Overview
This course introduces you to the distinctive and crucial contributions made by Canadian political economists to our understanding of Canada’s political, economic, social, and cultural development. You will explore the historical development of the Canadian economy and engage in a critical examination of some of the methods, approaches, and issues central to the study of Canada and the global political economy. These topics include, but are not limited to, citizenship and immigration, resource dependency, the cultural industries, indigenous-state relations, urban transformation, welfare-state restructuring, health and education reform, precarious work, settler colonialism, political ecology, social inequality, and movements for social justice, especially in the era of emergent infectious diseases.
Outline
The course consists of three sections comprising a total of ten units.
Section 1: Canadian Political Economy in a Global Context: Theories and Approaches
- Unit 1: The ‘New’ Canadian Political Economy: An Overview
- Unit 2: Evolving Perspectives: Change and Continuity
- Unit 3: Globalization and Development
Section 2: Overview – Canadian Political Economy in Regional and Global Contexts
- Unit 4: Paradigm Shift: Global Neoliberalism
- Unit 5: Democracy and Development in Sub-National Contexts
- Unit 6: Settler Colonial Capitalism
- Unit 7: Urban Restructuring and Welfare State Transformation
Section 3: Overview – Capitalism and Contestation
- Unit 8: Health and Education Deform/Reform
- Unit 9: Precarious Work and Inequality
- Unit 10: Democratic Renewal and the Future(s) of Canadian and Global Political Economy
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Situate a description of current events in social, political, and economic history from the perspective of Canadian political economy.
- Have a working understanding of multiple state and non-state institutions that manage the global political economy.
- Apply concepts, research, and analytical skills of global political economy to contemporary issues and policy debates in Canada.
Evaluation
To receive credit for POEC 393, you must complete all the assignments, you must achieve a grade of at least 50 percent on each assignment and obtain a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1: Critical Commentary | 25% |
| Assignment 2: Opposite-Editorial (Op-Ed) | 25% |
| Assignment 3: Research Essay | 25% |
| Final Essay Assignment | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Physical course materials
The following course materials are included in a course package that will be shipped to your home prior to your course’s start date:
Thomas, M.P., Vosko, L., Fanelli, C., & Lyubchenko, O. (Eds.). (2019). Change and continuity: Canadian political economy in the new millennium. McGill-Queens University Press.
Other Materials
All other course materials are available online.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the POEC 393 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least C- (60 per cent) on the examination.
Challenge for credit course registration form