Department of Political Studies
Queen's UniversityUndergraduate Courses
The Department will be uploading the syllabi for undergraduate courses offered in the Fall term 2012 in early September. The Winter term 2013 course syllabi will be uploaded in early January. Syllabi are available in PDF* format and you can access them by clicking on the course names highlighted in blue.
The material on this website is copyrighted and is for the sole use of students registered in the following courses. The material on this website may be downloaded for a registered student's personal use, but shall not be distributed or disseminated to anyone other than students registered in the following courses. Failure to abide by these conditions is a breach of copyright, and may also constitute a breach of academic integrity under the University Senate's Academic Integrity Policy Statement.
2012-2013 Undergraduate Timetable. (updated January 14, 2013)
100 LEVEL
| Course | Instructor(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
POLS 110 A/B: |
Kim Nossal & Jonathan Rose | An introduction to political science that provides both a framework for thinking about politics and the institutions of governance, and some of the vocabulary necessary for political analysis. |
200 LEVEL
| Course | Instructor(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| POLS 211: Canadian Government |
Erin Crandall | An examination of the institutions and constitutional foundations of government and politics in Canada. |
| POLS 212: Canadian Politics |
Erin Crandall | An analysis of the processes, groups, parties, voters, and culture of Canadian politics. |
| POLS 230: American Elections |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
This course provides a general introduction to the institutions and politics of the electoral process in the United States. The course integrates literature on the electoral system (including the system of primary elections), campaign financing, political parties, voting behaviour, political sociology, and political communication. (Note: This course will be delivered ONLINE. No classroom time is required.) |
|
POLS 241: Comparative Politics: Transformations |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of how and why societies change and the context in which transformation occurs. |
| POLS 242: Comparative Politics: Contemporary Regimes |
Oded Haklai | The nature of political regimes in advanced industrial countries and the developing world. |
|
POLS 243: |
John McGarry | A comparative examination of the ways in which states around the world respond to national, ethnic, linguistic, religious, and racial diversity. The course examines responses that include the morally reprehensible, such as genocide, and the morally defensible, such as federalism and power-sharing. |
| POLS 244: Comparative Politics: Democracy & Democratization |
Zsuzsa Csergo | A comparative exploration of the apparent disjuncture between the normative assumptions of liberal democratic theory and the realities of democracy-building. |
| POLS 250 A/B: Political Theory |
Colin Farrelly | A survey of the principal ideas of Western political theorists from ancient to modern times, focusing in particular on the role and scope of government; the proper organisation of governmental power; the nature of political obligation; and the ethics of political power and authority. |
| POLS 251: Political Ideologies |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
This course introduces students to a range of contemporary ideologies, such as liberalism, socialism, conservatism, fascism, feminism, anarchism, ecologism, fundamentalism, and nationalism. It includes primary and secondary readings, and will focus on the critical interpretation of these competing belief systems. |
| POLS 261: International Politics |
Wayne Cox | An introduction to the major issues in the study of international relations: questions of war and peace, national security, the role of the 'state', foreign and defence policy, gender and international relations, and international institutions. |
| POLS 262: International Political Economy |
John Rapley |
An introduction to the major issues in the study of international political economy, including transnationalism, integration, globalization, and underdevelopment. |
| POLS 263: Introduction to International Security |
David Haglund | This course introduces students to current theoretical and policy debates about the nature of 'international security.' In addition to addressing the meaning of this contested concept, we will examine three principal ways in which security has been organized by states, specifically: collective security, collective defence, and security communities. |
| POLS 264: World Politics in Historical Perspective |
This course examines the evolution of global politics in the modern era, from the institutionalization of sovereignty in the Peace of Westphalia to the contemporary period. | |
| POLS 280: Introduction to Women, Gender, and Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
This course analyzes the status of women and men in domestic and global politics. It presents primary concepts used in political science to address: What is gender? How is it political? How have the women’s movement and other collectivities addressed inequality and oppression? What does gender equality look like, and how can it be obtained? |
300 LEVEL
| Course | Instructor(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
POLS 310: Principles of the Canadian Constitution |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of the evolution of constitutional principles in Canada. Topics include developments in federal-provincial relations, the role of the courts in federal-provincial disputes, and the nexus between the community values of federalism and the individual rights in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. |
|
POLS 312: |
Randy Besco | Can citizens make informed choices? Does it matter? This course considers the principal theories and current debates in the study of elections, public opinion, and political participation. It will focus on the effects of political psychology, media, and identity on the behavior and choices of citizens. While the readings will primarily be Canadian and American, the course will also consider how the material relates to other established and emerging democracies. |
|
POLS 313: Mass Media and Politics in Canada |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
A critical examination of the relationship between the mass media and politics, focusing on the functions of the media in modern liberal democracies and the ways in which news stories are created and packaged. |
| POLS 317: Charter Politics |
Janet Hiebert | How courts are responding to their responsibility to review legislative and executive decisions in terms of their impact on citizens; the impact of the Charter on the way government is viewed. |
|
POLS 318: The Canadian Welfare State |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of the character and functions of the Canadian welfare state. Theoretical explanations of the welfare state. The historical development of the Canadian welfare state. Proposals for social policy reform and their implications. Offered in alternate years. |
|
POLS 319: Public Disclosure in Canada: Issues and Debates |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An introduction to Canadian political thinkers who have addressed important themes in contemporary Canadian public, legal and theoretical discourse, including multiculturalism, critical race theory, antipornography campaigns, sexual violence, globalization and modern alienation. |
|
POLS 320: First Nations Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of First Nations politics in a Canadian context, including aboriginal self-government. |
|
POLS 327: Topics in Comparative Politics |
check BISC website for availability |
An examination of key issues in comparative politics. Topics will vary from year to year; consult department homepage NOTE Offered only at the Bader International Study Centre, Herstmonceux. |
|
POLS 328: Topics in European Politics |
check BISC website for availability |
An examination of key issues in European politics. Topics will vary from year to year; consult the department homepage. NOTE Offered only at the Bader International Study Centre, Herstmonceux. |
| POLS 329: European Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An introduction to European politics. The themes and geographic focus vary from year to year; they may include current political institutions and forces, the historical evolution of the European polities, and both Western and Eastern Europe. |
|
POLS 331: American Government |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
Survey of the political process in the United States; functioning and interaction of the principal formal and informal political institutions, the relationship between those institutions and their environment, the making of public policy, and current issues and trends. |
|
POLS 332: Post-Communist Politics |
Philippe Roseberry | The politics of the Russian Federation and selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe. |
|
POLS 335: Topics in British Politics |
check BISC website for availability |
An examination of key issues in British politics. Topics will vary from year to year; consult the department homepage. NOTE Offered only at the Bader International Study Centre, Herstmonceux. |
|
POLS 336: British Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
Contemporary problems facing Britain as a result of its historical evolution: economic stagnation, centrifugal forces of nationalism and communal violence, and the decline of the two-party system. |
|
POLS 338: |
G. Grant Amyot | An introductory overview of the European Union and major issues facing the EU today. The course presents the history and institutions of the EU, as well as theories of European integration. It then discusses current issues, such as enlargement of the EU to new members, the "democratic deficit" of its institutions, European identity, immigration, and the Eurozone debt crisis, which threatens the very future of European integration. |
| POLS 341: Chinese Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
The course begins with an historical overview of the late Qing dynasty, the origins of the Chinese revolution, and 50 years of the People’s Republic of China. It then focuses primarily on political science concepts and approaches to the study of Chinese politics as well as issues of reform in various sectors of China’s economy and polity. |
| POLS 342: Latin American Politics |
Catherine Conaghan | Comparative study of Latin American politics. Topics include the political legacies of colonialism and independence, the evolution of class structures, populism, the role of the military, and the transition to democracy and free market policies. Emphasis is on the countries of continental South America. |
|
POLS 346: Development Theory |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
A critical examination of the current theories of development influenced by various post-Marxist, postmodernist and postcolonial tendencies. Growth strategies practised by the state and alternative visions offered by the social movements will also be discussed. |
|
POLS 347: |
Matthew Mitchell |
This course provides an introduction to African politics by exploring a broad range of issues from both historical and contemporary perspectives. It examines major themes and issues of importance to African politics, including the legacy of colonialism, post-colonial politics and authoritarian rule, economic development and foreign aid, democratization and ‘good governance’, violent conflict and state failure, environmental issues and challenges, and the relationship between Africa and emerging powers such as China and India. |
| POLS 348: Middle East Politics |
Oded Haklai | An examination of the politics of the Middle East, including the legacy of the Ottoman Empire and European colonialism, the rise of nationalism, the role of religion, the nature of the state and political participation in different countries in the region. |
| POLS 351: Liberal Theory |
Margaret Moore |
An examination of the major theories and critiques of liberalism, focusing on the rival conceptions of freedom and equality that animate classical ‘laissez-faire’ liberalism, egalitarian liberalism, left-libertarianism, and perfectionist liberalism, and the critical responses these various kinds of liberalism have provoked from communitarians, feminists, Marxists, and others. |
|
POLS 352: Women and the History of Political Thought |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
Drawing on historical texts, this course explores the representations of women and the constructions of femininity and masculinity, the body, and gender relations in the history of political thought, and explores contemporary feminist responses to these texts and ideas. |
|
POLS 353: History of Political Thought |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An analysis of the origin and development of certain major ideas in the western political tradition. |
|
POLS 354: Democratic Theory |
Andrew Lister | An exploration of the normative underpinnings of democracy, based on a survey of selected historical texts, contemporary theories, and current problems. |
|
POLS 358: Critical Perspectives on Contemporary Capitalism |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
Selected topics in the critique of capitalism, e.g. Marxism, democracy, the environment, globalization, employment and popular culture. |
| POLS 361: Regional International Organizations |
Charles Pentland | A survey of selected regional international organizations for political cooperation, military security and economic integration in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. |
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| POLS 364: International Peace and Security |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of the concept of international security and the causes of war and conditions of peace. Topics include: the role of nuclear weapons after the Cold War; the economics of security; new security themes (environmental and ethnic factors); regional security and peacekeeping; alliance dynamics; and European security and the future of NATO. |
| POLS 366: The United Nations |
Charles Pentland | An examination of the principles, institutions and poltiics of the United Nations, assessing its effectiveness in maintaining international peace and promoting cooperation among states. |
| POLS 367: American Foreign Policy |
David Haglund | An examination of American foreign policy, with particular emphasis on the analysis of concepts and issues and the study of decision-making processes. |
| POLS 369: Canadian Foreign Policy |
Kim Nossal | An analysis of Canadian foreign policy, its major objectives and orientations. Topics covered include Canada's role and interests in major international organizations and its relations with key countries and regions. |
|
POLS 382: Women and Politics |
Margaret Little | Topics include theoretical perspectives on women and politics, patterns of women’s political socialization and political action, feminist movements, and feminist contributions to contemporary political discourse. |
|
POLS 383: Law and Governmental Process |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of the role of law in politics, the differences between legal and political reasoning, the law and politics of constitution-making, and the political character of criminal and civil law. Topics include the victim’s rights movement, pornography and censorship, and the role of litigation in political life. |
| POLS 384: Strategies of Political Research |
Phillip Wood | An exploration of major issues and schools of thought in the philosophy of social science and in examination of contemporary approaches to the study of politics. |
| POLS 385: Quantitative Approaches to Political Studies |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An introduction to the role of quantitative analysis, statistical software and computers in empirical political research. The operationalization of concepts, the collection of data, data analysis, the logic and uses of statistical techniques, and the political assumptions that form the basis of much statistical work and philosophical debate. Minimal mathematical background is assumed. |
|
POLS 386: Political Economy and Mass Media |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of the history and political economy of the mass media, exploring the impact of a partisan press, ownership and use of technology on how our identity has been shaped. It will draw upon a comparative assessment of the mass media in advanced liberal democracies. |
| POLS 387: Politics and Culture |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
The course explores contemporary approaches to understanding the politics of culture. In the everyday behaviours, attitudes and practices that form our culture, politics play a role. The course considers a range of diverse theoretical perspectives on the interrelationship of culture with social, political, and economic power. |
|
POLS 388: Citizenship and Non-Citizenship |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
Focusing on issues of citizenship and non-citizenship in the modern world. How issues of nationality and nationalism, minority rights, gender, class, race and ethnicity, and immigration status impact on the rights and obligations of citizenship and central to the politics of these debates. The relevance of these issues to the current Canadian context will be an ongoing theme of the course. |
|
POLS 391: Introduction to Electoral Systems |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
This course introduces students to the various families of electoral systems in use around the world. It examines their variations and assesses the consequences of electoral systems on political parties, legislatures and governments. |
|
POLS 392: Topics in Canadian Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of selected aspects of Canadian politics and government, including institutions and behavioural approaches. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. |
|
POLS 393: Topics in Comparative Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
A comparative examination of the politics and government of different countries, or theories or themes in comparative politics. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. |
|
POLS 394: Topics in Political Theory |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An exploration of different aspects of political thought, political theory, and political philosophy. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. |
| POLS 395: Topics in International Political Economy |
Wayne Cox | An examination of different topics and issues in global political economy, such as the role of international financial institutions, the politics of global trade, or the global distribution of wealth. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. |
| POLS 396: Topics in International Relations |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
Issues in global politics, international relations, international diplomacy, or foreign policy will be examined in this course. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. |
|
POLS 397: Topics in Gender and Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An investigation of selected problems in feminist and gender analysis, examining the different authors and issues. The focus of this course will vary from year to year. |
400 LEVEL
| Course | Instructor(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| POLS 400: Constitutions, Conflict and Transition |
Alexander Schwartz | This seminar explores the political and constitutional aspects of building sustainable peace in post-conflict societies. Specific topics will include peace agreements and the accommodation of ethno-national division, human rights and rule-of-law reform, and transitional justice mechanisms such as amnesties and truth commissions. |
| POLS 401: Political Theory: Questions and Challenges |
Phillip Wood | This seminar is organized around a close, contextual and critical reading of Volume 1 of Capital, Marx's magnum opus and one of the foundational texts of modern social science. The immediate goal is to use Marx's own words, rather than those of his interpreters, to develop an understanding of his thought and method. In the process, some of the most important theoretical and methodological limitations of liberal theory and conventional political science will be addressed. As is appropriate for a seminar that takes places in a world which is in the process of being turned upside down, we will also try to explore Marx's way of thinking about the relationship between the world of liberal appearances - “Freedom, Equality, Property and Bentham” - on the one hand, and some of the main features of the contemporary context – growing inequality and social exclusion, increasingly authoritarian political forms and practices, and large-scale political upheavals - on the other. One of the primary effects of the way political science has developed has been to make capitalism disappear from view as an important determinant of political life. This seminar seeks to redress the balance, and to put capitalism and its social and political effects back under the spotlight. |
| POLS 402: Science and Justice |
Colin Farrelly | Advances in biological knowledge bring us closer to a world where we may have the ability to directly manipulate our genetic make-up. With this ability comes new questions concerning the demands of distributive justice. This course examines key developments in biology (especially human genetics), and demonstrates why and how theories of justice may require revision in light of these changes. Issues addressed include insurance and privacy, the therapy/enhancement distinction, aging, themorality of inclusion, future generations, and reproductive freedom. The course is designed to explore the different challenges society faces as a consequence of the genetic revolution and to help equip students with the critical and analytical skills needed to think rationally and cogently about the regulation of new biomedical technologies. |
|
POLS 403: |
Kyle Jackson |
Introduction to LGBTQI Politics and the Politics of Sexuality. The Politics of Sexuality is a new and emerging growth area in thegender and politics field. Like race, class, colonialism, etc., sexuality (including but not limited to sexual orientation) speaks in part to differences within and across the gender categories of “man” and “woman.” Thus, sexuality is closely related, but not completely reducible, to gender. Like gender, sexuality is thoroughly political – it is the object of both state legislation and cultural regulation. This course functions as broad-based introduction to the politics of sexuality. Students will map the diverse terrain of this unfolding and interdisciplinary field in the social sciences and humanities from historical, International Relations, comparative, ethnographic, neocolonial, transnational, and other angles. Students will acquire familiarity with the main ways in which this area of study has been approached, and will become conversant in some of the big debates pertaining to sexuality and politics today. |
|
POLS 404: |
Rachael Johnstone | This course explores the role of social reproduction in women’s citizenship, with a focus on Canada. The concept of social reproduction broadly refers to the act of reproduction (pregnancy and birthing) and all associated care work (such as socialization, emotional and physicallabour), which has traditionally been located in the domestic sphere. Responses to the maternal health initiative at the G8 summit, the abolishment of the federal day care project, and new challenges regarding the regulation of reproductive technologies, all highlight the uneasy relationship between social reproduction and the state. Topics include: the women’s movement, childcare, reproductive justice, men and masculinity, and anti-feminist backlash. |
|
POLS 405: International Relations: Questions and Challenges |
Dru Lauzon | The focus of this course will be on systemic changes in contemporaryglobal politics. In particular, it will examine the ramifications of thedecline of the U.S. as the sole superpower in the international system, aswell as possible roles for emerging powers such as Brazil, Russia, Indiaand China. Drawing upon multiple theoretical perspectives in the fieldof International Relations, it will explore the geopolitical consequencesof the structural changes that are taking place in the international system,as well as the changing role `the rest` will have in multilateral forumssuch as the UN, the IMF and the G20 architecture. |
|
POLS 410: Seminar in Canadian Politics |
Iain Reeve | One of the most unique attributes about Canada as a country and a case study in the stunning degree of diversity present within its borders. Two major national cultural-linguistic groups, a massive patchwork of Indigenous groups, and an almost endless number of other ethnocultural minority groups driven by the substantial rate of immigration to Canada over the last reveal decades. This class begins by investigating the historical and contemporary political and social identities of key national and ethnocultural groups in Canada. It then attempts to discover what political processes and institutions are or could be used to allow these groups to reconcile their political, cultural, and linguistic differences. Students will present on sub-groups within the larger typical categories, will discuss key readings, and will write a term paper that attempts to resolve a major dispute between at least two groups. |
|
POLS 412: Provincial Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
Content varies from year to year. |
| POLS 414: Politics in Quebec |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An introduction to the political history of Quebec: the development of ideologies (including nationalism), constitutional developments, and the building of the Quebec state during the Quiet Revolution. Some contemporary issues in Quebec politics, and the relationship between Quebec and the rest of Canada. |
|
POLS 415: Canadian Federalism |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of the evolution and operation of the Canadian federal system. Topics include the concept and meaning of federalism, the implications of provincial/federal interdependence, and the politics of constitutional reform. |
| POLS 419: Political Communication |
Jonathan Rose | A critical examination of the rhetoric of political persuasion, the framing and construction of political messages and the way in which meaning is interpreted and created in the political system. The mass media are an important, though not exclusive, focus of this course. |
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| POLS 421: Elections |
Jonathan Rose | In 2012-13, POLS 421 will be devoted to the study of electoral systems. Electoral systems are on one level simple institutions: they are the means by which votes are transferred into seats. On another level, they are enormously complex and varied. They can be understood by their constituent elements and how those vary or they can be understood by the kinds of electoral outcomes they produce. This course has two broadaims. First, it is an introduction to the four families of electoral systems and their variations and second it seeks to examine the consequences of electoral systems. |
| POLS 422: Public Opinion |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
This course provides an extensive survey of the principal theoretical perspectives and empirical debates in the study of public opinion. |
| POLS 430: Seminar in Comparative Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
Topics vary from year to year, and may include class, ethnic, and regional politics, law and politics, interests and interest articulation, and democracy and democratization. |
| POLS 431: European Politics |
G. Grant Amyot | The Current Crisis in the European Union. This course will focus on the politics of the current sovereign debt crisis in the European Union, and its implications for the EU. We will look at the political and economic origins of the debt problem, and at the politics of both the debtor nations like Greece and the creditor nations, particularly Germany. The course will also examine the responses of the governments and political forces in Europe to the crisis, and how the EU itself has handled it. This will allow us to answer some questions about the nature and future prospects of the EU: for instance, how successful has it been in creating a European polity? How democratic is its decision-making, and what effect has it had on democracy in the member states? Students do not need to have taken Politics 338, or to have any previous background in economics. |
|
POLS 432: |
Keith Banting | This course analyzes the politics of social policy in contemporary democracies. During the middle decades of the twentieth century, western countries developed a complex set of social programs protect individuals and families from the risks and insecurities inherent in the market economy and modern society. In recent decades, governments have restructured many of these programs, often in dramatic ways, in response to changing economic, social and political pressures. This course examines theoretical debates about the forces that have reshaped the welfare state, assesses the ways in which social programs have been restructured, and evaluates the implications for poverty, inequality and intergenerational fairness. The course will draw on the experience of western democracies in general and Canada in particular. |
| POLS 433: Problems of American Democracy |
Catherine Conaghan | Focuses on recent debates about the sources of malaise and dysfunction in the American political system. Analysis includes an examination of the state of public opinion, the polarization of the party system, and the nature of the political elite. The course will incorporate discussion of developments in the 2012 national elections. |
| POLS 434: Multiculturalism |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
This course explores the political implications of multiculturalism from a variety of perspectives, including theory, policy, and historical meaning. Issues include: history and policy of multiculturalism in the Canadian, US and global contexts; the construction of ‘race’ and anti-racism; and the role of multiculturalism in citizenship inclusion and exclusion. |
|
POLS 435: The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict |
Oded Haklai | This course introduces students to some of the important questions about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What is the history of the conflict? How did distinct national identities emerge? What issues are at stake for the actors involved? How do domestic factors shape Palestinian-Israeli relations? Why have peacemaking efforts been unsuccessful? The purpose of the course is to explain the political phenomenon of conflict in the Middle East. The course will seek to understand why political actors act the way they do, using theoretical lenses and analytical concepts that have been developed in the fields of nationalism, ethnic conflict, and conflict resolution more generally. |
|
POLS 439: American Politics |
Brandon Tozzo | The purpose of this seminar will be to provide an in-depth examination of the United States to address whether it is in decline. Several of the topics the course will evaluate include: the 2012 presidential election, the polarization of American culture, the paralysis in Washington, the role of religion and race on foreign policy, the legacy of the war on terror, the Great Recession, and the rise of the rest, particularly China. The objective of course will be to present a holistic understanding of the United States in a global context. |
| POLS 440: Politics of Ethnicity and Nationalism |
Charan Rainford | The goal of this seminar is to explore the sources of nationalism, the relationship between ethnicity and nationalism, and the contemporary challenges of nation-building in a globalized world. The latter part of the course will focus on the manifestation (and pecularities) of the relationship between ethnicity and nationalism in post-colonial societies. Beyond critical evaluation of theories and arguments, the course also provides opportunities for students to hone their analytical written skills. |
| POLS 442: Seminar in Latin American Politics |
Catherine Conaghan | Advanced research course focusing on problems relating to the quality of democracy in contemporary Latin America. The course draws heavily on recent ethnographic research which provides a “bottom-up” look at how Latin Americans view political issues and make claims on the political system. Case studies will include the analysis of conflicts over natural resources and the growing problems of criminal violence. |
|
POLS 443: |
Margaret Little | General issues and selected specific topics reflecting an interdisciplinary approach combining international political economy, feminist theory and comparative politics. Case studies from both industrialized and developing nations. |
|
POLS 445: Dialetics of Development |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
A critical examination of selected ‘new’ theories of development (neo-Marxism, postmodernism, new social movements, rational choice, flexible specialization, etc.), followed by a study of selected Asian countries’ development strategies to evaluate the relevance of the theories. |
|
POLS 450 Political Theory: Appeals to Human Nature |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An analysis of texts that take the nature of humans as the basis for political argument. Emphasis is on the search for foundations for political claims and the nature of 20th-century relativism, cultural and moral. |
|
POLS 451: Libertarianism and its Critics |
Andrew Lister | This course examines some of the main theoretical defences of free markets, private property, and the limited state. The course covers figures who base their arguments on long-run consequences for human freedom and prosperity (e.g. Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman) and those who base their arguments on self-ownership, which allegedly results in a natural right to private property (e.g. Murray Rothbard, Robert Nozick). Special attention will be devoted to G.A. Cohen's criticisms of Nozick, and the subsequent development of "left libertarianism," which tries to reconcile the libertarian principle of self ownership with an egalitarian approach to the division of the world's resources. |
|
POLS 453: Modern Political Philosophy |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of a particular problem or theme in Western political thought post-1500; issues covered might include property, revolution, sovereignty, republicanism, or gender. |
|
POLS 456: Theories of Identity Politics |
Chris Samuel | An investigation into different theoretical perspectives on the issue of 'identity' and the import of these perspectives for the 'politics of identity'. Questions of gender, race, class, nation, and sexual orientation, will be considered from a variety of theoretical perspectives, emphasizing themes such as agency, experiential aspects of identity, and collective identity processes. |
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|
POLS 457: Issues in Global Justice |
Margaret Moore | An exploration of issues in international politics from a theoretical andnormative perspective, including global redistributive justice, just war theory, theories of secession, and normative theories of humanitarian intervention. Among the questions posed are whether we have an obligation to redistribute wealth to strangers, what can justify secession ,intervention and war; and the terms on which people can migrate to other countries. |
|
POLS 458: Ethics of War and Intervention |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of the debates about when it is (morally) justified to go to war - and when it isn’t. Topics will include war as self-defense, humanitarian intervention, preventive war, and different conceptions of the morally proper way to wage war. |
| POLS 461: International Regimes |
Charles Pentland | Problems of order and change in international politics, exploring the theory and practice of international institutions from early critiques of the Westphalian state system, through the emergence of modern international organizations and regimes, to current problems of global governance. |
|
POLS 462: Studies in National Security |
David Haglund | Contemporary aspects of Canadian international security policy. Topics include: the evolution of policy towards NATO; bilateral defence arrangements with the US; collective security and cooperative security; peacekeeping; defence economics; the role of domestic factors in the shaping of strategy; and aid of the civil power. |
| POLS 463: International Relations Theory |
Wayne Cox | Critical examination of selected themes, issues and works in classical and contemporary international relations theory. |
|
POLS 464: Russian Foreign Policy |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of the determinants of Russian Foreign Policy, and the extent to which they have changed over the last half-century. The course will cover both historical and contemporary issues in Russian foreign relations. |
| POLS 465: The Politics of War |
Kim Nossal |
An exploration of the causes of war, sampling the literature on war causality and using a case study approach. A number of contemporary cases in contemporary interstate and intrastate war will be examined to illustrate why war and the use of force continue to be a favoured method of advancing political interests. |
| POLS 466: Politics of War in Africa |
Matthew Mitchell | The purpose of this seminar is to introduce students to the theoretical, conceptual, and empirical debates around the politics of war in Africa. Despite the use of the term ‘war’ in the course title, the seminar will consider a wide range of themes and issues more broadly related to ‘violent conflict’. Specifically, the course examines the nature of conflict and warfare in the African continent from a contemporary perspective through an investigation of (1) the causes of violent conflict in Africa; (2) emerging trends and new dimensions in warfare; and (3) national and international responses to African conflicts. In so doing, the seminar covers the following themes: the African ‘state’ and the challenges around state-building, warlord politics and the criminalization of the state, the political economy of war, migration and ‘sons of the soil’ conflicts, the relationship between climate change and conflict, HIV/AIDS and warfare, the privatization of security, foreign interventions and post-conflict reconstruction, and power-sharing. While the course does not adopt a case study approach, students are encouraged to use ‘real world’ insights from contemporary conflicts in Africa during seminar discussions. |
| POLS 467: International Political Economy |
Andrea Collins | This course highlights the linkages between economic, social, and political change through an examination of various theoretical approaches in the field over the past two centuries. Students will engage with a range of classic and contemporary texts – ranging from classical liberalism to feminism and post-colonialism – with attention to issues of global inequality, trade, finance, and labour. |
| POLS 468: The International Relations of the Middle East |
Wayne Cox | This course offers an analysis of Middle Eastern politics from the perspective of the field of international relations. Themes covered in this course include, the historical evolution of various identities in the region, the history and role of outside actors in the Middle East, contemporary Middle Eastern state and social relations, and the role that Middle Eastern states play in contemporary world politics. |
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POLS 469: Issues in Canadian Foreign Policy |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
This course focuses on Canadian-American relations, emphasizing the interaction in both bilateral and multilateral contexts. Primary concern with issues of trade, investment and resources, with some attention paid to security issues. |
| POLS 470: Seminar in International Politics |
Phil Giurlando | The course will explore the major theories of international relations (IR), and they way that key thinkers have conceptualized the relations, both conflictual and cooperative, between states. The course will focus on drawing links between theories of IR and the international politics of key regions, including the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North America. |
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POLS 471: Politics and Science in Technological Societies |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of connections between politics, science and technology. Topics include: ideologies and the autonomy of science; science in the Warfare State; controlling the social uses of science. |
| POLS 482: Seminar in Public Policy |
Phillip Wood | An examination of key issues in the political economy of public policy. In 2012-3, the topic will be "The Politics of Prisons." The growth and transformation of prison systems and punishment regimes, and their increasing use as tools for maintaining social order, managing class, racial and ethnic conflict and dealing with the problem of globalization-induced migration is an important political tendency in western liberal democracies. Yet it is a tendency mostly neglected by mainstream political science, perhaps because it questions the discipline's core liberal assumption that order rests upon consent rather than coercion, inclusion rather than exclusion. POLS482 seeks to fill this gap, using historical, theoretical and comparative analysis as means of investigating the changing politics of prisons, and is organized in seminar, research and audio-visual streams. Topics for discussion include: global patterns and national variations in punishment regimes and prison systems; law, punishment and class formation; the prison as a disciplinary institution; punishment and the labour market; punishment and global post-fordism; the ideology of authoritarian populism; the prison-industrial complex; race and incarceration; prison-building and regional development; the prison and the welfare state; imprisonment and democratic exclusion; the camp and the exceptional State. The major assignment for the seminar is to write a substantial research essay on the politics of prison privatization in a jurisdiction of the student's choice, and to present the findings to the seminar in a conference-style format. |
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POLS 483: Justice and Gender |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of how contemporary theories of justice fare from the standpoint of gender (specifically inequalities in gender relations) and what a just, non-gendered society might look like. |
| POLS 484: The Comparative Politics of Immigration |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of the major theoretical debates and issues in contemporary globalization, including the historical roots of globalization, and the impact of globalization on culture, economics, trade, global governance, and global social movements. |
| POLS 485: Seminar in Gender and Politics |
Not offered in 2012-2013 |
An examination of key issues in gender and politics. Topics will vary from year to year. |
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POLS 486: The Politics of Rights
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Janet Hiebert |
One of the most difficult issues a political community incurs is how to distinguish allowable state action from the protected sphere of human activity. This course examines the role rights play in demarcating this protected sphere of human activity. Using rights as critical standards for evaluating the justification of policy is controversial. Critics argues that rather than being distinct from policy interests, rights are simply “politics dressed in different garb” and therefore should not necessarily be favoured over other interests. Proponents of rights disagree and often treat rights as moral claims against the state which should be given priority over conflicting societal or community objectives. This course examines debates about whether the use of rights provides an appropriate critical standard for evaluating governmental or state action. Among the issues considered are whether rights provide a useful way of promoting social reforms, which institution (representative or judicial) should interpret rights, and conflicts that arise with respect to the interpretation and application of controversial rights claims. |
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