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AK/SPPA4115 The Political Economy of State Finance
Syllabus
Class: Tuesday and Thursday 2:00-5:00 p.m.
Dr. Lorne Foster
e-mail: lfoster@yorku.ca
Web: http://www.yorku.ca/lfoster
Office Hours: (By appointment)
Course Description
This course explores the broad economic and political forces,
institutions and structures which have shaped state finance and social
policy in Canada. In particular, the course will look at how these larger
frameworks have shaped the role of the state in the economy, and the
changing relationship between state finances and democracy institutions and
actors. In this regard, the class will confront various social issues and
contradictions inherent in contemporary liberal democratic societies,
evident in the persistent prominence of social, political, and economic
stratification. It is divided into four distinct parts. The first part
explores the democratic discourse on political economic organization, and
will be triangulated around the key concepts of culture, social power and
ideology. In the second part, the focus will be on global or transnational
diversity and the relationship between ethnicity, race, gender and social
class as they relate to the many dimensions of inequality and domination,
resistance and collective empowerment, in Canada and beyond. In the third
part of the course the emphasis will be on the structures and patterns of
social action in Canada, related to the social forces of prejudice,
stereotyping, discrimination and racism. In the fourth part, some of the
major institutional policies reflecting the relationship between political
economy and the state will be examined with specific emphasis on immigrants
and immigration, employment equity and multiculturalism.
Learning Outcomes
The focus of this course will be on the analytic and systematic
comprehension of the social construction of Canada and the political
economy. This course will be devoted to the development of "critical
thinking" about the mediating impact of ideology-culture-and-power on
institutions, the relationship between social institutions and social
inequality, the limits of liberalism, the social significance of the
harmonization of the national and global economy, the limitations of
modernist paradigms to grasp current processes of change, and the role of
consciousness as a transformative tool. Questions to be explored in
appreciating the significance of the political economy on the state and
state finance include: To what extend has neoliberalism become entrenched
in the Canadian political space in the past decade as the dominant
commonsense understanding of what is natural and inevitable in an era of
economic globalization, political continentialization, and international
terrorism (whether state or movement-based)? How do different contemporary
contexts of identity and power impact changing attitudes towards “welfare,”
social services and the welfare state? How does race, ethnicity and gender produce meanings and
represent identities that constitute and are constituted by the
contemporary dynamics of power? What are the conditions and constructions
that come to define social developments in a global world, and challenge
Canadian society in the new millennium?
Class Procedure
The class procedure involves lectures, interactive discussion of the
readings, occasional audio visual presentations and student presentations.
Students are expected to attend classes with reading assignments completed
in order to facilitate class discussions. Additional materials relevant to
the topic readings will be introduced as lecture material.
Required Texts
B. Singh Bolaria ed. Social Issues and Contraditions in Canadian
Society Toronto:
Harcourt Brace & Company, 2000. ISBN 0-7747-3615-1 (paperback)
Wallace Clement and Leah F. Vosko eds. Changing Canada:
Political Economy as Transformation. Montreal/Kingston: McGill/Queens
University Press, 2003. IBSN: 0-7735-2531-9 (paperback)
Evaluations and Assignments
Each student’s performance will be evaluated as follows:
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Class participation (this means class attendance and
discussion)
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25%
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In-class test (May 31)
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15%
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In-class test (June 28)
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15%
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Major Essay (July 17)
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30%
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Final Exam (In-Class on last session)
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15%
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Note*: The instructor reserves the right to make changes to
this course outline after
consultation with the full class.
Topic and Reading Outlines
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May 8
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Distribution of Course Outline and Introductions.
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May 10 (15)
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Social Issues and Contradictions ch.16 – The Decline of the Canadian
Welfare State: Policies and Implications of Retrenchment. Presentation:
Navneet Chohan
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May 15
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Changing Canada,
ch. 1 - Politics in the Time and Space of Globalization.
Presentation: Mossammot
Akter
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May 17
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Social Issues and Contradictions ch.3 – Capital Accumulation and State
Formation. Presentation: Andreia Santos and Jennifer Lee
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May 22
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Social Issues and Contradictions ch.4 – Income Inequality, Poverty,
and Hunger. Presentation: Akira Siddiqui, Adam Richards and Mladen
Ostojic
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May 24
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Changing Canada, Ch.
5 – Politics and Transformation: Welfare State Restructuring in Canada.
Presentation: Mossammot Nazma Akter and Evan Rosevear
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May 29
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Changing Canada, Ch.
11 – Toward a North American Common Currency. Presentation: Hoon
Kim, Innis Mason and Mladen Ostojic
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May 31
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In-Class Test
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June 5
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Changing Canada, Ch.
12 – The Transformation of Communication in Canada.
Presentation: Amanda Knegje and Malkit Ahluwalia
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June 7
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Changing Canada, Ch.
10 – “'Playin' Along”: Canada
and Global Finance. Presentation Malkit Ahuwalia and Nusrat Hossain
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June 12
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Changing Canada, Ch.
9 – Beyond the Continentalist/Nationalist Divide: Politics in a North
America “without Borders”. Presentation: Sunita
Pattemanattran and Barry Reeves
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June 14
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Social Issues and Contradictions ch.7 – Social Stratification: Class
and Racial Inequality. Presentation: Mandeep Kaur and Navneet
Chohan
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June 19
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Social Issues and Contradictions ch.9 – Multiculturalism, Ethnic
Identity, and Inequality. Presentation: Andreia Santos, Andrew Tegho and Suban Farah
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June 21
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Changing Canada,
ch. 15 - Immigration, Ethnicity & Race. Presentation: Clara-Jaye Levy and Akira
Siddiqui
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June 26
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Social Issues and Contradictions ch.11 – The Canadian Criminal Justice
System: Inequalities of Class, Race, and Gender. Presentation:
Adrian Conliffe and Michael Said
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June 28
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In-Class Test
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July 3
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Social Issues and Contradictions ch. 10 - Transforming Canada's
Educational System. Presentation: Amanda Knegje, Masoud Paikar and
Rimmi Kohli
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July 5
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Changing Canada,
ch. 8 - Gender Paradoxes. Presentation: Jennifer Lee, Suban Farah and Clara-Jaye Levy
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July 10
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Changing Canada,
ch. 7 - Pay Equity. Presentation: Evan Rosevear, Masoud Paikar and
Adam Richards
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July 12
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Changing Canada,
ch. 6 - The Political Economy of Childcare. Presentation: Nusrat
Hossain and Laura Spano
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July 17
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Major Paper
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July 19
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Social Issues and Contradictions ch.8 – First Nations: Walking the
Path of Social
Change. Presentation: Mandeep Kaur, Sunita Pathmanathan and Rimmi
Kohli
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July 23
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Social Issues and Contradictions ch.13 – Urbanization: Issues and
Problems. Presentation:
Andrew Tegho, Michael Said, Barry Reeves and Adrian Conliffe
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July 25
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Changing Canada,
ch. 14 - The Urban Experience of Globalization. Presentation: Innis
Mason and Hook Kim
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July 31
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Final Exam
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August 2
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End of Semester
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Grading, Assignment Submission, Lateness Penalties and Missed
Tests
Grading: The grading scheme for the course
conforms to the 9-point grading system used in undergraduate programs at York
(e.g., A+ = 9, A = 8, B+ - 7, C+ = 5, etc.). Assignments and tests*
will bear either a letter grade designation or a corresponding number grade
(e.g. A+ = 90 to 100, A = 80 to 90, B+ = 75 to 79, etc.) (For a
full description of York
grading system see the York University Undergraduate Calendar – http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/pdfs/ug2004cal/calug04_5_acadinfo.pdf
Assignment Submission: Proper academic performance
depends on students doing their work not only well, but on time.
Accordingly, assignments for this course must be received
on the due date specified for the assignment. Written assignments are
to be handed in to the Course Instructor in person and and students must
retain a computer copy.
Lateness Penalty: Assignments received later than the
due date will be penalized one-half grade letter per day that the
assignment is late. Exceptions to the lateness penalty for valid reasons
such as illness, compassionate grounds, etc., may be entertained by the
Course Instructor but will require supporting documentation (e.g., a
doctor’s letter).
Missed Tests: Students with a documented reason
for missing a course test, such as illness, compassionate grounds, etc.,
which is confirmed by supporting documentation (e.g., doctor’s letter) may
request accommodation from the Course Instructor. Accommodation will entail
a make-up test on a date and time specified by the Course Instructor.
Further extensions or accommodation will require students to submit a
formal petition to the Faculty.
Important York Policies
Academic Honesty: Atkinson as a Faculty considers breaches
of the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty to be serious matters. To quote
the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty:
The Policy on Academic Honesty is an affirmation and clarification for
members of the University of the general obligation to maintain the highest
standards of academic honesty. As a clear sense of academic honesty and
responsibility is fundamental to good scholarship, the policy recognizes
the general responsibility of all faculty members to foster acceptable
standards of academic conduct and of the student to be mindful of and abide
by such standards.
Suspected breaches of academic honesty will be investigated and charges
shall be laid if reasonable and probable grounds exist.
Students should review the York Academic Honesty policy for themselves
at:
http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/acadhone.htm
Students might also wish to review the interactive on-line Tutorial for
students on academic integrity, at: http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/
Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy: The grading scheme
(i.e. kinds and weights of assignments, essays, exams, etc.) shall be announced,
and be available in writing, within the first two weeks of class, and,
under normal circumstances, graded feedback worth at least 15% of the final
grade for Fall, Winter or Summer Term, and 30% for ‘full year’ courses
offered in the Fall/Winter Term be received by students in all courses
prior to the final withdrawal date from a course without receiving a grade,
with the following exceptions:
- graduate or upper level
undergraduate courses where course work typically, or at the
instructor's discretion, consists of a single piece of work and/or is
based predominantly (or solely) on student presentations ( e.g.
honours theses or graduate research papers not due by the drop date,
etc.);
- practicum courses;
- ungraded courses;
- courses in Faculties where
the drop date occurs within the first 3 weeks of classes;
- courses which run on a
compressed schedule (a course which accomplishes its academic credits
of work at a rate of more than one credit hour per two calendar weeks
).
Note: Under unusual and/or unforeseeable circumstances which disrupt
the academic norm, instructors are expected to provide grading schemes and
academic feedback in the spirit of these regulations, as soon as possible.
For more information on the Grading Scheme and Feedback Policy, please
visit: http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/gradfeed.htm
In-Class Tests and Exams - the 20% Rule
For all Undergraduate courses, except those which regularly meet on
Friday evening or on a weekend, tests or exams worth more than 20% will not
be held in the two weeks prior to the beginning of the official examination
period. For further information on the 20% Rule, please visit: http://calendars.registrar.yorku.ca/examschedules/examinfo/twentypercent.htm.
For further information on examination scheduling, and Atkinson
examination exceptions to this rule, please refer to the "Notes"
in the table:
http://www.yorku.ca/roweb/importantdates/
Reappraisals
Students may, with sufficient academic grounds, request that a final
grade in a course be reappraised (which may mean the review of specific
pieces of tangible work). Non-academic grounds are not relevant for grade
reappraisals; in such cases, students are advised to petition to their home
Faculty. Students are normally expected to first contact the course
director to discuss the grade received and to request that their tangible work
be reviewed. Tangible work may include written, graphic, digitized,
modeled, video recording or audio recording formats, but not oral work.
Students need to be aware that a request for a grade reappraisal may
result in the original grade being raised, lowered or confirmed.
For reappraisal procedures and information, please visit the Office of
the Registrar site at: http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/services/policies/grade.htm
Accommodation Procedures:
Atkinson students who have experienced a misfortune or who are too ill
to attend an examination in an Atkinson course should not attempt to do so;
they must pursue deferred standing. Other students should contact their
home Faculty for information. For further information, please visit: http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/services/ds_faq.htm
Religious Accommodation
York University
is committed to respecting the religious beliefs and practices of all
members of the community, and making accommodations for observances of
special significance to adherents.
For more information on religious accommodation, please visit:
https://w2prod.sis.yorku.ca/Apps/WebObjects/cdm.woa/wa/regobs
Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
(Senate Policy)
The nature and extent of accommodations shall be consistent with and
supportive of the integrity of the curriculum and of the academic standards
of programs or courses.
Provided that students have given sufficient notice about their
accommodation needs, instructors shall take reasonable steps to accommodate
these needs in a manner consistent with the guidelines established
hereunder. For more information please visit the Disabilities Services
website at http://www.yorku.ca/dshub/
Alternate Exams and Tests
York’s
disabilities offices and the Registrar’s Office work in partnership to
support alternate exam and test accommodation services for students with
disabilities at the Keele campus. For more information on alternate exams
and tests please visit http://www.yorku.ca/altexams/
Please alert the Course Director as soon as possible should you require
special accommodations. For questions relating to academic accommodations,
please contact the Atkinson Counseling and Supervision Centre: http://www.yorku.ca/atkcsc
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