Approved courses

SCPA 212

Introduction to Global Migration: Theories and Issues (3 credits)

This course explores key concepts and paradigms of immigration, migration and diversity issues confronting nation-states around the globe and examines questions relating to illegal immigration, refugee movements, economic migrants, temporary migration and population displacement due to conflict and environmental issues and the subject of integration.

SCPA 315

Immigration in Quebec and Canada (3 credits)

This course focuses on immigration and diversity policies as well as the social consequences of immigration and multiculturalism in Canadian and Quebec contexts. Students learn about the evolution of policy in these areas as well as covering topics such as public opinion and reactions toward immigration, advantages and challenges of multiculturalism versus integration, and the theoretical debates surrounding immigration and models of integration (assimilation, civic integration, multiculturalism).

SCPA 481

Settlement and Integration (3 credits)

This course examines the experiences of immigrants and refugees in Canada, focusing on the social, cultural and political processes of their integration and/or marginalization. In this context, it explores immigrant-based agencies and social movements, and equitable approaches to settlement services and community development to help newcomers adapt to their new environment. It also looks at integration outcomes of immigrants: employment, education, housing, participation.

SCPA 482

Field Project in Immigration (3 credits)*

*This course is reserved for students pursuing the Certificate

This course is a field project undertaken under the auspices of a non-profit organization working in the domain of immigration. Students in small groups will be asked to work on a substantive project and/or program of significance to community organization. The analysis provided by the students will be shared with the organization enabling students to be directly involved and engaged in the field of immigration as practitioners.

ANTH 202

Introduction to Culture (3 credits)

An introduction to the anthropological study of culture. The course begins with a consideration of the concepts, models, and methods used by anthropologists. This is followed by an examination of the many ways in which peoples of the world, past and present, have organized the activities, institutions, and belief systems that sustain social life. The course concludes with a discussion of the relevance of cultural anthropology to contemporary issues.

GEOG 210

Geography of Global Change (3 credits)

This course examines a variety of geographical changes related to globalization. It focuses mainly on the global political system and the global economy, and also considers transport and communications systems, culture, and environmental issues.

GEOG 220

The Human Environment: Place, Space, and Identity (3 credits)

This course examines how geographers construct the meaning of place, the unique identity of places, the contests over identity of place, and how space is socially constructed. The ways in which these have been affected by migration and globalization are then examined within the context of an already constituted social and geographical unevenness (political, economic, environmental, and cultural).

GEOG 318

Shifting Borders of Globalization (3 credits)

Prerequisite: GEOG 220, or completion of 30 credits for students enrolled in a Social Science program, or permission of the Department.

This course critically examines how globalization processes are altering relationships between space, place and identity. Economic, political, cultural and technological change provide a framework for understanding the processes, but the focus of the course is the transformation of social and cultural worlds and identities. Using a wide variety of case studies, the course investigates how global processes are altering ethnic, national, social and gender identities and their associated geographical structures.

GEOG 321

A World of Food (3 credits)

Prerequisite: 24 university credits.

This course examines the geographical processes that have affected the production and consumption of food from the beginnings of agriculture to the rise of genetically modified organisms, and considers the part played by different patterns of diet and cuisine in shaping distinctive regions at the global and local scale.

NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a GEOG 398 number may not take this course for credit.

HIST 212

(also listed as IRST 210)

The Irish in Canada (3 credits)

From 17th-century fishermen and traders arriving in Newfoundland to displaced victims of the Famine in the 19th century, to contemporary immigrants from Ireland, the Irish have had a presence in all parts of Canada from the earliest days of settlement. This course examines the emigration and settlement patterns of Irish immigrants in the various regions of Canada across a period of three centuries, paying particular attention to their role in the social, economic, political, cultural, and educational development of Canadian society. The course explores the various strategies by which Irish immigrants both adapted to and transformed the particular host society in which they found themselves, and looks at other immigrant communities as a means of understanding the special contribution of the Irish to Canada.

NOTE: Students who have received credit for IRST 210 or for this topic under a HIST or IRST 398 number may not take this course for credit.

HIST 283

The 20th Century: A Global History (3 credits)

This course introduces students to the history of some of the forces and institutions that have shaped the history of the world in the 20th century, which has been characterized by widespread warfare, genocides, and massive violations against human rights and the natural environment. It has also been a time of unprecedented prosperity of some groups and parts of the globe, as well as an era of tremendous scientific advances. 

NOTE: Students who have received credit for HISW 283, LOYC 210, or for this topic under a HIST 298 number may not take this course for credit.

HIST 302

Natives and Newcomers (3 credits)

This course examines the interaction of European colonists with the first peoples of eastern North America before 1800. The emphasis is on cultural exchanges between colonists and Natives in the areas of religion, trade, diplomacy, and warfare. 

NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a HIST 398 number may not take this course for credit.

HIST 308

Cultures in Contact: A History of Migrations to North America (3 credits)

This course traces the journeys of men, women, and children who left their homelands and came to North America in search of economic opportunities and political and religious freedoms. Focusing on the 19th- and 20th- entury waves of migration, students examine the communities migrants created, the discrimination they faced, and the manifold ways in which they, in turn, changed their host societies.

NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a HIST 398 number may not take this course for credit.

IRST 303

The Global Irish (3 credits)

This interdisciplinary course examines the Irish experience of emigration, exile, resettlement, and diaspora, emphasizing the Great Famine and its legacy in shaping Irish communities in Canada and elsewhere. It highlights debates about the impact of the Famine, the significance of Grosse-Île in Irish and Irish-Canadian cultural memory, the relationship between Irish emigration and nationalism, immigrant women and how Irish communities adopted a self-image of exile.

NOTE: Students who have received credit for this topic under a HIST 398 number may not take this course for credit.

POLI 339

(also listed as SCPA 339)

Quebec Politics and Society/La vie politique québécoise (3 credits)

Prerequisite: POLI 204 or permission of the Department.

This course is a study of the changing party structure and political issues in Quebec and their relationship to constitutional, cultural, and economic factors. On étudiera dans ce cours l’évolution structurelle des partis et des questions politiques au Québec en fonction de facteurs d’ordre constitutionnel, culturel et économique.

NOTE: Students who have received credit for POLI 211 or SCPA 211 may not take this course for credit.

NOTE: The course will be offered in both English and French on a rotational basis. Please consult the Undergraduate Class Schedule for details.

POLI 340

Canadian Political Culture (3 credits)

Prerequisite: POLI 204 or permission of the Department.

This course approaches Canadian politics from a societal perspective. The objective is to develop a better understanding of Canada’s political culture through a cross-time and cross-national analysis.

POLI 349

Political and Social Theory and the City (3 credits)

Prerequisite: POLI 206 or permission of the Department.

This course examines the theoretical and ideological aspects of city government in historical and normative perspective.

RELI 312

Justice and Social Conflict in a Globalized World (3 credits)

This course considers ethical issues arising in the context of social, legal, and political relations. These issues are discussed in relation to both traditional and contemporary moral perspectives, both religious and non-religious. Topics covered typically include discussions of social and economic inequality, welfare, poverty, just punishment, business ethics, public ethics, economic development, and sustainable development.

NOTE: Students who have received credit for RELI 332 may not take this course for credit

SOCI 230

(also listed as ANTH 230)

Race and Ethnic Relations (3 credits)

Race and ethnicity are examined as bases of social differentiation. Ethnic group relations are analyzed in relation to stratification and the exercise of power. The course further involves exploration of the phenomena of discrimination, prejudice, and intergroup accommodation. 

NOTE: Students who have received credit for ANTH 230 may not take this course for credit.

SOCI 381

(also listed as ANTH 381)

Ethnic Communities in Canada (3 credits)

This course aims at familiarizing students with the social factors and dynamics of contemporary ethno-cultural communities in Canada. Topics may include the immigration process and settlement; community development, structures, and organizations; the ethnic family; socio-economic status and achievement; cultural continuity and change; minority-majority relations and relations with other ethno-cultural communities. 

NOTE: Students who have received credit for ANTH 381 may not take this course for credit.

THEO 233

Religious Pluralism in a Secular Culture (3 credits)

This course focuses on the relationships between religion, pluralism, and secular culture. It deals specifically with secularization, secularism and theological responses that are rooted in historical discourses of church/state relations. 

THEO 343

Religion and Politics (3 credits)

Focusing on the relationship between church, state, and democracy, this course examines the intersection of religion and politics by studying the connections between moral values and political beliefs in different settings around the world. It explores how religious beliefs have shaped politics and have impacted democratization, education, and citizenship. At the same time, it reflects on the way in which politics has affected religious life and religious organizations.