top of page
Courses Taught
POT 2002: Introduction to Political Theory - Syllabus
This course aims to familiarize students with six thinkers who are recognized as foundational to the development of political theory. It is not intended to be exhaustive in its scope, but each author we read has been central to the traditions that continue to exert a profound impact on contemporary Western political theory and practice. Ideologies to be discussed include (but are not limited to): absolutism, liberalism, democracy, conservatism, feminism, and black political thought. We will also discuss competing conceptions of statecraft, freedom, revolution, history, equality, and education. The topics presented and questioned in this course constitute, in part, the political, cultural, economic, and social situations that we exist within right now—that is, they help determine how we experience and understand our everyday lives. Thus, our broader goal in this course is to come to grips with, at least in some small measure, how we have become what we are and to think critically about the ways theoretical texts might inform our approach to political life today.
POT 4053: Major Political Thinkers (Machiavelli- Marx) - Syllabus
This advanced undergraduate course aims to familiarize students to a variety of approaches in political thought rooted in the power of ideas. As such, this course offers training for students interested in modes of enquiry that are not often included in conventional quantitative approaches to politics in the disciplines of Political Science and International Relations. Instead of focusing on causal mechanisms and prediction, this course emphasizes the meaning and historical contingency of human life. It is designed to get students ‘thinking interpretively’, alert students to the ways that language and ideas structure our societies, and to pay close attention to the meaning and context involved in political texts. Each of the authors we read have been central to the articulation of traditions that continue to exert a profound impact on contemporary political theory and practice. Ideologies to be discussed include republicanism, liberalism, communism, existentialism, and post-colonialism.
POT4204: American Political Thought - Syllabus
This course is designed to introduce you to the central traditions in American political thinking, from the Puritans to present. The first half concentrates on thinking up to the Civil War. The second half surveys the Civil War and important debates which follow. The primary focus of the course is on discerning the nature and historical vicissitudes of the American experiment in self-government. The deeper goal is to help you think critically about current political questions, and to help you become self-conscious about the positions you take with respect to them by reflecting upon the past.
POS4931/EUS4930: Digital Rights and Principles in Europe - Syllabus
This course examines the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade and its underlying political values. It does so through six modules, which correspond to the major sections of the Declaration: (1) putting people at the centre of the digital transformation, (2) solidarity and inclusion, (3) freedom of choice, (4) participation in the digital public space, (5) security and empowerment, and (6) sustainability. Using each chapter’s theme as a starting point, we will examine key theories and concepts at stake in the context of digital technology. In addition to a close reading of the European Declaration, each module will incorporate scholarship that addresses the concerns and opportunities described in each of the document’s sections.
IDS 4949: Active Learning Program - Syllabus
The Active Learning Program (ALP) facilitates research and internship projects between undergraduate students, university faculty, and community partners to foster sustainable, resilient, and healthy communities. Through the Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) 4940 course, you will develop the personal-professional skillsets required by successful early career professionals who can address the complex and pressing social, environmental, economic, political, and health challenges facing our world today. Our program’s namesake is active learning; an educational approach where learners apply course concepts and strategies to real life experiences. Learners then reflect on these experiences and adjust their perspectives and future actions. Active learning is juxtaposed to passive learning, where students simply receive, memorize, and repeat information. The goal of this experiential learning is to help you transform your perspectives on and your approaches to real-world professional challenges. Active learning is juxtaposed to passive learning, where students simply receive, memorize, and repeat information.
bottom of page