Course info:

 

This course examines Canadian and world politics from a variety of perspectives. Students will

investigate the ways in which individuals, groups, and states work to influence domestic and

world events, the role of political ideologies in national and international politics, and the

dynamics of international cooperation and conflict resolution. Students will apply criticalthinking

and communication skills to develop and support informed opinions about current

political conflicts, events, and issues.

Prerequisite: Any university or university/college preparation course in Canadian and

world studies, English, or social sciences and humanities

Participation in the International Community

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• explain the rights and responsibilities of individual citizens, groups, and states in the

international community;

• describe the main ways in which sovereign states and non-state participants cooperate and

deal with international conflicts;

• evaluate the role of Canada and Canadians in the international community;

• d e s c ribe the stru c t u re and function of international intergove rnmental and non-gove rn m e n t a l

organizations;

• evaluate the role and operation of the international human rights protection system.

Specific Expectations

Rights and Responsibilities of International Participation

By the end of this course, students will:

– evaluate the extent to which the rights and responsibilities of states in the international

community are parallel to the rights and responsibilities of citizens in democratic

national communities (e.g., based on analysis of the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights and Geneva Conventions, and the mandate/work of the U.N. and

Canadian Commissions on Human Rights and on the Status of Women);

– describe the rights and obligations of selected international groups (e.g.,

UNESCO, International Monetary Fund [IMF], environmental lobby groups);

– describe the actions of individuals, including Canadians, who have influenced global

affairs (e. g . ,Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter, Kim Dae-jung,Aung San Suu Kyi, Pope

John Paul II, Lester B. Pearson, David Suzuki, Stephen Lewis, Craig Kielburger).

International Conflict and Cooperation

By the end of this course, students will:

– analyse the participation of government and non-governmental organizations in

the global community (e.g., in the areas of humanitarian assistance, collective security,

diplomacy, technical cooperation);

– identify ways of preventing war and conflict between states (e.g., military preparation,

international law, peace movements);

– explain the effects on national sovereignty of the trend towards global decision making

(e.g., with reference to the European Union [EU], Free Trade Area of the

Americas [FTAA]);

– identify the causes and consequences of non-governmental international conflict

and violence (e.g., terrorism, ethnic conflict, organized crime).

Canada's International Role

By the end of this course, students will:

– explain the types of commitments made by Canada to other nations or to international

or extranational organizations (e.g., membership in the Commonwealth of

Nations, la Francophonie, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; participation

in the United Nations and in peacekeeping missions);

– evaluate the extent to which key agreements and treaties signed by Canada

(e.g.,NAFTA, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty [CTBT]) contribute to the wellbeing

of Canadians and the world in general;

– explain how Canada tries to settle its external conflicts (e.g.,through negotiation,

arbitration, international cooperation);

– explain the role of government agencies (e.g., Foreign Affairs Canada and International

Trade Canada, the Canadian International Development Agency) in

formulating and implementing Canada’s foreign policy;

– evaluate the role of pressure groups in formulating and implementing Canada’s foreign

policy (e.g., anti-landmine activists, the environmentalist lobby, the media, the

Alliance of Manufacturers and Exporters Canada).

International Intergovernmental and Non-governmental Organizations

By the end of this course, students will:

– explain the origins, functions, and objectives of selected international nongovernmental

organizations (NGOs) (e.g., International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent,Amnesty

International, Greenpeace);

– explain the origins, functions, and objectives of international cooperation organizations

(e.g.,Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation [APEC],African Union

[AU],World Health Organization [WHO]);

– evaluate the effectiveness of selected international organizations (e.g., Organization

of the Petroleum Exporting Countries [OPEC], Non-aligned Conference,Arab

League,World Bank) in meeting their stated objectives;

– analyse the need for new international organizations as a result of globalization

and the advent of new technologies (e.g., organizations for regulating extragovernmental

firms, controlling drug trafficking, regulating activities in outer space).

International Human Rights

By the end of this course, students will:

– identify the most important international human rights documents (e.g., Universal

Declaration of Human Rights, 1948; International Covenant on Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights, 1976; Declaration of the Rights of the Child,

1959;World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki, 1964) and assess

their significance;

– explain the role of states and key agencies ( e. g . ,U. N. Commission on Human Rights,

Commission on the Status of Women) in international controversies about human rights;

– evaluate the effectiveness of the actions of international organizations or states in

cases of human rights violations (e.g., decisions of the International Criminal

Court and International Court of Justice, Amnesty International).

Power, Influence, and the Resolution of Differences

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• analyse the factors that determine the power and influence of a country;

• analyse how international organizations, the media, and technology are able to influence the

actions of sovereign states;

• evaluate Canada’s role and influence in international relations.

Specific Expectations

State Power

By the end of this course, students will:

– analyse how natural resources and human resources help to determine the power and

influence of a country (e.g., geography, demography, economic resources and markets,

military strength and diplomatic traditions);

– evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of common classifications of states (e.g.,

developed or developing;Western and/or non-aligned; major, medium, or small

powers) used in describing relationships among states;

– analyse the rise and development of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and

corporations as world powers (e.g., International Committee of the Red Cross/

Red Crescent,multinational corporations such as Nike, Shell, General Motors,

Microsoft, Mitsubishi).

Influences on International Relations

By the end of this course, students will:

– identify major influences on the development of international relations from antiquity

to 1945 (e.g., the development of empires and colonization, the impact of

religions, the growth of nation states);

– describe how decolonization after World War II transformed international politics,

economics, technology, communications, and law;

– describe some major challenges and conflicts caused by the end of the Cold War

(e.g., political fragmentation in the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia; the position

of the United States as the sole “superpower” nation; the rise of a new nationalism);

– explain the relationship between changes in information, telecommunications, and

military technologies and their uses (e.g., development of the Internet; propaganda,

military, and commercial uses of satellite telecommunications) and changes

in international, political, and economic relations.

Canada's International Role and Influence

By the end of this course, students will:

– describe some important factors shaping Canadian foreign policy (e.g., commitments

under the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, Kyoto Protocol, North American Free Trade Agreement);

– describe the types of influence exerted by other nations and groups on Canada and

Canadians;

– evaluate the nature and quality of Canada’s influence within selected world and regional

organizations (e.g., United Nations, International Olympic Committee,

Organization of American States, Group of Eight [G-8], la Francophonie).

Values, Beliefs, and Ideologies

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• explain the role and function of ideologies in national and international politics;

• analyse how social and cultural beliefs and political ideologies influence national and

international politics;

• compare the aspirations, expectations, and life conditions of people in developed and

developing nations.

Specific Expectations

The International Influence of Ideologies

By the end of this course, students will:

– explain the role of religious beliefs in national and international politics (e.g.,

religious fundamentalism, secularism, relationship between religions and states);

– describe the main characteristics of the world’s major political ideologies

(e.g., fascism, conservatism, liberalism, socialism, communism);

– explain the key arguments for and against the processes of “globalization” in economics,

politics, and culture (e.g., opportunities for exchanges and international

cooperation; likelihood of hegemony or domination of weaker by stronger nations);

– analyse how predominant social and cultural beliefs and ideologies can affect

minority groups both positively and negatively (e.g., through immigration policies

and multiculturalism programs; through racial profiling, restriction of rights, genocide,

or ethnic cleansing).

Nationalist and Internationalist Orientations

By the end of this course, students will:

– identify the key components of nationalist ideology (e.g., the definition of a nation,

types of nationalism, the role of theorists and groups, national symbols and images);

– determine the origins and effects of nationalistic and ethnocentric conflicts

and rivalries (e.g., between India and Pakistan, between Israel and Arab nations,

among the diverse peoples of Indonesia, between Croatians and Serbians in the

Balkan region, between Hutus and Tutsis in Central Africa, between Protestants and

Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland);

– explain how similar values, beliefs, and ideologies (e.g., religions, nationalism,

culture, social and economic values) can result in cooperation between governments;

– describe the peaceful legal means used to adjudicate conflicts between governments

(e.g., Canadian federal-provincial conferences, the International Court of Justice)

and explain their relationship to values, beliefs, and ideologies.

Developed and Developing Nations

By the end of this course, students will:

– describe the main economic, political, and social characteristics of developed and

developing countries;

– compare key elements of selected theories concerning the nature of effective development

(e.g., in relation to human development, global industrialization, sustainable

national development, ecological preservation);

– analyse the main differences between the social beliefs and ideologies in developed

and developing countries (e.g., individual and community property ownership, various

degrees of state ownership of production, inter-party democracy and intraparty

democracy, public programs and privatization);

– demonstrate an understanding of the commonality of human aspirations for a

better, more secure life.

Methods of Political Inquiry and Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• use methods of political science inquiry to locate, gather, evaluate, and synthesize

information;

• analyse information gathered about political events, issues, and trends according to

fundamental principles of political interpretation and analysis;

• communicate knowledge, opinions, and interpretations about events, issues, and trends

relating to politics and citizenship, using a variety of forms of communication.

Specific Expectations

Research

By the end of this course, students will:

– formulate questions that lead to a deeper understanding of a political issue and an

awareness of the different ways in which the issue can be approached;

– conduct research by selecting and using a variety of relevant and reliable primary and

secondary sources (e.g., written, visual, oral, and electronic) that present a range of

perspectives;

– evaluate the credibility of published and Internet sources and information (e.g., by

considering the authority, impartiality, and expertise of the source and checking the

information for accuracy, logical errors, underlying assumptions, prejudice, and bias);

– organize research and information using a variety of methods and forms (e.g., note

taking, graphs, charts, organizers, time lines, diagrams, tables);

– describe various career opportunities related to the study of politics (e.g.,

research, civil service, law, journalism, political life).

Interpretation and Analysis

By the end of this course, students will:

– distinguish among opinions, facts, and arguments, and judge arguments on the

basis of the quantity and quality of evidence presented and the methods used by

authors to verify their claims;

– provide interpretations of political events from different perspectives (e.g., gender,

cultural, economic);

– make inferences and draw conclusions, based on analysis of data and application

of political theories, about political events, issues, and trends and their relationship to

social, economic, and cultural systems.

Communication

By the end of this course, students will:

– express opinions, understandings, arguments, and conclusions, as appropriate

for different audiences and purposes, using a variety of styles and forms (e.g., role

plays, interviews, simulations, debates, group presentations, seminars, reports,

essays);

– use an accepted form of documentation (e.g., footnotes, endnotes, or author-date

citations; bibliographies or reference lists) to acknowledge all sources of information,

including electronic sources;

– use appropriate terminology to communicate political concepts, opinions, and arguments.

 

Canadian and World Politics