Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2025 - POL 325 D100

Language and Politics (4)

Class Number: 3188

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores the relationship between language and politics, including the relations of power that shape the choice of state language(s), the origins and effects of language regimes, the politics of linguistic minorities and concerns relating to linguistic justice and equality. Students with credit for POL 329 Selected Topics in Canadian Government and Politics under the title Language and Politics may not take this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

What makes language a pivotal part of politics, beyond the colorful rhetoric of elections and question-periods in parliament?  Isn’t “language” to be studied in the technical field of linguistics, rather than political science? For the anti-fascist activist, journalist and philosopher Antonio Gramsci (d. 1937, aged 46), language is a social and historical force that shapes all political life. This was before social media and generative AI, today regarded as a vital part of the languages of politics. This course will unpack the many uses & abuses of language, and the space to choose one’s language, in political systems.

We begin with “pillars” of State power and national identity – constitutions, electoral contests, oaths of office & citizenship, human rights, judicial rulings — before moving to the hot button issues of migration and climate change. How is public opinion shaped by the choice of language in appeals to emotion as well as reason? What about the perennial Canadian contention over French and English, which now extends to Indigenous and newer migrant tongues, where language is felt to be at the core of social identity? Our approach will aim to sharpen critical thinking about political institutions and culture, how citizenship is framed and understood in a time of acute polarization.      

Grading

  • Review Report 30%
  • Presentation 20%
  • Participation 10%
  • Final Exam 40%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Required readings will be posted on Canvas.

Supplementary Texts – available from VitalSource, and at 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.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

The Department of Political Science strictly enforces a policy on plagiarism.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.