Concentrations and Specializations

From refugee flows, to ‘reverse development,’ to outright state failure, the consequences of contemporary armed conflict are profound and far-reaching. As an emerging interdisciplinary field, peace and conflict studies seeks to understand the complex and interconnected nature of contemporary conflict. It also seeks to find ways to prevent armed violence, mitigate its worst manifestations, and rebuild in its aftermath. 

As one of three distinct concentrations within Global Studies, peace and conflict studies is embedded within wider debates around the dynamics of globalization. Acknowledging that both peace and conflict are profoundly impacted by complex cultural practices and understandings, and by uneven levels of socio-economic development, our course offerings – from “Peacebuilding in the Shadow of War,” to “Disarming Conflicts,” to “War, Memory, and Popular Culture” (among others) – aim to provide you with a deeper understanding of contemporary armed conflict and what can be done about it.

Global Studies is also the current institutional home of the Peace and Conflict Studies Association of Canada (PACS-Can), a national association of students, scholars and practitioners committed to the promotion of just and non-violent solutions to contemporary conflict.

Required Courses (1.0 credit)

• GS231 - War, Culture and Conflict
• GS232 - Peace and Conflict Transformation: An Introduction

What are the causes and responses to global inequality and poverty? The Global Studies development concentration answers this question by examining the history, theories, policies, and practices of development, especially with regard to the Global South. For many decades, countries and international organizations in the Global North were the main drivers of global development, but in the last few years actors in the Global South have also been emerging as important actors. Our interdisciplinary concentration will give you a greater understanding of the complex relations among the world’s powerful countries, multilateral organizations, governments in the Global South, and the world most vulnerable populations. Equipped with multiple perspectives, this program balances theory with practical case studies. It will be an ideal training ground if you wish to work with government, national or international NGOs, journalism, or policy development.

Required Courses (1.0 credit)

• GS211 - Actors and Approaches in International Development
• GS212 - Issues in International Development

Electives (2.0 credits)

• AN345 - Life after Socialism
• GS311 - The Global Economy
• GS312 - Special Topics in International Development
• GS342 - Civil Society, Social Movements and Globalization
• GS351 - Nature, Culture and Development
• GS352 - UN Sustainable Development Goals
• GS355 - Indigenous Peoples in Global Context
• GS361 - Disasters and Development 
  
• WS306 - Women and Social Justice
• GS411 - Global Justice 
  
• GS412 - Africa in a Changing World 
  
• GS413 - Globalization Unhinged
• GS425 - The Global Lives of Natural Resources  
  
• GS453 - Human Rights in Global Context 
  
• GS461 - Global humanitarianism: Between Gift and Power
  

How do we, as humans, come to know ourselves as social and cultural beings? The Culture and Globalization concentration examines this question from a variety of analytical perspectives. Culture is not simply an “add-on” to an individual’s identity but is as vital as politics and economics to who and what we are. Culture shapes the kind of beings that we become and the social and political institutions that govern the world we inhabit.

The Culture and Globalization concentration explores not only what is common to human beings across the world, but also how communities differ from one another. However, each of us is embedded in many cultural communities. Indeed, our experiences are intersected by race, class, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, and citizenship.

What happens when communities’ visions of the world diverge and conflict? The propagation of global ideals such as secularism, democracy, free markets, and the liberal conception of human rights makes this question particularly important because not all communities subscribe to these ideals, or subscribe to them in the same way. The Culture and Globalization concentration encourages students to locate themselves personally and intellectually when engaging with these debates. This means analyzing how culture is intimately shaped by relations of power – relations that are embedded in our governmental institutions and in everyday life. For example, what does it mean to live in the contemporary moment in the shadow of imperialism and colonialism? 

Core Courses (1.0 credit)

(drawn from any two of the following four courses)

• GS220 - Being Human: Cultural Analysis in a Global Age
• GS221 - Globalization and Cultures: The Cosmopolitan Village?
• GS222 - Contemporary Western Societies: Globalization and Cultures
• GS223/RE206 - World Religions in Global Perspective

Electives (2.0 credits)

• RE211/AN211 - Indigenous Religions
• RE227 - Religions and Cultures of the Middle East
• AN345 - Life after Socialism
• AN348 - Space, Place and Culture
• GS305 - The Individualized World
• GS321 - Special Topics in Culture and Globalization
• GS323 - Global Migrations, Refugees and Diasporas
• GS325 - Religion, Culture and Society
• GS327 - Tourists, Tourism and the Globe
• GS332/RE321 - Gandhi: Non-Violence and the Struggle for Freedom
• GS333 - War, Memory and Popular Culture
• GS355 - Indigenous Peoples in Global Context
• GS357 - Gender and Sexualities in Global Context
• GS366/RE366 - Religion and Violence
• GS421 - Ethical Encounters
• GS422 - Dialogue and Critique in an Age of Terror
• GS425 - The Global Lives of Natural Resources
• GS431 - Narratives Of/About Violence
• GS451 - City Worlds

If you like research, and are thinking of graduate school, then the Research Specialization may be right for you.

The Research Specialization focuses on engaged learning to improve your research skills and is intended to prepare students for advanced study and work opportunities. Emphasis is put on building key elements of the Global Studies program: rigorous academic work, volunteer and study experiences outside the country, and language study that allows for significant, respectful interactions with people whose working language is not English. Completion will result in a “Research Specialization” designation on student transcripts.

The Specialization is open to fourth-year honours Global Studies students who have already completed a minimum of 1.0 credit of 300-level Global Studies courses, and have earned at least a B average (8.0 GPA) in all their Global Studies courses. The requirements for the Research Specialization are as follows.

To declare the specialization, students must have:

• Already completed a minimum of 1.0 credit in 300-level GS courses; and
• A minimum GPA of 8.00 (B) in GS credits.

To graduate, students must:

• Complete a total of 2.0 or more GS credits at the 400 level, of which at least 1.5 must be GS400: Seminar in Global Studies;
• Have a cumulative GPA in their GS courses above 8.00 (B average);
• Fulfill at least one of the following additional requirements:
  • Complete the Arts Global Experience; or
  • Complete a (1.0) senior language credit; or
  • Study abroad for one semester; or
  • Complete GS488 (Senior Field Course in Global Studies).

Note: Students registered in the Research Specialization have enrolment priority for the GS400 seminar. However, depending on availability, the seminar is open to non-Research Specialization students who have completed 1.0 credits at the 300 level and who have a minimum GPA of 8.00 in GS credits.