Political Science

POSC 1003 credits
Introduction to Politics
Prerequisite(s): None
This course introduces students to the underlying themes and concepts of modern western politics. The course will be historical and philosophical, but at the same time it will consider contemporary political problems and issues. The course will focus on recurring political ideas and conflicting moral claims about the primary purposes of government. The course is intended to prepare students for further study of politics.

POSC 1103 credits
Canadian Politics
Prerequisite(s): None
Approaches the study of the governmental structures and institutions of contemporary Canada by considering social, political and economic factors which have exercised significant influence on their development. Canadian government will be viewed in terms of its dynamic interaction with the broader political environment.

POSC 1203 credits
Ideology and Politics
Prerequisite(s): None
Political Science 120 provides an examination of Classical Liberalism, Post-War Liberalism, and Neo-Liberalism as well as Red Tory, Democratic Socialist, and Marxist critiques of contemporary society and politics. The course combines the examination of both economic and political doctrines with a view to the understanding of contemporary Canadian and world politics.

POSC 2003 credits
Introduction to Political Analysis
Prerequisite(s): POSC 120
Introduction to various modes of political analysis, including classical perspectives, political economy and empirical political analysis.

POSC 2303 credits
Comparative Politics
Prerequisite(s): None
This course will examine and compare political systems in different countries. The comparative method will help elucidate various themes and issues in the practice of politics.

POSC 2603 credits
International Relations and Global Politics
Prerequisite(s): None
This course will introduce students to the study of global politics and international relations. The course will examine international relations theory, the sources of power in world politics, international security and war, the formulation of foreign policy, international political economy, international law, human rights, and globalization.

Note: Students with credit for POSC 190 cannot take this course for further credit.

POSC 3013 credits
The Canadian State and Indigenous Governance
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits
This course will provide an introduction to the political theories and practices of colonial and Indigenous governance. We will explore the historical and evolving political relationships between Indigenous nations in Canada and the Canadian state and society. Topics for examination may include colonialism, identity, Indigenous traditions of governance, urban Indigenous governance, political culture, treaties, Indigenous rights and title, gendering Indigenous governance, and the political economy of Indigenous life in a settler state.

POSC 3053 credits
Government and Politics in British Columbia
Prerequisite(s): POSC 110
This course will examine the government of British Columbia and the enduring political themes in the province, such as populism, the ideological polarization between right and left, and the urban-rural cleavage. The course will also consider the ways in which politics might be changing in B.C. through globalization, immigration, and the attempt to forge a new relationship with Aboriginal peoples in the province.

POSC 3093 credits
Canadian Constitutional Politics
Prerequisite(s): POSC 110
This course will examine the development of the Canadian constitution, the events leading to its patriation in 1982, and the legacies of patriation: the impact of the new constitution on Quebec and national unity, the effect of the Charter of Rights and freedoms on Canadian politics and society, and the implications of recognizing and affirming Aboriginal Rights.

POSC 3103 credits
Canadian Federalism
Prerequisite(s): POSC 110 or POSC 210
Corequisite(s): None
This course will examine the origin and development of federalism in Canada from 1867 to the present. The course will focus on the difficulties of creating and managing a social welfare state in a federal political system. Particular attention will be paid to the challenge of dividing and sharing fiscal resources. Special attention will also be devoted to how the various mega-constitutional orientations present in Canada affect the operation of the federal political system. The course will conclude with an examination with the challenge of incorporating municipal and aboriginal governments into the federal system and the concomitant idea of multilevel governance. Finally, we shall examine the relationship between democracy and federalism.

POSC 3113 credits
Power, Knowledge, and Order: Early Western Political Thought
Prerequisite(s): One of POSC 120, POSC 270, PHIL 110, PHIL 210, or 45 university-level credits.
This course covers the history of Western political thought from Classical Greece through the Italian Renaissance. The course will focus on the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Augustine, Aquinas, and Macchiavelli. It provides a good overview for students in History, English, and other disciplines, as well as Political Science.
Note: This course is offered as POSC 311 and PHIL 371. Students may take only one of these for credit.

POSC 3123 credits
Order, Liberty, and Equality: Western Political Thought from the 17th Century to 1900
Prerequisite(s): One of POSC 120, POSC 270, POSC 311, PHIL 110, PHIL 210, or 45 university-level credits.
This course will cover the history of Western political thought from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The course will focus on the writing of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Bentham, JS Mill, Madison, Hegel, and Marx. It provides a good overview for students in History, English, and other disciplines, as well as Political Science.
Note: This course is offered as POSC 312 and PHIL 372. Students may take only one of these for credit.

POSC 3203 credits
Canadian Political Thought
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits from Arts, Science, or Applied programs, including two of POSC 110, POSC 120, POSC 190, POSC 195, POSC 230, POSC 270
This course will introduce students to many of the major political ideas and theorists that have shaped the intellectual landscape of this country. It will introduce students to such ideas/theorists in an historical manner; the course will finish with a discussion of some of the major issues before us at the present time.

POSC 3223 credits
Introduction to American Politics
Prerequisite(s): POSC 230 or 45 university-level credits
This course will provide analysis of various aspects of American political life, the major U.S. political institutions, and how they interrelate to affect political outcomes. The course will also consider the role of both the Constitution and
American civic life as these impact politics in the U.S. and elsewhere.

POSC 3303 credits
Human Rights: Theory and History
Prerequisite(s): Nine credits of Philosophy or Political Science, including one of the following: POSC 120 or POSC 190 or POSC 290 or POSC 270 or PHIL 110 or PHIL 210 or PHIL 230
The language of human rights is woven into the fabric of our culture, society, and political discourse. This course will examine different notions of rights and responsibilities, and the history of these ideas as they are embodied in various organizations and institutions.

POSC 3313 credits
Western Peace Traditions
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits
War and peace seem to be a perennial aspect of the human condition. This course will examine how peace has been understood, at the level of theory and practice, within the Western Tradition. The course will cover Classical Greek, Roman, and Jewish perspectives, the complex Classical Christian synthesis, the 16th century Magisterial and Anabaptist notions of war and peace, and peace activists on the stage of world politics today. The major peace themes such as pacifism, various forms of just war theory, and peace through strength will be examined. The course will conclude with a discussion of the Canadian Peace Tradition.

POSC 3323 credits
The Politics of Multiculturalism
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits
This course explores and critically assesses various perspectives on multiculturalism. Through an analysis of different theoretical perspectives and various political topics (such as Indigenous self-government, reasonable accommodation, Shariah law debates, the ‘war on terror’, etc.), students are invited to reflect critically on issues of power, citizenship, belonging, diversity, difference, and liberal and democratic principles and practices.

POSC 3333 credits
On Indigenous Land: The Politics of Diaspora and Indigeneity
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits.
Drawing from a range of critical race and anti-colonial theories and perspectives, this course explores the concepts of Indigeneity and Diaspora in relation to nation-building practices. In particular, this course will trace some of the ways in which the experiences of various Indigenous peoples and migrants differently position them as “outsiders” to white settler nations like Canada. At the same time, migration of diasporas to settler societies also fosters nation-building projects because this too can displace Indigenous peoples and their relationship to the land. What then is the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Diaspora communities in these nation-building projects?

POSC 3353 credits
Civil Liberties and the Charter in Canada
Prerequisite(s): 45 credits from Arts, Science or Applied programs, including POSC 110
A study of the relationship between the government and individual liberty in Canada. The focus is upon the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and its interpretation by our judiciary. Examination of the issues of equality before the law, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, hate literature and obscenity. Consideration of the rights of incarcerated individuals and the rights of individuals designated as mentally disordered.
Note: Credit cannot be obtained for both POSC 335 and CRIM 335.

POSC 3503 credits
Sex, Gender, and Women in Political Thought
Prerequisite(s): 45 university-level credits
This course will provide a survey of some of the key debates in gender and feminist political theory, including meanings of gender, the idea of women in political thought, differences among gender identities, and how gendered identities are conceived and organized in politics and society.

POSC 3603 credits
The United Nations and International Organizations
Prerequisite(s): POSC 260 (formerly POSC 190) or 45 university-level credits
This course will examine the history and roles of international organizations in global politics. Special attention will be paid to the United Nations, but organizations such as the European Union, NATO, and Amnesty International may also be examined.

Note: Students with credit for POSC 195 or POSC 290 cannot take this course for further credit.

POSC 3653 credits
Global Security
Prerequisite(s): POSC 260 or POSC 360
This course will explore the major security issues in the world today. It will examine traditional diplomacy and warfare between states, as well as new security threats such as nuclear proliferation, economic dislocation, drugs, human trafficking, global pandemics, environmental damage, terrorism, piracy, state-collapse, and the re-emergence of ethnic conflicts.
Note: Students with credit for POSC 483E cannot take this course for further credit.

POSC 4103 credits
Seminar in Canadian Politics
Prerequisite(s): POSC 110 and 6 credits of 300-level POSC
In this reading-intensive seminar course, students will examine the history and development of Canadian politics as a field of study in political science. Students will explore the enduring issues in Canadian politics and survey the different approaches employed in the discipline. In the process, students will be introduced to the key thinkers and major texts in the field, as well as contemporary debates and critical approaches to the subject.

POSC 4803 credits
Selected Topics in Political Theory
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits
Political theory is one of the cornerstones of political science. This course will provide students with an opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of the discipline through a detailed exploration of topics in political theory.

POSC 4813 credits
Selected Topics in Comparative Politics
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits
The study of comparative politics is a key to understanding the nature of political systems. By engaging in a comparative analysis of these systems, students will acquire a more sophisticated and subtle understanding of political realities and political possibilities. This course builds on what is covered in lower-level courses and will consist of a detailed exploration of one or more topics in comparative politics.

POSC 4823 credits
Selected Topics in Canadian Politics
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits
The study of Canadian politics is a complex and detailed process. This course goes beyond what is covered in introductory courses and allows students to increase their knowledge through the advanced study of one or more topics in Canadian politics.

POSC 4833 credits
Selected Topics in International Relations
Prerequisite(s): 60 university-level credits
The goal of the course is to increase students' understanding of international relations through a detailed exploration of one or more topics in the area. The course provides the student with an opportunity to engage in an advanced study of international relations.

POSC 4903 credits
Directed Studies in Political Thought
Prerequisite(s): Twelve credits of Philosophy or Political Science, and written consent of both the faculty member and the department head
This course offers the student the opportunity to pursue in depth independent study of a particular issue, problem or topic in the areas of political thought. The student must, in consultation with a faculty member, develop a detailed individual course proposal indicating the readings or other study to be undertaken and how the course work will be assessed.

POSC 4913 credits
Directed Studies in Politics
Prerequisite(s): Nine credits of Political Science, and written consent of both the faculty member and the department head
This course offers students the opportunity to pursue in-depth independent study of a particular issue, problem, or topic in any area of politics. The student must, in consultation with a faculty member, develop a detailed individual course proposal indicating the readings or other study to be undertaken and how the course work will be assessed.

Last extracted: May 01, 2012 10:23:54 AM