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AK/SPPA4115 The Political Economy of State Finance
Syllabus
Dr. Lorne Foster
Class: Wednesday 2:00-5:00
p.m.
Office: N-Ross 810
Office Hours: Wednesday 2:00
to 3:30 p.m. (or 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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20%
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Research Paper Proposal/ Discussions Paper Presentation
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10%
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In-class test (October 24)
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15%
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In-class test (November 28)
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15%
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Major Essay (March 12)
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25%
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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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Sept 8
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Distribution of Course
Outline and Introductions.
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Sept 12
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Social Issues and
Contradictions ch.16 – The Decline of the Canadian Welfare State:
Policies and Implications of Retrenchment. Presentation:
Renae Betty
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Sept 19
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Changing Canada, ch. 1 -
Politics in the Time and Space of Globalization
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Sept 26
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Social Issues and
Contradictions ch.3 – Capital Accumulation and State Formation. Presentation:
John Vignali, Rahma Kerim and Joe Falvo
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Oct 3
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Social Issues and
Contradictions ch.4 – Income Inequality, Poverty, and Hunger. Presentation:
Nick Zacharopoulous, Nicole Marin and Emily Houdi
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Oct 10
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Changing Canada, Ch. 5
– Politics and Transformation: Welfare State Restructuring in
Canada. Presentation: Jonathan
Costabile, Damien Hope and Evan Gold
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Oct 17
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Changing Canada, Ch. 11
– Toward a North American Common Currency. Presentation:
Alex Petlyarsky, Alejandro Riva Palacio and Kevin Snow
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Oct 24
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In-Class Test
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Oct 31
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Changing Canada, Ch. 12
– The Transformation of Communication in Canada. Presentation:
Asha Clarke, Rosemeen Shaikh and
Navjot Sidhu
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Nov 7
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Changing Canada, Ch. 10
– “'Playin' Along”: Canada and Global Finance. Presentation:
Chris Balkaran, David Grundland
and Muneer Ali Barday
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Nov 14
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Changing Canada, Ch. 9
– Beyond the Continentalist/Nationalist Divide: Politics in a North
America “ without Borders”. Presentation:
Richard Human, Mike Chiappetta and Lily Vertsman
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Nov 21
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Social Issues and
Contradictions ch.7 – Social Stratification: Class and Racial
Inequality. Presentation: Rae (Oneika)
Gen Jenkins, Mandeep Chohan and
Natalie Conte
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Nov 28
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In-Class Test
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Happy Holidays
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Jan 9
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Social Issues and
Contradictions ch.9 – Multiculturalism, Ethnic Identity, and
Inequality. Presentation: Alejanro
Riva, Palacio Petr Sizov and Lily
Vertsman
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Jan 16
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Changing Canada, ch. 15 -
Immigration, Ethnicity & Race.
Presentation: Muneer Ali Barday,
Emily Houdi and Naana Zigah
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Jan 23
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Social Issues and
Contradictions ch.11 – The Canadian Criminal Justice System:
Inequalities of Class, Race, and Gender. Presentation:
Nicole Marin, Joe Falvo and R.A Oneika Jenkins
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Jan 30
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Social Issues and Contradictions
ch. 10 - Transforming Canada's Educational System. Presentation:
David Grundland, Kevin Snow and Damien Hope
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Feb 6
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Changing Canada, ch. 8 -
Gender Paradoxes. Presentation: Natalie Conti,
Rosemeen Shanch and Alex Petlyarsky
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Feb 13
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Reading Week
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Feb 20
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Changing Canada, ch. 7 - Pay Equity. Presentation:
Evan Gold, Navjot Sidhu
and Mandeep Chohan;
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Feb 27
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Social Issues and
Contradictions ch.8 – First Nations: Walking the Path of Social
Change. Presentation: Kenoa
Hase, Mike Chiappetta Chris
Balkaran
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Mar 5
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Social Issues and
Contradictions ch.13 – Urbanization: Issues and Problems. Presentation:
Petr Sizov, Naana Zigah and John
Vignali
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Mar 12
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Major Paper Due
Changing Canada, ch. 6 - The Political
Economy of Childcare. Presentation: Rahma Kerim, Asha Clarke and Jonathan Costablile
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Mar 19
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Changing Canada, ch. 14 -
The Urban Experience of Globalization. Presentation:
Renae Betty, Nick Zacharopoulos and Richard Human
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Mar 26
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Final Exam
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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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