Courses in Canadian Studies (CDN)

CDN 500 – Overview of Canadian Studies (Eagles) (Required)

This course provides an introduction to the study of Canada for graduate students. It is inherently multidisciplinary in nature, with an intellectual emphasis on the interdependence of geography, economy, society, history, and culture. A central focus in the course will be the tension, evident throughout Canadian history, between regional and national identities.  The class meets in seminar format, with students taking responsibility for presenting  critical reviews and discussion questions drawn from the weekly assigned readings. In addition, all students will prepare a major research paper dealing with some facet of the Canadian experience. Although the principal focus of the course is Canada, frequent comparisons will be made to the American experience. In addition to making good pedagogical sense, this reflects the omnipresence of America in the Canadian experience. In addition, an important theme in the course will be the question of the bi-national relationship and the progress of continental integration. It is hoped that the course will deepen your knowledge of, and sharpen your appreciation of the differences between, both countries.

The main texts for the course will be John Ibbitson, The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2005; Patrick James and Mark Kasoff, eds., Canadian Studies in the New Millennium, University of Toronto Press, forthcoming, (2007);  W.T. Easterbrook and Mel Watkins, eds., Approaches to Canadian Economic History, Carleton University Press, (1967 & 2000); David Thomas, ed., Canada and the United States: Differences that Count, 2nd edition, Broadview University Press, (2000); Kenneth McRoberts, Misconceiving Canada: The Struggle for National Unity, Oxford UP, (1997). Pbk; John MacDougal, Drifting Together: The Political Economy of Canada-US Integration, Broadview Press, 2006.

CDN 505 – Canadian-American Relations and Cross-Border Issues (Kolundzic) (Required)

What are the impacts of globalization on the Canada-U.S. border, and how does the Canada-U.S. border impact the development of the Buffalo-Niagara bi-national region?  How do border-related issues impact sub-national jurisdictions?  How does the Canada-U.S. border impact the work of State/Municipal planners and policy makers across such fields as economic development and trade, transportation and tourism, environmental management and emergency response preparedness?  What are the challenges in developing planning policy in an international trans-boundary region?  These questions and many others will be the basis upon which this course will explore the impacts of globalization on the Buffalo-Niagara bi-national region.  This course will be of interest to students in the fields of urban/regional planning, international studies, political science, and economic geography.

The course is structured into roughly three components.  The first part will deal with the broad issues of globalization, the emergence of "region states", the political economy of cities within these new emerging structures, and an exploration of the Buffalo-Niagara bi-national region.  The second component of the course will focus on the Canada-US Border and how both pre- and post-Sept. 11 border management regimes impact the Buffalo-Niagara bi-national region.  In addition, we will explore the impact of greater North American integration on the bi-national region.  The third component of the course will focus on a series of specific issues within a bi-national context including economic development, transportation, tourism, environmental sustainability, and security and emergency preparedness.  From time to time, guest speakers drawn from the cross-border community who have particular experience and expertise will be invited to attend and contribute to class meetings.

CDN 510 – Canadian Politics & Government (Eagles)

This seminar provides an overview of the politics and government of Canada, America's 'neighbor to the north'.  As the US's largest trading partner, the Canadian political experience holds special relevance for students of political science in America.  The countries share many similarities (both are advanced capitalist economies, liberal democracies with federal regimes, etc.) but equally there are important differences.  Most notably, Canada's colonial experience with Britain is much different than that of America. It did not overthrow the British parliamentary tradition through revolution as did the US, but it has modified the British model by adopting a written constitution, a bill of rights, and a federal structure.  For these reasons, Canadian politics offers a fascinating point of comparison with our American political experience. While most readings will be focused on Canadian issues and experiences, occasional references to American contrasts and comparisons will be made and research essays that explicitly compare some aspect of the two countries' experiences will be acceptable.

The following books will be required of students in this course. They will be supplemented from time to time with additional materials. Herman Bakvis and Grace Skogstad, eds., Canadian Federalism: Performance, Effectiveness, and Legitimacy, Oxford UP, 2001; Maude Barlow, Too Close for Comfort: Canada's Future within Fortress North America, McClelland & Stewart, 2005; R.K. Carty, William Cross, and Lisa Young, Rebuilding Canadian Party Politics, UBC Press,  2000; R.K. Carty and M. Eagles, Politics is Local: National Politics at the Grassroots, Oxford UP, 2005; Edward Grabb and James Curtis, Regions Apart: The Four Societies of Canada and the United States, Oxford UP, 2005; David Docherty, Legislatures: A Democratic Audit, UBC Press, 2005; S.M. Lipset, Continental Divide: The Values & Institutions of the United States & Canada, Routledge, 1990; Kent Roach, The Supreme Court on Trial: Judicial Activism or Democratic Dialogue? Irwin Law, 2001; Donald Savoie, Governing from the Centre: The Concentration of Power in Canadian Politics, University of Toronto Press, 1999.

Other courses in development:

CDN 515 – Topics in Canadian Studies (Eagles, coordinator) (in development)

CDN 610 – Canadian Regional Geography (Eagles) (in development)

CDN 598  - Internship/Externship (Eagles)

CDN 599 – Independent Study (Eagles)