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UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM CALENDAR 2003-2004
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Contemporary Study Courses

ACS 100 ACS 102 ACS 105 ACS 106 ACS 200 ACS 201 ACS 205 ACS 300 ACS 301 ACS 302 ACS 303 ACS 400 ACS 401 ACS 402 ACS 403 ACS 500 ACS 800

ACS 100 Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World I Lect: 3 hrs.

This course studies ideas shaping the contemporary world and arguments that invigorate and challenge our sense of what it means to live as an individual, citizen, and member of the complex, multifaceted, volatile global society. The focus is on these issues as they have arisen in a Canadian context; it studies the contribution of Canadian thinkers to global debates; and it challenges students to articulate their own responses to central issues of the contemporary experience.

ACS 102 Contemporary Study: Learning and Development Strategies Lect: 3 hrs.

Assuming that the 21st century will be led by those who learn best, the objective of this course is to equip students to realize their full potential and maximize their learning in the program, as well as prepare them for life long learning. The course will include opportunities for self-assessment, team work, application and skill development. Students will track their learning and self-awareness process through a Journal and the development of a Personal Learning Plan.

ACS 105 Contemporary Study: Informal Logic and Rational Discourse Lect: 3 hrs.

Rational discourse has long been viewed as a principal driving force for social change. In this course, we shall examine the logical structure and principles that govern all forms of rational discourse and that allow us to determine the validity, soundness, and persuasiveness of a particular discourse. Consideration will be given to developing the art of applying principles of rational discourse in everyday life and of distinguishing rational from non-rational forms of discourse.

ACS 106 Contemporary Study: Introduction to Language Lab: 3 hrs.

This is a course about language. Language is arguably what separates human beings from all other animals. It is what enables us to think, create, reason, and even find meaning in our lives. This course is designed to introduce the basic ideas of how language works, how it is used, how it is acquired, and how it changes over historical and social dimensions. The perspective is interdisciplinary. The course will be taught with multimedia.

ACS 200 Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World II Lect: 3 hrs.

This course examines the work of some seminal thinkers, writers, religious leaders, and artists of antiquity. Beginning with the ancients, the course traces the development of intellectual traditions up to the Renaissance. These traditions develop and explore ideas about the origins and structure of the physical world, human existence, the relationship of the individual to communities, the concepts of the state and politics, and the sacred.

ACS 201 Contemporary Study: Team Building and Conflict Resolution Lect: 3 hrs.

Negotiation, group work and conflict are inherent in interpersonal and organizational relationships. Many, perhaps most, are “conflict adverse”. But is it possible to respond to conflict productively? The objective of this course is to develop and enhance knowledge and skills about negotiation, team building and conflict management. The three main foci of the course are negotiations as part of everyday life, negotiations within social contexts and team conflict.

ACS 205 Contemporary Study: Writing as a Cultural Act Lect: 3 hrs.

This writing-intensive course, which takes writing itself as its subject, explores social and cultural implications of print. In particular, whether writing, and the various modes of reproducing words, can influence the way we think, what we believe, and how we organize ourselves socially. By exploring the shift from oral to print culture, the role of scribes and writers in communities, and the impact of digital technology, this course examines how and why we write.

ACS 300 Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World III Lect: 3 hrs.

The Renaissance and Enlightenment mark the departure from a God-centred universe, as thinkers of this period developed scientific explanations of the universe. Exploration and discoveries began to map the cosmos, but also suggested the boundaries of the human. The ideas studied concern the effects of science and rationalism on critical reflection and the imagination, and the profound consequences of a shift towards a print-based culture.

ACS 301 Contemporary Study: Introduction to Research & Statistics Lect: 2 hrs/Lab: 1 hr.

This is a one-semester course within the Arts and Contemporary Studies program with a format of two one-hour lectures and a one-hour lab per week. No familiarity with the fundamental elements of research or statistics is assumed. The course gives students the practical methods needed to statistically describe and analyze phenomena and to present those results. Emphasis throughout the course is on practical uses and application of these techniques, rather than on their mathematical derivations.

ACS 302 Contemporary Study: Introduction to Culture and Entertainment Lect: 3 hrs.

This course examines production and distribution of culture and construction of entertainment, using a sociological and anthropological perspective. Issues of high and low culture will be addressed as will the production of ideology and hegemony in a broad institutional framework. The various meanings of “entertainment” will be explored along with historical and contemporary North American production systems related to it. Response to, and creation of, ideas outside the dominant cultural system will also be considered.

ACS 303 Contemporary Study: Introduction to Science & Technology Lect: 3 hrs.

Where did our incredibly complex technology-based modern civilization come from? How did human ingenuity mesh with industry and business to shape the techno culture in which we live? What forces caused this ever greater scientific and technological convergence? This course provides students with a background to understanding the key elements put in place to build and support our technological economy.

ACS 400 Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World IV Lect: 3 hrs.

This course focuses on key themes of the Victorian and modernist experience: Evolution, Revolution, and Relativity. In a cosmos increasingly experienced as destabilized and volatile, the powers of the imagination collide with a sense of alienation and powerlessness in the face of technological, economic and political forces. In music, painting, politics, literature and social thought, individuals explore the uncertainties of the human position, giving voice to new frames of meaning, new grammars of human expression.

ACS 401 Contemporary Study: Research Design & Qualitative Methods Lect: 2 hrs/Lab: 1hr.

This course will focus on the student gaining an understanding of the uses of qualitative research designs and techniques. Topics include sampling methods, questionnaire design and implementation, interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and action research. Methodological assumptions, concepts and procedures will be presented. Students will develop their ability to review existing literature and to construct their own research.

ACS 402 Contemporary Study: Introduction to Globalization Lect: 3 hrs.

The start of the 21st century has witnessed the erosion of the powers of the nation state. New global economic and political forces have are now shaping local, regional, and national structures. The erosion of the nation state and the inadequacy of current political structures may require the development of new political structures to address local and global issues.

ACS 403 Contemporary Study: Introduction to Equity and Diversity Lect: 3 hrs.

This course examines different forms and expressions of diversity and inequity, including social class, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, ability, and age. We will explore the social-historical origins and structural determinants of these foundations for organizing inter-group relations, while paying attention to the complex ways in which they intersect. Major emphasis will be put on a critical examination of institutional practices, policies, and government legislation related to diversity and equity.

ACS 500 Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World V Lect: 3 hrs.

This course focuses on volatile themes of contemporary and post-modern experience, as the world is opened up to the voices of the “other”. The marginalized, and thinkers and artists of other cultures, expand and destabilize the boundaries of the human, while discoveries of genetic science suggest something of the profound unities that underlie the evolution of human diversity. The ideas to be considered range from the genome project to contemporary architecture to the Uncertainty Principle.

ACS 800 Contemporary Study: Senior Group Project Lab: 3 hrs.

This capstone course brings students together for a collaborative project enabling application of various skills, competencies and knowledge acquired in the program. “Showcase” event(s), such as charrette, simulation, forum or conference, on a critical issue or area of engagement in contemporary society, will be planned, organized, marketed and presented by the students. The “showcase” event, highlighting what students have learned in the program, will be open to the public, including prospective employers.

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ACS 100	Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World I	Lect: 3 hrs.
This course studies ideas shaping the contemporary world and arguments that invigorate and challenge our sense of what it means to live as an individual, citizen, and member of the complex, multifaceted, volatile global society. The focus is on these issues as they have arisen in a Canadian context; it studies the contribution of Canadian thinkers to global debates; and it challenges students to articulate their own responses to central issues of the contemporary experience.

ACS 102	Contemporary Study: Learning and Development Strategies	Lect: 3 hrs.
Assuming that the 21st century will be led by those who learn best, the objective of this course is to equip students to realize their full potential and maximize their learning in the program, as well as prepare them for life long learning. The course will include opportunities for self-assessment, team work, application and skill development. Students will track their learning and self-awareness process through a Journal and the development of a Personal Learning Plan.

ACS 105	Contemporary Study: Informal Logic and Rational Discourse	Lect: 3 hrs.
Rational discourse has long been viewed as a principal driving force for social change. In this course, we shall examine the logical structure and principles that govern all forms of rational discourse and that allow us to determine the validity, soundness, and persuasiveness of a particular discourse. Consideration will be given to developing the art of applying principles of rational discourse in everyday life and of distinguishing rational from non-rational forms of discourse.

ACS 106	Contemporary Study: Introduction to Language	Lab: 3 hrs.
This is a course about language. Language is arguably what separates human beings from all other animals. It is what enables us to think, create, reason, and even find meaning in our lives. This course is designed to introduce the basic ideas of how language works, how it is used, how it is acquired, and how it changes over historical and social dimensions. The perspective is interdisciplinary. The course will be taught with multimedia.

ACS 200	Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World II	Lect: 3 hrs.
This course examines the work of some seminal thinkers, writers, religious leaders, and artists of antiquity. Beginning with the ancients, the course traces the development of intellectual traditions up to the Renaissance. These traditions develop and explore ideas about the origins and structure of the physical world, human existence, the relationship of the individual to communities, the concepts of the state and politics, and the sacred.

ACS 201	Contemporary Study: Team Building and Conflict Resolution	Lect: 3 hrs.
Negotiation, group work and conflict are inherent in interpersonal and organizational relationships. Many, perhaps most, are “conflict adverse”. But is it possible to respond to conflict productively? The objective of this course is to develop and enhance knowledge and skills about negotiation, team building and conflict management. The three main foci of the course are negotiations as part of everyday life, negotiations within social contexts and team conflict.

ACS 205	Contemporary Study: Writing as a Cultural Act	Lect: 3 hrs.
This writing-intensive course, which takes writing itself as its subject, explores social and cultural implications of print. In particular, whether writing, and the various modes of reproducing words, can influence the way we think, what we believe, and how we organize ourselves socially. By exploring the shift from oral to print culture, the role of scribes and writers in communities, and the impact of digital technology, this course examines how and why we write.

ACS 300	Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World III	Lect: 3 hrs.
The Renaissance and Enlightenment mark the departure from a God-centred universe, as thinkers of this period developed scientific explanations of the universe. Exploration and discoveries began to map the cosmos, but also suggested the boundaries of the human. The ideas studied concern the effects of science and rationalism on critical reflection and the imagination, and the profound consequences of a shift towards a print-based culture.

ACS 301	Contemporary Study: Introduction to Research & Statistics	Lect: 2 hrs/Lab: 1 hr.
This is a one-semester course within the Arts and Contemporary Studies program with a format of two one-hour lectures and a one-hour lab per week. No familiarity with the fundamental elements of research or statistics is assumed. The course gives students the practical methods needed to statistically describe and analyze phenomena and to present those results. Emphasis throughout the course is on practical uses and application of these techniques, rather than on their mathematical derivations.

ACS 302	Contemporary Study: Introduction to Culture and Entertainment	Lect: 3 hrs.
This course examines production and distribution of culture and construction of entertainment, using a sociological and anthropological perspective. Issues of high and low culture will be addressed as will the production of ideology and hegemony in a broad institutional framework. The various meanings of “entertainment” will be explored along with historical and contemporary North American production systems related to it. Response to, and creation of, ideas outside the dominant cultural system will also be considered.

ACS 303	Contemporary Study: Introduction to Science & Technology	Lect: 3 hrs.
Where did our incredibly complex technology-based modern civilization come from? How did human ingenuity mesh with industry and business to shape the techno culture in which we live? What forces caused this ever greater scientific and technological convergence? This course provides students with a background to understanding the key elements put in place to build and support our technological economy.

ACS 400	Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World IV	Lect: 3 hrs.
This course focuses on key themes of the Victorian and modernist experience: Evolution, Revolution, and Relativity. In a cosmos increasingly experienced as destabilized and volatile, the powers of the imagination collide with a sense of alienation and powerlessness in the face of technological, economic and political forces. In music, painting, politics, literature and social thought, individuals explore the uncertainties of the human position, giving voice to new frames of meaning, new grammars of human expression.

ACS 401	Contemporary Study: Research Design & Qualitative Methods	Lect: 2 hrs/Lab: 1hr.
This course will focus on the student gaining an understanding of the uses of qualitative research designs and techniques. Topics include sampling methods, questionnaire design and implementation, interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and action research. Methodological assumptions, concepts and procedures will be presented. Students will develop their ability to review existing literature and to construct their own research.

ACS 402	Contemporary Study: Introduction to Globalization	Lect: 3 hrs.
The start of the 21st century has witnessed the erosion of the powers of the nation state. New global economic and political forces have are now shaping local, regional, and national structures. The erosion of the nation state and the inadequacy of current political structures may require the development of new political structures to address local and global issues.

ACS 403	Contemporary Study: Introduction to Equity and Diversity	Lect: 3 hrs.
This course examines different forms and expressions of diversity and inequity, including social class, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, ability, and age. We will explore the social-historical origins and structural determinants of these foundations for organizing inter-group relations, while paying attention to the complex ways in which they intersect. Major emphasis will be put on a critical examination of institutional practices, policies, and government legislation related to diversity and equity.

ACS 500	Contemporary Study: Ideas that Shape the World V	Lect: 3 hrs.
This course focuses on volatile themes of contemporary and post-modern experience, as the world is opened up to the voices of the “other”. The marginalized, and thinkers and artists of other cultures, expand and destabilize the boundaries of the human, while discoveries of genetic science suggest something of the profound unities that underlie the evolution of human diversity. The ideas to be considered range from the genome project to contemporary architecture to the Uncertainty Principle.

ACS 800	Contemporary Study: Senior Group Project	Lab: 3 hrs.
This capstone course brings students together for a collaborative project enabling application of various skills, competencies and knowledge acquired in the program. “Showcase” event(s), such as charrette, simulation, forum or conference, on a critical issue or area of engagement in contemporary society, will be planned, organized, marketed and presented by the students. The “showcase” event, highlighting what students have learned in the program, will be open to the public, including prospective employers.