Comprehending Canada - JTM500

• Title: Comprehending Canada
• Czech title: Porozumět Kanadě
• Guaranteed by: Department of North American Studies (23-KAS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2021
• Semester: summer
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: summer s.:
• Hours per week, examination: summer s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 6 / unknown (5)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: Mgr. Ing. Magdalena Fiřtová, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): Mgr. Ing. Magdalena Fiřtová, Ph.D.

Annotation

This online intense COIL course is hosted by Masaryk University, will take place June 19-29, 2023. The first week is designed as a reading week when students are asked to read and write their response papers to the assigned mandatory readings, the second week requires students to actively participate in the zoom classes twice a day (at 14:00 and 18:00).

Teachers:
Jeffrey Ayres - St. Michael´s College, Vermont
Magdalena Fiřtová - Charles University
Denisa Krásná - Masaryk University
Richard Nimijean - Carleton University
Tomáš Pospíšil - Masaryk University

Last update: Fiřtová Magdalena, Mgr. Ing., Ph.D. (26.01.2023)

Aim of the course

The ambition of this jointly taught international COIL course is to bring together a team of experts in Canadian studies whose insights will allow students to gain a better comprehension of Canadian society and its culture, and provide them with an opportunity to better assess the complexity of challenges Canada is currently facing. Covering a wide range of issues, such as national identity and its expression by means of branding, or by means of narrative cinema, economic exploitation of natural resources and the problems this creates, the position of the First Nations in the national fabric, as well as Canada's international relations, this interdisciplinary course will offer a variety of insights to students keen on gaining a better understanding of Canada,

The course promises a wide variety of focuses and methodological approaches by the participating teachers. Another benefit rests in the fact that the course will be attended by an international student audience, thus allowing for the mutual sharing of perspectives across the national boundaries, and for networking.

Last update: Poskerová Jana, Bc. (14.02.2022)

Course completion requirements

According to the Dean's provision, the teacher evaluates the student's performance in the percentages assigned to grades A to F (https://fsv.cuni.cz/opatreni-dekanky-c-20/2019):

• 91% and more   => A
• 81-90%             => B
• 71-80%             => C
• 61-70%             => D
• 51-60%             => E
• 0-50%               => F

More in SMĚRNICE S_SO_002: Organizace zkouškových termínů, kontrol studia a užívání klasifikace A–F na FSV UK.

Last update: Lochmanová Sára, Bc. (05.02.2024)

Literature

Students will be able to access recorded lectures, readings, and other resources that must be looked at prior to class meetings in a Moodle site hosted by Masaryk University.

Nimijean, Richard. 2005. "The Paradoxical Nature of the Canadian Identity."  Teaching Canada 23:25-3

Bradshaw, Leah. 2021. "Identity Politics and Multiculturalism: A United States/Canada Comparison." Zeitschrift für Kanada-Studien 41: 87-99.

Thomson, Deborah. 2022. "Race, the University, and Social Transformation." In The Construction of Canadian Identity from Abroad, edited by Christopher Kirkey and Richard Nimijean, 89-105. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2022.

Eds. Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale. #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women. 2018. Annick Press Ltd. (selected works)

Kelly Struthers Montford and Chloë Taylor. “Colonialism and animality: An introduction.” Colonialism and Animality: Anti-Colonial Perspectives in Critical Animal Studies. 2020. Routledge.

Last update: Fiřtová Magdalena, Mgr. Ing., Ph.D. (21.02.2023)

Teaching methods

This is an online intensive course.

Last update: Fiřtová Magdalena, Mgr. Ing., Ph.D. (21.02.2022)

Requirements to the exam

1/ Active Participation in Zoom meetings (10%)

2/ Five very short (one page)  response papers to mandatory readings (50%)

3/ Research paper of 6-10 pages in length (40%)

Last update: Fiřtová Magdalena, Mgr. Ing., Ph.D. (26.01.2023)

Syllabus

1. Introduction
2. National Identity,
3. Diversity, Race, Ethnicity (Nimijean)
4. Indigenous Studies,
5. Literature, the Environment (Krásná)
6. Canada-US Relations
7. the Border, Refugees (Ayres)
8. The Economy, Natural Resources
9. Immigration (Fiřtová)
10. Culture and Film (Pospíšil)

Last update: Fiřtová Magdalena, Mgr. Ing., Ph.D. (26.01.2023)