AP/SOSC 4660 6.00
Criminalization of Dissent
Crosslisted: AP/CRIM 4660
What does the criminalization of dissent tell us about the social, political and economic relations of the Canadian state in the context of neoliberalism and interlocking systems of capitalism, colonialism, patriarchy and racism? This seminar interrogates the politics of criminalization processes through a focus on the relationship between the state and political contention in Canada. The seminar surveys different social movements and forms of resistance ranging from indigenous struggles and protests to anti-globalization movements. Adopting a critical criminological perspective and drawing on the contributions of critical race scholars, indigenous scholars, Marxists, Foucauldian, and governmentality scholars, the course examines how those engaged in social movements and forms of resistance are constructed and represented in the political, legal, and cultural realms as threats. How are these constructions of threat informed by, and how do they reproduce, colonial, racialized, patriarchal and class-based relations of power? What are the material implications for how these ‘threats’ are dealt with by the state? How do constructions/representations, and responses to them, (re)produce the Canadian state and national identity through discourses of belonging, citizenship and rights? Central to our inquiry is an analysis of the historical role that law in various forms (e.g. criminal, constitutional, civil rights, property), and practices of law enforcement, governance and control, play in the management of dissent. The course draws on a definition of dissent that goes well beyond street-level protests to include everyday practices that challenge the imposition of dominant/hegemonic forms of order and control. The relationship between dissent and criminalization is understood as an ongoing power dynamic or struggle in which the state – through its institutions and dominant ideologies – has a central role.