Courses

An introduction to the primary elements of linguistics, including an introduction to phonetics (the sounds of language), phonology (the sound systems of language), morphology and syntax (grammatical systems), sociolinguistics, and current issues in linguistics. No previous knowledge of linguistics is required.

This course gives students the opportunity to examine and interpret how the socio-cultural context affects the way people speak in that setting. Topics in focus include regional and social dialects, multilingualism, language attitudes and their impact on national and personal identity, linguistic politeness, the maintenance, shift, loss, and spread of languages, and the impact of modern technology. Applications to gender and education are explored in depth.

This course is about the nature of cross-cultural interaction. Cultural concepts and contexts are explored through taxonomies, theories, and comparative analysis. Through in-class and out-of-class activities, students become self-aware and other-aware. Students also experiment with cultural behaviours and cultural change, aiming to increase both explanatory and predictive cultural knowledge, and enhance behavioural competencies.

This experiential and interdisciplinary course fosters interaction with diverse physical and human environments. It provides exposure to the region's history, religions, politics, and socioeconomic realities that shape the communication and cultures of Central America, and introduces students to cross-cultural communication.

This experiential and interdisciplinary course fosters interaction with diverse physical and human environments. It provides exposure to the region's history, religions, politics, and socioeconomic realities that shape the communication and cultures of East Africa and introduces students to cross-cultural communication.

Students explore the complexities of leadership communication in multi-cultural, non-western contexts through topics such as gender and social structures, motivation, decision-making, negotiating conflict, and managing projects and change. The course draws on leadership theories, metaphors, and global leadership research to define culturally preferred leadership attributes and behaviours, and effective cross-cultural communication in comparative global settings.

An introduction to the basic concepts, institutions, and ruling ideas in political thought and action. Through the study of classic political texts, competing concepts like equality and freedom, justice and power, are introduced within the context of conflicting ideologies like liberalism, socialism, and conservatism. The meaning of citizenship in postmodern contemporary liberal democracies are examined and contrasted with competing visions of the good society.

This course is an introduction to the theoretical and empirical concerns of international politics. It is designed to go beyond the simple observation of international politics and delve into the ways we seek to explain and predict how political actors behave. The first section of the course is dedicated to understanding the history of the field of international relations as a foundation for further study. The second section will consider the traditional Realist perspective of international relations and then move on to deal with more modern revisions of received scholarship such as Liberalism, Marxism, Feminism, and Constructivism. Along the way, we will encounter explanations for war and peace, cooperation and dispute, as well as explanations for the creation of major international treaties and organizations such as the United Nations. The third section of the course will begin to deal with modern challenges and themes in international political economy and security.

Provides the student with an overview of the Canadian system of government in a comparative approach that includes study of British, American, and Canadian political and government institutions and practices. A comparative study of how basic concepts, principles, and institutions associated with different expressions of liberal-democratic governments highlight the diversity of political experience, reveal the interdependence of political systems and show the uniqueness of Canada's political system. Particular attention is given to the manner in which Parliament attempts to facilitate and develop public policy that reflects the diverse interests and aspirations of its citizens.