CHST 711 Canada and the United States Spring 2009

Ryerson University
G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education
CHST 711 Section FA0 (in class)
Spring 2009
Canada and the United States


Instructor: Adam Chapnick

Instructor Email: a.chapnick@ryerson.ca

Instructor Phone: 416-482-6800, Ext. 6853

Course Prerequisites: None

Website Available Through: https://my.ryerson.ca/

Schedule: two weekly classes (T/TR 1pm – 4pm)

Chang School Office Hours:
M-TR 8am – 7pm
F 8am – 4.30pm

Description:

CHST 711 (an upper-level, Liberal Studies half-course elective) is designed to introduce students to the history of the Canadian-American relationship from the time of pre-revolutionary America until the present day. The relationship is defined broadly, meaning that political, economic, military, diplomatic, and at times cultural relations will be explored with reference specifically to how these interactions shaped the way that the two countries have interacted on the continent and on the world stage.

By nature, a course of this breadth will focus on specific individuals and events, but lectures will also examine the role of ideas in the development of the relationship and the impact of Canada-US relations on the Canadian national identity.

Interactive, small group discussions will provide the students with an opportunity to explore specific issues and themes in greater detail and to develop their own ideas about the nature of the Canadian-American relationship. Short written assignments will be based on the discussions to enhance the learning process. An analytical exercise based on primary evidence will add an element of historical research to the learning experience.

This course asks that students think critically about the nature of Canadian-American relations. By the end of the course, in addition to having improved their reading, writing, thinking, and communication skills, students are expected to be able to provide thoughtful, coherent answers to two specific questions: (1) How would one best describe the nature of the Canadian-American relationship? Partners? Allies? Neighbours? Co-dependents? Something else? (2) Is the history of Canadian-American relations one of miraculous success in overcoming conflict, dramatic disappointment stemming from failures to cooperate, or something in between?

Texts:

1. Robert Bothwell, Canada and the United States: The Politics of Partnership (recommended, although any other textbook approved by the instructor will be equally acceptable)
2. Course Reader (required) Please make sure that you purchase the course reader labelled Summer 2009 IN CLASS SECTION

Method of Instruction:

A standard class will be comprised of a two-hour lecture, followed by a 30 minute small group discussion, and a 30 minute large group discussion. During the final half hour, students will share the findings of their small groups and the instructor will provide any necessary clarification. Lecture outlines – which will include the questions that will form the basis for the discussions – will be available in advance through the course website. No additional readings are required (save for an exercise for the final exam – see below), although students are encouraged to consult with a textbook for background information.

Over the course of the term, students will submit at least three 400-600 word papers outlining their answers to the lecture’s discussion questions (one answer per class, maximum). The answers will be constructed as short essays and will refer directly to examples discussed in that day’s class. The papers will be submitted through turnitin.com by the end of the day that follows the lecture and relevant discussion.

Instructor Communication Policy:

Questions are welcomed and encouraged before, during, and after each lecture. Additionally, emails to the instructor from students’ Ryerson email addresses to the instructor’s Ryerson email address will receive – at minimum – an acknowledgement within 24 hours (48 hours on the weekend). If the instructor’s response is incomplete, it will include a time at which point the issue will be dealt with more thoroughly. Since all emails from the appropriate addresses will be acknowledged, students who do not receive a response within 24 hours (48 hours on the weekend) should assume that their email did not reach the instructor. In this case, students are encouraged to resend immediately so that their questions can be answered in a timely manner.

Requirements:

Mid-Term Test (in class, July 14th) 15%
Written Assignments (due the day after lecture) 35% (1×15% + 2×10%)
Final Examination (in class, August 11th) 40%
Participation in Discussions 10%

Professionalism is an important part of learning, and effective learning therefore includes taking deadlines seriously. Nevertheless, unforeseen circumstances too often cause even some of the most dedicated students to struggle to submit their best work within the time allotted. To recognize this, while students will have the opportunity to submit up to 10 short written assignments, only the best 3 will be counted towards their final grade. (The best one will be worth 15% and the next two best will be worth 10% each). Keeping this allowance in mind, any assignment submitted after the due date will not be accepted.

As per Ryerson policy, any requests for compassion on medical or religious observance grounds must be made to the instructor by email prior to the due date for any given submission (for the relevant forms, see http://www.ryerson.ca/essr/ or go to 297 Victoria Street, main floor).

Since students have 10 submission opportunities but must only submit 3 times, any requests for compassion that do not explicitly explain why a student has been unable to meet at least 7 of the optional deadlines will not be accepted.

The University has subscribed to the Turnitin service which helps professors identify internet plagiarism and helps students maintain academic integrity. The work submitted by students in this course will be submitted to Turnitin. Students who do not want their work submitted to this plagiarism detection service must, by the end of the second class, consult with the instructor to make alternate arrangements.

Since Turnitin is meant to be a learning aid as much as it is a plagiarism detector, students have the option of withdrawing their first assignment from consideration for a grade if (1) the results of the originality report suggest difficulties in grasping the academic attribution process and (2) there are sufficient submission opportunities remaining in the course to satisfy the requirement of 3 separate submissions.

Assignments:

1. Mid-Term Test (15%) – in class July 14th

This test is meant to evaluate the students’ understanding of the material presented during the early part of the course; to challenge the students to integrate the knowledge they have acquired into the main themes of the course; and to prepare the students for one of the sections of the final exam.

The test will be taken in class and will be 60 minutes long. Students will be asked to identify 5 terms and state their significance to the history of Canadian-American relations. None of the terms chosen for the test will come as a surprise if students attend the lectures and engage with the course readings. A model term test answer and a test rubric (grading scheme) are posted on the course website.

2. Written Assignments (35%) – each due at 11.59pm on the day that follows the relevant lecture and discussion.

These assignments are designed to challenge students to think critically about the course content and develop clear, convincing arguments to support their interpretations of the material. They require clear and concise analytical and writing skills, along with an ability to construct a straight-forward and persuasive argument. Effective arguments in this context are based on high quality organization, clear and logical reasoning, and an appropriate use of evidence.

Each assignment will take the form of a 400-600 word short essay that answers one of the two questions posed at the beginning of each lecture. After each lecture, students will have up to 30 minutes to discuss the questions with a small group of peers and up to 30 additional minutes to share their findings with the rest of their classmates and their instructor.

Although students are required to submit 3 papers, they are welcome (and indeed urged) to submit more, as only the 3 best papers will count towards their final grade. Students are also strongly advised to make their first submission on or before July 7th so that they maximize the number of opportunities for improvement.

The papers must include the student’s name, the course number, the professor’s name, the date of the submission, and the number of words at the top. Next should come the title of the lecture and the question to be answered, followed immediately by the answer itself (double-spaced).

Further clarification will be provided during the writing workshop on June 30th. Two model answers will be made available (and then posted to the website) on that same day.

3. Final Examination (40%) – August 11th

The exam is meant to evaluate whether students have understood the main issues and themes covered in the course – and in the course reader – and to assess their ability to use what they have learned to form convincing and thoughtful arguments.

The exam will be divided into 3 equally weighted sections and will be 3 hours long. The first section will look just like the mid-term test, only the terms selected will be based on the material covered from July 16th on. The second section will require students to draw specifically from the material in the course reader. The final section will ask students to draw from material taken from the entire course. Grading rubrics for each section are posted on the course website.

4. Class Discussions (10%)

Class discussions are included in this course to allow students to share and compare ideas in an open and inviting environment. Effective participation involves coming to class with an open mind, paying attention in lecture (having perhaps read from a textbook for context in advance) and contributing to the discussion in a meaningful and thoughtful manner. Students will take turns sharing the findings of their small groups with the larger class. Those who perform best in discussions direct their opinions to the entire group and incorporate the comments of others into their contributions; this is not the time for one-on-one conversations. A rubric for evaluating participation is included on the website.


Lecture Schedule:

NOTE: dates in bold are opportunities to make written submissions

June 25 Introduction, course set-up

June 30 A Relationship Founded in War? 1750-1860 / Writing Workshop
• What made (what are now) Canada and the US similar?
• What made (what are now) Canada and the United States different?

July 2 Hardly Good Neighbours, 1861-1903
• How did Canadians and Americans resolve conflicts with one another?
• How did Canadians and Americans resolve conflicts on their own?

July 7 Growing Up Together, and Separately, 1903-1929
• What makes this period similar to the previous ones?
• What differentiates this period from the previous ones?

July 9 Depression and Recovery, 1929-1939 / Test Review
• What is more important to the development of the Canadian-American relationship: war or economics?
• How important is personality to the development of the Canadian-American relationship?

July 14 Mid-Term Test / Introduction to the Course Reader

July 16 Asymmetrical Allies, 1939-1945 / Tests Returned
• Did Canada deal with the United States effectively during this period?
• Did the United States deal with Canada effectively during this period?

July 21 Fighting the Cold War (Together), 1945-1953
• Why did Canada and the United States grow closer during this period?
• Was the Canadian-American relationship healthier during this period than it was before / during the Second World War?

July 23 An Underwhelming Decade, 1953-1963
• What caused the (perceived?) deterioration in the Canadian-American relationship?
• Did the Canadian-American relationship really deteriorate during this decade?

July 28 Good Intentions and Great Expectations, 1963-1968
• Could anything have been done to limit the anti-American sentiment that arose in Canada during this period?
• Who / what is to blame for the difficulties in Canadian-American relations during this period?

July 30 Trudeau’s Way, 1968-1984
• Was Trudeau’s approach to the United States a good one for Canada?
• Was Trudeau’s approach to the United States a good one for the United States?

August 4 Free Trade and After, 1984-1993
• Was free trade a dramatic shift in the Canadian-American relationship or the inevitable outcome of an economic relationship that was perpetually edging closer?
• How important was personality to Canadian-American relations during this period?

August 6 The Recent Past, 1993- / Exam Review
• Should this period of the Canadian-American relationship be considered exceptional?
• What was the impact of 9/11 on Canadian-American relations?

August 11 Final Examination


Plagiarism and Academic Integrity:

The Ryerson Code of Academic Conduct defines plagiarism and the sanctions against students who plagiarize. All Chang School students are strongly encouraged to go to the academic integrity website at www.ryerson.ca/academic integrity and complete the tutorial on plagiarism.

Students are also encouraged to review the Student Code of Academic Conduct at http://ryerson.ca/senate/policies/index.html.

Other Academic Policies:

For more information on the rules and regulations governing the student learning experience, see http://ryerson.ca/senate/policies/index.html (specific policies of interest include numbers 46 (grading), 134 (appeals), 135 (exams), 145 (course management), and 150 (accommodation of religious observances).