First-Year Canadian Studies

CAST 1000Y – Producing Canada

This interdisciplinary course brings together Canada’s present with Canada’s past to explore the ways in which the nation is ‘produced’ for both domestic and international consumption.

By studying famous Canadian people, important Canadian events, and pivotal moments in Canadian life, past and present, we will ask questions about how Canada is constructed, and the ways in which this construction is a process of ongoing negotiation.

What, in other words, comprises the production known as Canada? Who authors this representation? How do we decide which national mythologies we can and should share? Which narratives make Canadians feel connected to each other and which narratives divide us?

By exploring the characters, settings, and stories that work together to produce Canada, students will be introduced to a wide array of Canadian Studies topics and approaches.

Assignments for the course include essays and exams, alongside collaborative projects produced through a workshop format.

Course Format

CAST 1000Y consists of one 2-hour lecture per week, and one 1-hour seminar weekly. The purpose of the seminar is to foster discussion in a smaller group about points and themes in the texts, and to allow students to ask questions or raise matters for clarification.

Course Syllabus (click here)

For More Information

For more information regarding this course offering or if you have any other questions, please contact the Canadian Studies department.