen your thinking, can save you from seemingly naive arguments, and can sometimes ensure that you don't offer arguments you don't really believe in, since you might talk yourself out of your first position in thus playing "devil's advocate".
Plagiarism:
Please refer to our course syllabus for the Senate Guidelines on Academic Honesty.
Papers must be your own work; borrowed, purchased or ghostwritten works are all considered plagiarism. Moreover, all references to the exact words (direct quotation) or the ideas (indirect quotation) of others must be fully acknowledged. The rule of thumb for direct quotation is that if you use more than four words from any sources, you must put them in quotation marks. (Be careful, by the way, to use the correct page references in your footnotes. I often check them, and having to track down incorrect ones – however innocently presented, will end up hurting your final grade).
NOTE:
For further details of York’s policy on plagiarism, see the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty in York University’s Undergraduate Programmes calendar or on the Website.
When All is Said and Done…
Hand in your work on time and in person to your tutorial leader. As I have mentioned, there are no extensions given as assignments are handed out with ample time.
Always save your work in multiple formats for your own protection (photocopy, memory key, hard drive, diskette etc…).
If, for whatever reason, you feel that you “need” a certain grade – to maintain your self-respect, to impress friends, to keep your scholarship, or whatever – then by all means do enough work ahead of time to earn that grade. You must “write your way” to a good mark before you hand in your essay, not try to “talk your way” to a good mark after we give you back your paper.
And don’t make excuses. We know that “the readings can be difficult”; we know that you do not have unlimited time to do this paper; we know that for some of you English is not your first language; all of this will be taken into account when we assess your work. We are looking for the best possible result within those constraints – and those constraints are not nearly so constraining as you may think they are.
Don’t’ panic. This is your attempt to write at the university level, and the assignment is meant to help you acquire new skills and higher levels of confidence. You might bear in mind Nietzsche’s words; “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”
NOTE: ILLNESS ON DAY OF TESTS – GUIDELINES.
Sometimes students assume that if they are sick, they can miss the test/exam and a make-up will be scheduled for them. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Students have no automatic rights to make-up exam/tests. A make-up may be scheduled but only in quite exceptional circumstances; otherwise students can appeal through the university appeals procedures.
If you are too sick to make the test, you will need a detailed doctor’s note (go on line to the Registrar’s Office page to download). This note must state why you were unable to write the test on that day. A headache, stomachache or cold will not be sufficient excuse.
If you miss a test/exam, please email or call my office (416 736-2100 x: 22278) and leave me a message . You should do this on the day of the exam/test. If you are too sick to phone/email, have a friend do so for you.
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