Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2024 - IS 230 D100

Beyond the Nation-State: Identity and Belonging in a Globalized World (3)

Class Number: 5156

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 8 – Apr 12, 2024: Thu, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 19, 2024
    Fri, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

This course surveys the diverse ways people have fashioned identities and social relations that do not easily conform to the boundaries of nation-states. Explores how, in the context of transnational movements of people and ideas, individuals and communities construct and contest new identities, aspirations, and forms of belonging. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.

COURSE DETAILS:

In this course, we will explore diverse ways that people have forged and resisted connections, including through: the transnational movements of people, ideas, and capital; the construction of identities through us/other distinctions; modes of exchange; and the manipulation of particular forms of power and inequality. It will provide a strong foundation for future studies related to: international migration and diaspora studies; the politics of race, ethnicity, indigeneity, and gender; structural inequality; cultural commodification; globalized rights movements; and the changing dynamics of nationalism, cosmopolitanism, and ideas of citizenship.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Through this course, students will (a) develop appreciation for how collective identities have been constructed around notions of belonging and difference, the power such distinctions can wield, and the work that goes into deconstructing categories; and (b) gain understanding about how transnational processes have affected understandings of the nation-state and nationalism as well as globalization. Students will also develop their skills in appraising how case studies of human life can inform theories of human organization, and critically engaging with key concepts through written essays and discussion participation.

Grading

  • Tutorial participation 20%
  • Reading Response Essay 10%
  • Mid-term Exam 20%
  • Research Paper 25%
  • Exam 25%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Students will need access to a copy of the book Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson. SFU Library does not provide a digital version. Students can buy or borrow any version of that book.

All other weekly readings will be available in digital form through SFU Library.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html