POLS 7350 Canadian Democracy: Multiculturalism and Citizenship in Canada
Semester Winter 2012-Section: A01 Instructor: Dr. Fiona MacDonald Office hours: By Appointment , 224 St. Johns College Time, Location: Mon 11:30-2:20, St Johns College 113 Email address: [email protected]
Course Description:
This course surveys contemporary perspectives on Canadian democracy with a particular emphasis on multiculturalism and citizenship. The course examines different perspectives on group rights with specific attention given to the contributions of Canadian political thinkers Will Kymlicka and Charles Taylor. This seminar also works to contextualize the philosophical debates with contemporary examples regarding various issues including Indigenous peoples in Canada and the Quebec separatist movement. Effort will be made to include timely issues related to the topic of the course including the recent debates around Sharia law in Canada. Students will participate actively in class discussions both in open discussion and class presentations.
Class participation: 20% Essay proposal: 10% Research Paper: 40% Essay Critique: 10% Exam: 20%
Grading Scale
A+ = 90-100 % (4.5) Exceptional A = 80-89 % (4.0) Excellent B+ = 75-79 % (3.5) Very Good B = 70-74 % (3.0) Good C+ = 65-69 % (2.5) Satisfactory C = 60-64 % (2.0) Adequate D = 50-59 % (1.0) Marginal F = 0-49 % (0) Failure
Required text(s):
Charles Taylor, Multiculturalism: The Politics of Recognition (1994) Published by Princeton University Press, ISBN-10: 0691037795 , ISBN-13: 978-0691037790
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Will Kymlicka and Wayne Norman, (eds.) Citizenship in Diverse Societies (2000) Published by Oxford University Press, ISBN-10: 019829770X, ISBN-13: 978- 0198297703
Optional text:
Nancy Fraser, Justice Interruptus (1996) Published by Routledge, ISBN-10: 0415917956, ISBN-13: 978-0415917957
****Additional readings will be made available on reserve or may be copied from the instructor.
Students are required by the Department to retain a copy of each assignment submitted to their instructors. Students should acquaint themselves with the University’s policy on plagiarism, academic dishonesty, academic fraud, cheating and examination impersonation in the University of Manitoba General Calendar.
Course Organization/Expectations:
There will be a three hour seminar each week. Students are expected to complete the following:
1. Each member of the seminar must be prepared to discuss the assigned reading each week and will prepare and submit 3 discussion questions on the readings. Every week at least two members of the seminar will have the responsibility for presenting critical summaries of the assigned readings. Each student will also present a 10-20 minute version of their essay topic in the final two weeks of the course. 20% of the final grade will depend upon preparation, presentations, and participation.
2. Each member of the seminar must complete a research paper of approx. 20 pages. This paper counts for 40% of the final grade and will be due on March 19. Please see attached note on the department’s policy re: plagiarism.
3. By February 27 each member of the seminar should have identified a research topic that has been discussed/approved by the instructor.
4. In the seminar prior to the essay due date (March 12) each member of the seminar will bring in their essay draft which will be exchanged for critique with another seminar member. The thoughtful evaluation of a fellow participant’s paper is worth 10% of the final grade.
5. Each member of the seminar will complete a quiz that counts for 20% of the final grade on the final day of the seminar (April 2).
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Schedule and Readings:
January 9 Course Introduction Review of Syllabus, Assignment of Presentations
January 16 What is Recognition/Multiculturalism? Read From Democracy and Difference: “Three Forms of Group-Differentiated Citizenship in Canada” Will Kymlicka 153-170 Read from Multiculturalism: “The Politics of Recognition” Charles Taylor 25-73 “Comment” Susan Wolf 75-85 “Identity, Authenticity, Survival” K. Anthony Appiah 149-163
Read from Citizenship and Diverse Societies: “Introduction” Wayne Norman and Will Kymlicka 1-41
January 23 Multiculturalism, Education, and Language:
Read from Citizenship and Diverse Societies: “Discrimination and Religious Schooling” Eamonn Callan p. 45-67 “Extending Diversity: Religion in Public and Private Education” Jeff Spinner-Halev 68-95 “Official-Language Rights: Intrinsic Value and the Protection of Difference” Denise G. Reaume 245-272 “Citizenship an Official Bilingualism in Canada” Pierre A. Coulombe 273-293
January 30 Multiculturalism and Indigenous Peoples:
There will be no assigned reading for this session. Students will be expected to come to class and watch the following film which will be discussed in relation to the readings in the following seminars: Hunters and Bombers
February 6 Multiculturalism and Representation:
Read from Citizenship and Diverse Societies: “What does a Representative Do? Descriptive Representation in Communicative Settings of Distrust, Uncrystallized Interests, and Historically Denigrated Status” Jane Mansbridge 99-123 “The Uneasy Alliance of Group Representation and Deliberative Democracy” Melissa S. Williams 124-152
Read from forthcoming publication: “Descriptive Representation in Citizen Assemblies” Michael Rabinder James 1-21
Read from Representation and Democratic Theory: 4
“When (if Ever) Are Referendums on Minority Rights Fair? 3-22
February 13 Multiculturalism and Indigenous Peoples:
Read from Citizenship and Diverse Societies: “Three Modes of Incorporating Indigenous Law” Jacob T. Levy 297-325 “‘Landed’ Citizenship: Narratives of Aboriginal Political Participation” John Borrows 326-342
Read from Government and Opposition Volume 40 Autumn 2005: “Being Indigenous: Resurgences against Contemporary Colonialism” Taiaiake Alfred and Jeff Corntassel 597 -614
Read from Representation and Democratic Theory: “Sharing the River: Aboriginal Representation in Canadian Political Institutions” Melissa Williams 93-118
Read from Contemporary Political Theory, 2007, 6. “Subjects of Empire: Indigenous Peoples and the ‘Politics of Recognition’ in Canada 437-460.
February 20-no class, reading break
February 27 Multiculturalism and Gender:
**essay approval date
Read from Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?: “Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?” Susan Moller Okin 7-24
Read from Citizenship and Diverse Societies: “Should Church and State be Separated at the Altar? Women’s Rights and the Multicultural Dilemma” Ayelet Shachar 199-223 “Female Autonomy and Cultural Imperative: Two Hearts Beating Together” Sawitri Saharso 224-242
March 5 Multiculturalism and Gender:
Read from Muslim World Journal of Human Rights Vol. 1 Issue 1 2004 “Family Arbitration Using Sharia Law: Examining Ontario’s Arbitration Act and its Impact on Women” Natasha Bakht 1-24
Read from Law Femme: CFLS News Vol. 4 Issue 1November 2004: “Sharia Law in Canada?” Laura Track 8-9 “Balancing Rights: Aboriginal Women and the Gladue Provision” Kylie Walman 4-5
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Read from Aboriginal Women’s Roundtable on Gender Equality March 30-April 1, 2000 “Roundtable Report” 1-24
Read from Canadian Journal of Political Science December 2001 “Canaries in the Mines of Citizenship: Indian Women in Canada” Joyce Green 715-738
March 12 Multiculturalism and the Welfare State:
***The second of this class will be designated for the essay exchange
Read from Justice Interruptus: “From Redistribution to Recognition?” Nancy Fraser 11-39 “Multiculturalism, Anti Essentialism, and Radical Democracy” 173-188 “Culture, Political Economy, and Difference” Nancy Fraser 189-206
Read from New Left Review, March-April 1997 “Unruly Categories: A Critique of Nancy Fraser's Dual Systems Theory” Iris Marion Young 147–60
Read from Dissent, Fall 2003 “Multiculturalism and Welfare” Keith Banting and Iris Marion Young 59-66
March 19 Multiculturalism and Federalism:
Read from Citizenship and Diverse Societies: “Why Stay Together? A Pluralist Approach to Secession and Federation” Rainer Baubock 366-394
Read from Policy Matters Vol. 1 no. 2 March 2000 : “Without Quebec: Collaborative Federalism with a Footnote?” Alain Noel 1-26
March 26 Multiculturalism and Democracy:
Read from Justice Interruptus: “Rethinking the Public Sphere” 69-98 Read from Democracy and Difference: “Democracy, Power, and the Political” Chantal Mouffe 245-256 **The second half of this class may be designated for essay presentations
April 2 Final Quiz
N.B. Key Questions to keep in mind for presentations/discussions:
1. What is the author(s) responding to? 6
2. How do they respond/what are they doing—remember political theory/studies is meant to be action guiding
3. What values are at stake?
4. Critique—strengths and weaknesses of the approach/critical reactions. Remember it is important to first understand what it is an author is doing before you begin your critique.
AN IMPORTANT REMINDER: Plagiarism involves using another author’s words without attribution or otherwise presenting another person’s work as one’s own. It is a fraudulent and serious academic offence that will result in a severe academic penalty. Also, close paraphrasing of another author’s work & self-plagiarism, including submitting the same, or substantively the same, work for academic evaluation more than once, are unacceptable practices that will result in a severe academic penalty.
The DOs and DON’Ts of AVOIDING PLAGIARISM Do not: submit an entire paper or part(s) of a paper or papers that has been written or researched by any other person(s); submit a paper as an assignment that has been bought from another person or from a ‘paper mill’ or essay service; submit a paper or other written assignment that has been submitted at another time or for a different course by yourself or any other student or former student; submit material that has been downloaded from a website, without acknowledging (using appropriate citation style) that you have done so; take someone else’s idea(s) and represent it/them as your own; copy any text verbatim, or with only slight variation from the original text, without using quotation marks and documenting the source with proper citation style; do not closely paraphrase another’s material; either paraphrase completely in your own words, or cite as a direct quotation using quotation marks (in either case, give full credit and details regarding authorship and location of the original material); Do: learn how to cite material properly (there are many good guides on this, including the departmental one); use a recognized citation style (eg. APA, MLA, Chicago), according to instructions given by the course instructor, and be consistent in the use of the style throughout any single piece of written work; carefully read and make sure you understand the university’s policy on academic honesty; ask the instructor of this course or other faculty members if you have any questions about plagiarism.