POLS
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Note: See beginning of Section H for abbreviations, course number and coding.
INTRODUCTORY LEVEL COURSES
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.
POLS 1000
Introduction to 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).
POLS 1103
North American Politics
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 selfgovernment, cultural and regional diversity, class conflict, and electoral reform.
POLS 1203
Political Issues that Divide Canadians
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.
POLS 1303
Pivotal Political Events
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.
POLS 1403
Contemporary Political Ideas and Ideologies
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.
POLS 1503
Law, Power, and Politics
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.
POLS 1603
Politics of Globalization
3 ch (3C)
[W]
Surveys the American political experience with a focus on the post-1945 period.
Topics include the paranoid tradition in American politics, the New Deal consensus,
the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, the Second Wave feminist movement, the
war against Vietnam, the rise of the New Right and post-9/11 American Foreign
policy.
POLS 2101
The American Political Experience
6 ch (6C)
[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 3282 .
POLS 2200
The Canadian Political Experience
POLS 2203 Issues in Canadian Public Policy
3 ch (3C)
Major issues in Canadian public policy-making and related approaches to policy
analysis are examined from the perspective of political science. Topics will include
health policy, economic policy, and cultural policy.
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.
POLS 2303
Politics of the Developing World
An Introduction to the Politics & Society of the
3 ch (3C)
Middle East
[W]
This course focuses on only two parts of what we call the Middle, or Near, East: the
first is the Fertile Crescent or Mashrek, which includes Israel, Palestine, Lebanon,
Egypt, Jordan and Syria; the other deals with the states of the Persian Gulf with
particular concentration on Iran and Iraq.
POLS 2373
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.
POLS 2503
Women and Politics
3 ch (3C)
[W]
This course introduces students to similarities and differences in the political culture,
political insitutions and public policies of countries in the industrialized world
(Western Europe and North America primarily).
POLS 2603
Comparative Politics of the Industrialized World (A)
POLS 2703 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.
ADVANCED LEVEL COURSES
Canadian Government and Politics
POLS 3211 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.
POLS 3213 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.
POLS 3237
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.
POLS 3241 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.
POLS 3242 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).
POLS 3247 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.
POLS 3251 Canadian Federalism
3 ch (3C) [W]
Considers theories of federalism, the development of the Canadian federal system, and
the impact of current issues.
POLS 3257 Law and Politics in Canada
3 ch (3C) [W]
Analyzes the relationship between law and politics in Canada, with an emphasis on the
impact of judicial decisions on Canadian politics. Topics covered include the Rule of
Law in the Canadian Constitution, the judicial process, the Canadian Court system,
judicial recruitment and selection, judicial independence, judicial review, and judicial
decision-making.
POLS 3263 Canadian Provincial Politics
3 ch (3C) [W]
Designed to provide the student with an overall grasp of the nature of government and
political processes in the Canadian provinces.
POLS 3267 Quebec Politics and Government
3 ch (3C) [W]
A survey of the political and social evolution of Quebec from the 17th century to the
present day. Emphasis is placed on 20th century events and on the nationalist
dimension of Quebec politics, particularly its modern incarnation in the period since
1960. Recommended prior course: POLS 2200
POLS 3271 Community and Culture in Canadian Politics
3 ch (3C) [W]
A consideration of the impact of cultural and regional differences on prospects for
political unity and political change in Canada. Topics will include: English-French
differences in political culture and their policy implications; Indian and Inuit culture
and its relevance for the political process; the growth and political impact of
regionalism and provincialism; the politics of Canadian multiculturalism in
comparative perspective.
POLS 3282 The Canadian Political System
3 ch (3C) [W]
An analysis of the Canadian political system with emphasis on the constitution,
federalism, parliamentary government, and the Canadian political culture. Students
cannot hold credit for both POLS 2200 and POLS 3282.
POLS 3284 The Concentration of Power in Canadian Politics (A) 3ch (3C) [W]
In recent years, there has been considerable focus on the role of Prime Minister in
Canadian politics. Many believe power has become excessively concentrated in the
hands of the Prime Minister and a handful of close advisors, with important
implications for the democratic quality of our political system. This course examines
the concentration of power in Canadian politics, looking at both theoretical and
historical dimensions of the issue, as well as its manifestation in current political
debates.
POLS 3292 Self-Government and Aboriginal Community
3 ch (3C) [W]
A systematic analysis of the principles, structures and institutions of traditional and
contemporary Indian self-government in Canada.
POLS 5345
Atlantic
Natural Resources, Industrialization and the Environment in
Canada (Cross Listed: HIST 5345)
3 ch (3C)
Explores the political, economic and environmental implications of the dependence on
natural resources in Atlantic Canada, through an examination of the historical
development of the forest, fishing, agricultural and mining industries from the
eighteenth century to the post-Second World War Period.
Public Policy
POLS 3212 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.
POLS 3227 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.
POLS 3391 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.
POLS 3392 Comparative Public Administration
3 ch (3C) [W]
A detailed study of contemporary public administration in selected countries in Europe
and North America with the emphasis on a comparative study of selected issues and
topics.
POLS 3461 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.
Comparative Government, International Politics and Area Studies
POLS 3011 European Imperialism, 1815-1914 (Cross Listed: HIST 3011) 3 ch (3C)
Examines the evolution of European imperialism in Africa and Asia from the end of the
Napoleonic Wars to the outbreak of the First World War. Topics to be covered include: causes
of the revival of imperialism; the French conquest of Algeria; British expansion in South Africa;
the evolution of British rule in India, French rule in Indochina, and Dutch rule in Indonesia; the
European powers and informal imperialism in China; the expansion of European control in
Africa; theories and practices of colonial rule; the role of explorers and missionaries; race,
gender, and class in colonial societies; the promotion of imperialism in popular culture; and
resistance to imperialism.
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POLS 3012 European Imperialism, 1914-1975 (Cross Listed: HIST 3012) 3 ch (3C)
Examines the evolution of European Imperialism after the outbreak of the First World War, and
ends with a detailed examination of post-1945 decolonization. Topics to be covered include: the
impact of the First World War on European empires; gender, race, and class relations in colonial
societies; cultures of imperialism in the 1920s and 1930s; the evolution of imperial systems of
control; the rise of anti-colonial nationalist movements; the impact of the Second World War;
counter-insurgency and colonial wars after 1945; the causes and dynamics of decolonization; and
the legacies of empire. Prerequisite: prior completion of HIST 3011 an asset but not required.
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3 ch (3C)
[W]
Investigates competing visions of rights in contemporary North American politics in
historical, ethical and theoretical perspective.
POLS 3103 Rights in Conflict in North America
The Political Economy of Russia and Ukraine (Cross
3 ch (3C)
Listed: ECON 3112)
[W]
Examines the political, economic and social dynamics of government in the two Slavic
nations in the post-Gorbachev era.
POLS 3112
POLS 3113 The Foreign Policies of East European States
3 ch (3C)
[W]
Examines the major characteristics of foreign policy-making in the following
countries: Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic states, Poland, Germany, Romania, Serbia,
Croatia, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary.
POLS 3323 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.
The European Union in Transition (Cross Listed: ECON
3 ch (3C)
3343)
[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.
POLS 3343
3 ch (3C)
[W]
This is an introduction to the politics and economics of Eastern Europe. The course
examines how the countries of Eastern Europe, Eurasia and the former Yugoslavia
emerge into a market system and integrate with Western Europe and the rest of the
world. Money, banking, trade, and government policies will be emphasized.
POLS 3361 Eastern Europe in Transition (Cross Listed: ECON 3361)
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
POLS 3363 Contemporary Germany
influence over the rest of Europe.
POLS 3614 Ethics and International Politics (O)
3ch (3C) [W]
The course explores the importance of moral values, ethical reasoning, and reflection
in international relations. It presents the concepts, theories, methods, and traditions of
ethical analysis, and applies them to a wide range of transnational and global issues
such as political reconciliation, human rights, war, foreign intervention, and economic
sanction. It also examines the justice of international structures, institutions, and rules,
as well as their impact on issues such as the moral obligation on the part of wealthy
states to provide economic assistance to poor nations or to admit a large number of
refugees, the challenge of climate change and energy conservation, and the prosecution
of crimes against humanity.
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.
POLS 3615 International Relations Theory (O)
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.
POLS 3633 International Public Law (Cross Listed: ECON 3633)
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 3635 Critical Conflict Studies (O)
POLS 3645 Society, Politics and War in 5th-Century Greece (A) 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.
3 ch (3C)
[W]
Examines the sources of democratic discontent and declining political participation in
Canada and other established democracies, along with potential remedies. Topics
covered include civil society and social cohesion, the changing role of political parties
and the merits of institutional changes such as electoral reform and direct democracy.
Recommended prior course: POLS 2200 or POLS 2603 .
POLS 3647 Democratic Disengagement
3 ch (3C)
[W]
This course explores the political economy of development in sub-Saharan Africa,
focusing on challenges in the last two decades and drawing on several case studies
from the region to explore how they have unfolded in specific countries. The course
emphasizes the role of states, corporations, and international institutions in the
development process. It examines several recent challenges for the continent such as
food, poverty reduction, agriculture and rural development, urbanization and
informalization, and HIV/AIDS. Recommended prior course : POLS 2303 , POLS
2703 , or IDS 2001 .
POLS 3711 Political Economy of Development in Africa
3 ch (3C)
[W]
The course examines the globalization of production, work and consumption as
localized changes that affect people on a daily basis. The course explores their
transnational links by utilizing one case study a year (such as clothing, toys, food
products or footwear) and emphasizing North-South relationships. Recommended prior
course: POLS 2303 , POLS 2703 or IDS 2001 .
POLS 3712 Globalization and Everday Life (A)
The Global Economy: Production, Profits, Power and
3 ch (3C)
People
[W]
Surveys the primarily theoretical and empirical literature on the global political
economy. Issues addressed include imperialism, dependency, U.S. hegemony, the
internationalization of production, global finance, and the evolution of the Fordist
production regime. Recommended prior course: POLS 2303 , POLS 2703 or IDS 2001
.
POLS 3713
The Critique of Alienation in Social and Political
3 ch (3C)
Thought
[W]
This course surveys the critique of alienation in social and political thought in the last
two hundred years. Thematic emphasis is on i) the theory of estranged labor, ii) the
historic forms of social consciousness, iii) the conditions of life in modern society, and
iv) humanity’s relationship to nature. Writers canvassed in lectures may include Hegel,
Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Heidegger, authors in the Frankfurt tradition, and more
recent commentators like Ivan Illich or Vandana Shiva.
POLS 3715
POLS 3717 The Politics of Nationalism
3 ch (3C)
[W]
A general examination of nationalism as an ideology and political force, with some
focus on specific nationalist movements in both the developed and developing worlds.
Topics include: competing definitions of nations and nationalism, the underlying
causes of nationalist unrest and secessionism, and methods of conflict management in
ethnically divided societies. Recommended prior course: POLS 2303 or POLS 2603 .
Beverages and International Development in
3 ch (3C)
Historical Perspective
[W]
This course explores the politics of international development by
investigating the historical development of international processes and
markets for beverages such as coffee, tea, cola, juice, wine, rum and water.
The course uses these case studies to ground theoretical analysis of
development strategies, trade institutions, corporate practices, worker
struggles and consumer initiatives.
POLS 3721
3 ch (3C)
[W]
Surveys the social and economic foundations of South and Central American politics.
Specific issues examined include the relationship of the region to the global economy,
state/military relations, state repression, U.S. regional hegemony, political reform and
revolutionary movements.
POLS 3725 The Political Economy of Latin American Society (O)
3 ch (3C)
[W]
This is a course about a nation's covert and secret intelligence activity aimed against
both internal and external enemies, which is distinct from law enforcement. We
examine the many types of intelligence and their bureaucracies: human intelligence,
signals, satellites, military, and special ops. The main countries examined will be : the
U.S., Russia, U.K., Germany, France, China, Iran, Arab States and Israel.
POLS 3731 Governments and Their Spies
3 ch (3C)
[W]
The course studies various macro-economic and political aspects of a modern China in
transition. China's global position (defence and foreign policies) will also be examined.
POLS 3831 Contemporary China (Cross Listed: ECON 3831)
Political Theory and Analysis
POLS 3312 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.
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.
POLS 3410
Survey of Political Thought
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.
POLS 3413
Modern Theories of the State
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.
POLS 3415
Liberalism (O)
3 ch (3C)
[W]
This course surveys the connection between politics and music. Particular thematic
attention is given to the relationship between various musical genres and the social
relations of power. Topics surveyed may include Plato’s treatment of modes, music
and nationalism, the friendship between Wagner and Nietzsche, songs of social protest
and rebellion, and anti-war music in the 20th century.
POLS 3417
Politics and Music
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?
POLS 3423
The Politics of Repression
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.
POLS 3433
Late Modern Political Thought
POLS 3441
Women Political Thinkers
3 ch (3C)
[W]
Examines women’s contributions to the history of Western ideas on politics,
rationality, autonomy and the body, and violence and war. Key women thinkers
include Mary Wollstonecraft, Virginia Woolf and Simone de Beauvoir.
POLS 3443 Feminist Issues in Political Thought
3 ch (3C)
Examines critical issues in feminist theory. Its central focus is on the understanding of
women's political and social roles found in the history of political thinking and the
response to these arguments presented by contemporary feminist theorists.
When Bards are Bothered: Political Critique in
3 ch (3C)
Literature
[W]
Examines the nature of political critique found in literature. It surveys different literary
genres and forms, including tragedy, comedy, satire, poetry, the essay, the short story,
and the novel. Some of the authors discussed may include Aristophanes, Sophocles,
Thomas More, Daniel Defoe, Jonathan Swift, and more recent writers such as Aldous
Huxley, George Bernard Shaw, George Orwell, Virginia Woolf, and John Steinbeck.
POLS 3471
Marxism and Anarchism: Alternative Political
3 ch (3C)
Communities
[W]
Surveys the organization, political and social rationale, and critiques of alternative
political communities. Topics may include the utopian socialist societies and anarchist
experiments of the nineteenth century, the Israeli kibbutzim, European co-operative
networks, and the North American counter-culture communities of the twentieth
century.
POLS 3473
3 ch (3C)
[W]
Examines the theories of history and the historical process in Hegel and Marx. Pays
particular attention to the question of the causes of historical change. Then discusses
these theories in their relation to Hegel's and Marx's political thought.
POLS 3483
Hegel and Marx
3 ch (3C)
[W]
Intended to familiarize students with processes, methods and techniques of inquiry in
political science. Required for all Honours students. Strongly recommended for Majors
students.
POLS 3533
Research Methods in Political Science
Independent Study
POLS 3900
Independent Study in Political Science
6 ch (6C)
6 ch
Upon application through the co-ordinator of honours and majors programs, students
Formatted Table
pursuing an honours or majors degree in Political Science may undertake independent
studies with a member of the department. It is expected that students will have a clear
idea of their intended area of study and will submit a written proposal justifying it as an
independent studies course.
No student will be allowed to take more than 6chs of independent study in completing
the requirements for a majors or honours degree in political science. Independent
studies courses will NOT count as meeting the honours thesis requirements.
POLS 3903
Independent Study in Political Science
3 ch (3C) 3 ch
Upon application through the co-ordinator of honours and majors programs, students
pursuing an honours or majors degree in Political Science may undertake independent
studies with a member of the department. It is expected that students will have a clear
idea of their intended area of study and will submit a written proposal justifying it as an
independent studies course.
No student will be allowed to take more than 6chs of independent study in completing
the requirements for a majors or honours degree in political science. Independent
studies courses will NOT count as meeting the honours thesis requirements.
3 ch
POLS 3905
Independent Study in Political Science
3ch (3C)
Upon application through the co-ordinator of honours and majors programs, students
pursuing an honours or majors degree in Political Science may undertake independent
studies with a member of the department. It is expected that students will have a clear
idea of their intended area of study and will submit a written proposal justifying it as an
independent studies course.
No student will be allowed to take more than 6chs of independent study in completing
the requirements for a majors or honours degree in political science. Independent
studies courses will NOT count as meeting the honours thesis requirements.
Honours Research
Directed Reading and Research in Political
6 ch (6C) [W]
Science
A compulsory reading and research course for fourth year honours students. The
student prepares a research program in consultation with a professor in the field
concerned and is expected to present a research essay after regular consultations with
POLS 4000
the professor concerned who will be assigned to the student by the chair of the
department.
Honours Seminars
POLS 4000-level courses are seminars intended for POLS students in the Honours
program and all other advanced level students who wish to explore Political Science topics
in greater depth and in a seminar format. Students normally should have completed at
least 60 ch, of which 18 ch should be in POLS (with at least 6 ch at the upper level), prior to
taking a 4000-level course. POLS Honours students must complete at least 6 ch from these
seminars and Joint Honours students must complete at least 3 ch in order to meet their
program requirements.
3 ch (3SC)
[W]
Historical and comparative examination of the various strands of thought that make up
the Canadian political tradition: liberalism, conservatism, socialism and nationalism.
(Students cannot earn credit for this course and POLS 3416 ).
POLS 4416 Canadian Political Thought
Eros and Leadership: The Philosophy of the Good
3 ch (3SC)
[W]
Ruler Through the Ages (A)
This course surveys the intellectual and philosophical criteria for political leadership as
they were established by past thinkers. Some of the intellectual material addressed may
include the assessment of Pericles by the ancients, Plato's nations of philosophical rule,
Aristotle's conception of class rule, Plutarch's biographies, Marcus Aurelius reflections,
Machiavelli's counsels, Marx's critique of bourgeois rule, Lenin's conception of
vanguardism, Weber's observations regarding charisma and Gramsci's defence of the
organic intellectual. Throughout the course the standards set in the past are applied to
current political leaders, and tehe concerns raised by contemporary intellectuals like
Christopher Lasch and Neil Postman are broached and assessed. (Students cannot earn
credit for this course and POLS 3463) .
POLS 4463
POLS 4483 Hegel & Marx (A)
3 ch (3C) [W]
Examines the theories of history and the historical process in Hegel and Marx, paying
particular attention to the question of the causes of historical change. It then discusses
these theories in their relation to Hegel’s and Marx’s political thought. (Students
cannot earn credit for this course and POLS 3483.)
3 ch (3SC)
[W]
This course will examine The History of the Peloponnesian War as the founding text of
International Relations. The course will also focus on the various readings of the
POLS 4496 Thucydides: War and Empire (A)
History.
3 ch (3SC)
[W]
This course provides a basic grounding in methods of quantitative commonly used in
political science. In addition to statistical theory and techniques, the course also
focuses on interpretation of quantitative political science literature and provides
students with instruction in conducting statistical analysis using public opinion and
election data sets. Recommended prior or concurrent course: POLS 3533 . (Students
cannot earn credit for this course and POLS 3534) .
POLS 4534 Quantitative Approaches in Political Science (A)
3 ch (3SC)
[W]
This course deals with current trendas and developments on the international science
including the global balance of power, relations between the superpowers, ideological
conflicts, the Third World and North-South tensions: war, revolution and coups d'etat
as these occur. (Students cannot earn credit for this course and POLS 3703.)
POLS 4703 Seminar in Contemporary Issues in World Politics (A)
Beverages abd International Development in Historical
3 ch (3S)
Perspective
[W]
This course explores the politics of international development by investigating the
historical development of international processes and markets for beverages such as
coffee, tea, cola, juice, wine, rum and water. The course uses these case studies to
ground theoretical analysis of development strategies, trade institutions, corporate
practices, worker struggles and consumer initiatives. (Student cannot earn credit for
this course and POLS 3721.)
POLS 4721
3 ch (3S)
[W]
This course introduces students to critical issues in the study of women, gender and
socio-economic development. The course presents contending theoretical approaches,
and applies them through case studies that explore how women are affected by and in
turn shape socio-economic development processes in Asia, Africa, Latin America and
the Caribbean. (Students cannot earn credit for this course and POLS 3722 ).
POLS 4722 Women, Gender and Development (A)
POLS 4724 Topics in Environmental History and Politics (O)
3ch (3C) [W]
This course surveys topics in North American environmental politics and history,
including climate change, resource development, and water management. It examines
the role of governments, the environmental movement, and industry. Finally, it
examines how the environment as an idea has changed over time.
Formatted Table