Canadian Studies (CNST) 333-Lecture 02
A Comparison of Canadian and American Cultures
Fall 2008
TR 2-3:15 PM ST128

 

Instructor:	Dr. Lorry W. Felske
Office Location:	SS 212
Office Phone:	403-220-5781
E-Mail:	felske@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	blackboard.ucalgary.ca
Office Hours:	TR 3:15-4:00 PM; W 4-4:30 PM; or by appointment.

Course Description

This course compares Canadian and American culture from an interdisciplinary perspective.  A number of different concepts, historical and contemporary, concerning Canadian and American cultures are examined as well as their expression in a variety of different issues and venues.  These areas include our different histories in North America, our conceptions about society, social values and citizenship, the impact of globalization, issues such as law and order, government intervention in society, our attitudes and policies towards immigration, pluralism, continental defense, urban development, climate change, health care, gender, and the First Nations.

A Blackboard site will be available for the course. The site will explain assignments, provide resources and give groups a venue for discussions about their presentation topics.

Objectives of the Course

To introduce students to the depth and breadth of studies on Canada.

 To enable students to bring an increased awareness of Canadian

experiences and perspectives to their study of all academic subjects.

To improve the writing and research skills of students.

To introduce students to the concept of interdisciplinary studies.

To make students aware of the cultural contexts in which they think and live.

To encourage students to think critically about information and perspectives concerning Canadian identity.

To emphasize the importance of continental perspectives.

To promote the idea of good citizenship.

To engage students in addressing contemporary issues of concern to Canadians.

Textbooks and Readings:

A package of readings will be available in the bookstore.

Assignments and Evaluation     

In-class Exam: 30%, Tuesday, October 7^th, 2008.

In-class Exam: 30%, Thursday, November 6^th, 2008.

These exams will cover material from lectures, films, class discussions, guest speakers and assigned readings.  There will be an essay question with a choice of topics on which to write.  Providing brief descriptions of concepts and responses to short answer questions (some multiple choice questions) will also form part of the exams.

Group Project and Research Paper: 40%

Students will be divided into groups to undertake research on a topic area to be decided in consultation with the instructor. 15% of the mark will be based on the group presentation before the class (everyone in the group will share this grade); 25% will be devoted to each student's research paper written on an aspect of the topic. Presentations will be scheduled in the last half of the course, following the second exam.  Presentation dates for groups are assigned after the drop/add date has passed.  Research papers are due one week following the student's group presentation. Students will be asked to assess the contributions of their group partners to ensure a fair contribution by everyone in the group.

All assignments must be completed or a grade of F may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor.

Copies of this document, with assignment descriptions and resources will be available on a Blackboard site (http://blackboard.ucalgary.ca/). You will need to know your Information Technology username and password.

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination:  NO

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.  Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

(Revised, effective September 2008)

 

	Grading Scale
A+	96-100
A	90-95.99
A -	85-89.99
B+	80-84.99
B	75-79.99
B-	70-74.99
C+	65-69.99
C	60-64.99
C-	55-59.99
D+	53-54.99
D	50-52.99
F	0-49

 

Where a grade on a particular assignment is expressed as a letter grade, it will normally be converted to a number using the midpoint of the scale.  That is, A- would be converted to 87.5 for calculation purposes.  F will be converted to zero.

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines.  Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research.  For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see

The Faculty of Communication and Culture Research Ethics site: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/ethics

or the University of Calgary Research Ethics site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/