Comprehending Canada
COIL course
online
13 June – 24 June 2022
The Faculty of Arts of the Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic invites to a Collaborative Online International Learning course Comprehending Canada organized on 13 June – 24 June 2022.
Students are introduced to the study of Canada and its society, identity, culture, economy, and politics. This course brings together an interdisciplinary team of experts in Canadian Studies whose insights will allow students to gain a better comprehension of Canada. By synthesizing these approaches, we develop a unique and more comprehensive understanding. We explore Canada by looking at its development, its evolving sense of national identity, and the challenges of Canada’s ongoing evolution and survival. We look at Canadian people and how they live in Canada. Subjects covered include: national identity, diversity in Canadian society, race, and ethnicity, Indigenous Studies, Canada-US relations and the border, natural resources, the environment, and the economy, immigration and refugee policies, Canadian narratives as seen in culture, film, and literature.
The first week consists of online activities – prerecorded lectures, online discussions, and the production of 5 response papers. In the second week, there will be online real-time activities and there will be one introductory lesson on June 14, when the whole course is launched, presented and the team is introduced.
Instructors
Jeffrey Ayres – St. Michael´s College (Burlington, U.S.A.)
Jeffrey Ayres is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, USA. He teaches courses and conducts research broadly in the areas of comparative and international political economy, regionalism and global governance and Canadian and North American Politics.
Magdalena Fiřtová – Charles University (Prague, Czech Republic)
Magdalena Fiřtová is an assistant professor at the Institute of International Studies Charles University, Prague. Devoted primarily to Canadian studies, her work focuses on the political economy of North America.
Denisa Krásná – Masaryk University (Brno, Czech Republic)
Denisa Krásná is a doctoral student at the Department of English and American Studies, Masaryk University, Brno. She specializes in Indigenous studies and literatures and Critical Animal Studies, connecting gendered colonial violence and exploitation of nonhuman animals. Her case studies include Indigenous decolonial movements and literatures in Mexico, Canada, and Hawaii.
Richard Nimijean – Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada)
Richard Nimijean is a member of the School of Indigenous and Canadian Studies at Carleton University. His teaching and research focus on the Canadian national identity, the politics of branding Canada, Canada as a global actor, and the field of Canadian Studies.
Tomáš Pospíšil – Masaryk University (Brno, Czech Republic)
Tomáš Pospíšil works as an associate professor at the Department of English and American Studies, Masaryk University, Brno. His research areas include Canadian feature film, African American screen representation, and the reception of American culture in the Czech lands.
Schedule
June 14, 14:00 CET
Introductory meeting
June 20, 14:00 and 18:00 CET
National Identity, Diversity, Race, Ethnicity (Nimijean)
June 21, 14:00 and 18:00 CET:
Indigenous Studies, Literature, the Environment (Krásná)
June 22, 14:00 and 18:00 CET:
Canada-US Relations, the Border, Refugees (Ayres)
June 23, 14:00 and 18:00 CET:
The Economy, Natural Resources, Immigration (Fiřtová)
June 24, 14:00 and 18:00 CET:
Culture and Film (Pospíšil)
Course Format
Students will be able to access recorded lectures, readings, and other resources that must be looked at prior to class meetings in a Moodle site (ELF) hosted by Masaryk University. We will then explore subjects in greater detail in twice-daily 90-minute (maximum) meetings.
Credits
Participants who accomplish the course will be granted 10 OZN.
Registration
The course is open to BA and MA students. In order to take part in the course, contact Ms. Denisa Krásná, den.krasna@mail.muni.cz. Students will be admitted on a first come, first served basis.
