History 2246 Instructor: A. Smith Section 1 Spring 2010 Office: B247h Phone: Course Hours: 14:30-16:20 TR Room: B247 Office Hours: Monday

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1 History 2246 Instructor: A. Smith Section 1 Spring 2010 Office: B247h Phone: Course Hours: 14:30-16:20 TR Room: B247 Office Hours: Monday 10:30-11:20, Tuesday 1:00-2:00, Wed. 2:30-3:00, Thursday 1:00-2:00. CONTEMPORARY CANADA: CHANGE AND CONFLICT SINCE 1945 History 2246 addresses a growing field of historical inquiry and scholarship that focuses on Canada s very recent past. Canada has changed dramatically in the last half century and this course is designed to introduce you to the major themes and events that have shaped that time period. Organized thematically, within a roughly chronological framework, the course highlights such topics as Canada s role in the Cold War, the experience and influence of the baby boomers, immigration policies and debates, the rise of the welfare state and challenges to its expansion, the changing position of women, the Quebec nationalist movement, First Nations protest, provincial-federal struggles and Canada s relationship to Britain and the USA. You will also be introduced to the professional study of history. Learning how to critique arguments, evaluate conflicting evidence, research and develop a thesis and prepare an essay are important components of this course. Required Texts 1. R. D. Francis et al, Destinies: Canadian History Since Confederation (Toronto: Nelson, 2008) Reprint pp History 2246: Contemporary Canada: Change and Conflict Since 1945 Compiled by Andrea Smith 2010 (Vancouver: e, 2010) HANDOUTS in class 3. Guidelines for Academic Essays, Department of History/Latin/Political Science, Fall (on Reserve, on the History Dept web Site, at the Bookstore) General Texts and Readers 1. A. Prentice et. al., Canadian Women: A History 2. Olive Dickason, Canada s First Nations: A History of Founding Peoples from Earliest Times 3. Alvin Finkel, Our Lives: Canada After 1945 (Toronto: Lorimer, 1997) 4. Doug Owram, Born At the Right Time: A History of the Baby Boom Generation 5. Canada and the End of Empire, edited by P. Buckner. 6. R. Whitaker and S Hewitt, Canada and the Cold War 7. Creating Post War Canada, edited by M. Farni and R. Rutherdale.

2 Course Structure and Requirements There will be lectures each week supplemented by films and a discussion of the readings that are listed below. All students are expected to participate in weekly class discussions, and to fulfill the written assignments, which include discussion exercises (Reading Note Cards), a research paper, and a mid-term and final evaluation. The mark breakdown is as follows: Discussion Participation 20% Bibliography 10% Feb 9th Mid-term Examination 20% March 4 th Major Essay 20% March 25th Final Examination 30% April 20 th -28 th Major Essay Topics will be handed out in the second week of classes so that research can begin early in the term. You will need to find and then read several books and articles of a specialized nature. The preparation of a thorough bibliography and outline that indicate your approach to the topic are important components of the major essay. The paper is due March 25th. Deductions will be applied to late papers. Class Participation Class participation refers to the student s involvement in the course as a whole, and most specifically in the weekly discussion groups held on Thursdays. All students are expected to come prepared to critically examine the weekly readings. Written responses to questions and/or Reading Note Cards (RNC) will form part of the preparation and may be collected and assessed throughout the term. Attendance will be taken. Mid-term and Final Examinations These in-class examinations will be based on the issues raised in the course through lectures, readings, discussions and videos. The exams will include short answer and essay style questions. The exact format of each will be discussed prior to writing. Learning Outcomes The student who successfully completes this course ought to be able to: 1. identify the major forces that shaped Canadian history read critically and isolate the thesis in academic articles dealing with Canadian history 3. demonstrate skills for critical and analytic thought by preparing an analytic essay in which you provide relevant research and appropriate documentation of sources for your thesis 4. understand aspects of the discipline of history and the concept of historical revisionism 5. knowledge of key terms and concepts specific to course content 6. formulate informed civic opinions and perspectives Letter percentage equivalents are as follows: A+ = % C+ = 64-67% A = 85-89% C = 60-63% A- = 80-84% C- = 55-59% B+ = 76-79% D = 50-54% B = 72-75% F = 0-49% B- = 68-71% N = Did not complete

3 Lecture Topics and Readings Week One Jan. 5 Introduction 7 What is History? Slippery History Canada Readings: (1) A. Finkel and M. Conrad, Canada s World War, History of the Canadian Peoples: 1867 to the Present, 5 th edition pp Week Two Jan. 12 America s Century: Cold War Context Canada as a Middle Power between US and Great Britain 14 Film: G. Dyer, Keeping the Elephants Away NFB Discussion Group #1 Canada and the End of Empire Week Three Was the British connection a strength or a weakness to Canadians? How did Canadians view their Imperial past and the Imperial connection in the 1950s? Readings: (1) Francis et al, pp (2) J. Igartua, Ready, Aye, Ready No More? Canada, Britain, and the Suez Crisis in the Canadian Press, in Canada and the End of Empire, edited by P. Buckner (3) J. Granatstein, Staring into the Abyss in How Britain s Weakness Forced Canada into the Arms of the United States. UTP, Jan. 19 Provincial Politics 1940s and 1950s Regionalism, CCF Saskatchewan, Social Credit, BC 21 Film: Tommy Douglas CBC Discussion Group# 2: Did Newfoundland make the right decision to join Confederation? What options did the colony have? Newfoundland, Confederation and Primary Documents Readings: (1) The Cinderella of Confederation Collection of Documents from A Country Nourished on Self-Doubt Documents in Canadian History, , edited by T. Thorner (2) Francis et al, ,

4 Week Four Jan. 26 Post War Home Life 4 Origins of the Baby Boom Generation 28 Film: Growing Up Canadian: School NFB; Ken Smith, Mental Hygiene: Classroom Films Discussion Group #3 The New Normal? Why did the suburban dream appeal to a generation of Canadians tired of war? What are the criteria for determining a good citizen? What roles do class, race, and gender play in this process? How is gender manifested in buildings and in schools? Readings: (1) Francis et al, pp , (2) M. Gleason, Psychology and the Construction of the Normal family in Post-War Canada, , Canadian Historical Review 78 3 (September 1997): (3) J. Bumsted, Home Sweet Suburb: The Great Post-War Migration, The Beaver (Oct-Nov 1992): Week Five Feb. 2 Post-war Economy and the Impact of Technology The Consumer Age 4 Film: The End of the Suburbs Discussion Group #4 Home, Family and Consumerism Was there a mid-century consensus? What role did advertising and mass media play? What are the limitations of using magazine imagery to reflect people s lived experience? What are the strengths? Readings: Week Six Feb. 9 Diefenbaker Election and Defeat Pearsonian Liberalism (1) J. Parr, Shopping for a Good Stove; A Parable about Gender, Design and the Market, A Diversity of Women: Ontario , ed. J Parr (UTP, 1995): (2) C. Dummit, Finding A Place for Father: Selling the Barbeque in Post-war Canada, Journal of the Canadian Historical Review 9 (1998): Films: Dyer, The Space Between NFB, Greatest Canadian: Pearson CBC Discussion Group # 5 Grant s Lament Was Diefenbaker s defeat inevitable? Why was Grant s book so popular in the 1960s? How would you characterize the Canadian-American relationship to 1968? Readings: (1) George Grant, Chapters 1-4, Chapter 7 Lament for A Nation: The Defeat of Canadian Nationalism (2) Francis et al, pp , , FEB 9 th ESSAY BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE (10%)

5 February th Classes Suspended Olympics Week Seven March 2 Labour in Post War Canada Pearson and the Rise of the Welfare State/ Medicaire 4 MID-TERM EXAMINATION Week Eight March 9 Essay Check-Up Vietnam Canada s 5 Readings: (1) Francis et al, pp , , (2) Video: Falling Apart and Coming Together: Canadian Labour and the Left, NFB Four Part Series The Sixties and Seventies: Youth Culture and Politics 11 Trudeaumania, Canada and Vietnam War (CBC ves, Pierre Elliot Trudeau: Swinger, Philosopher, Prime Minister ) (Video Unknown War ) Discussion Group # 6 Identity Politics Was the generation gap a significant division within Canadian society? What is the legacy of the counter culture generation? Readings: (1) D. Owram, Born At the Right Time, pp (2) T. Loo, Flower Children in Lotusland, The Beaver (Feb-March 1998): (3) Excerpts from The Georgia Straight: What the Hell Happened? (5) Francis, pp , Week Nine March 16 Second Wave Feminism Rights Movement 18 Cultural Identity and Nationalism Discussion Group # 7 Culture and the Role of the State How would you characterize Canadian culture? Has Canada developed a distinct culture and do you agree that the State must play a role? Readings: (1) Francis et al, pp , , , , (2) N. Earle, Hockey as Popular Culture; Team Canada 1972, Television and the Canadian Identity, Journal of Canadian Studies (2): (3) J. Thompson, Canada s Quest for Cultural Sovereignty: Protection, Promotion, and Popular Culture, North America Without Borders (UCP, 1992),

6 ESSAY DUE MARCH 25 th (20%) 6 Week Ten March 23 Quebec: Quiet Revolution Trudeau s Federalism and Levesque s Sovereignty Association 25 Film: The Champions Donald Brittain Discussion Group #8 What did the B. and B. Commission recommend regarding French and English languages and why? What did Quebec want? Readings: (1) Francis et al, pp (2) H. Innis, The Official languages, Bilingualism and Biculturalism: An Abridged version of the Royal Commission Report, (3) Winter in Our Souls: Quebec and Independence a collection of documents from A Country Nourished on Self-Doubt, edited by T. Thorner Week Eleven March 30 First Nations Renewal, Relocations, and Resistance April 1 Film: Oka Discussion Group No. 9 Ongoing Claims Are blockades legitimate forms of protest for First Nations people? Can environmental activists and native activists work together? Readings: (1) Francis et al, pp (2) A. Cairns, Aboriginal People in the 21 st Century: A Plea for Realism, (3) D. Ferreira, Oil and Lubicons Don t Mix: A Land Claim in Northern Alberta in Historical Perspective, Canadian Journal of Native Studies 12, 1 (1992): 2-35 Week Twelve April 6 Provinces: The New West and the Reform Party Constitutional Challenges 8 Free Trade and Globalization Discussion Group No. 10 Readings: (1) Francis et al, pp , (2) M. Barlow, The Free Trade Agreement Fails Canada, American Review of Canadian Studies Vol. 21, No.2/3 (Summer-Autumn 1991): (3) A. Taylor, Canada-US Free Trade Agreement; Second Year Review, ARCS Vol. 21, No.2/3 (1991): (4) S. Patten, The Reform Party s Re-Imagining of the Canadian Nation, Journal of Canadian Studies (1): 27-51

7 Week Thirteen April 13 Multiculturalism Canadian Identity 15 Discussion Group No. 11 Multiculturalism Debate April 19 April Readings: (1) Francis et al, pp (2) The Very Essence of Canadian Identity, A collection of documents taken from A Country Nourished on Self-Doubt, edited by T.Thorner (3) Will Kymlicka, The Merits of Multiculturalism, REVIEW COLLEGE STUDY DAY FINAL EXAMINATIONS

8 Reading Note Cards 8 Reading note cards are a method of helping you assess what you have read. They provide a short summary of argument and commentary on the important points of each assigned article. A well-done set of reading note cards will enable you to fit together the articles into a meaningful pattern. They will assist you in preparation for the mid-term and final examinations. As a teaching device, they also enable the instructor to see how well you understand what you read. The format of a reading note card is as follows: 1. It is written on one side of a 5 x 8 lined bibliography card. 2. It is headed by an exact bibliographical reference to the article. 3. Text is not to be more than will fit on one side of the card - ideally about 150 words. 4. Each reading note should contain four sections: (a) thesis or argument; (b) main points made to prove argument; (c) nature of evidence cited; and (d) critical assessment of reading, including (when relevant) organization, quality and use of evidence, validity of argument and questions not answered. 5. Student name is to be placed on the back of each card. Reading note cards are due at the opening of the class when the article is to be discussed. The cards may be collected and assessed throughout the term as part of the discussion group mark. Please bring TWO copies to each class discussion. Sample: Barman, Jean, "The World that British Settlers Made: Class, Ethnicity and Private Education in the Okanagan Valley" pp in British Columbia: Historical Readings, Eds. W.P. Ward and R.A.J. McDonald. Vancouver: Douglas and McIntyre, THESIS: Barman argues that upper-middle class British immigrants of the early 20th century were so concerned to maintain class status and ethnic identity that they established their own school to educate their children apart from other British Columbians. MAIN POINTS: The Vernon Preparatory School replicated the British private school model. The clientele gradually expanded from immigrants to urban families of Canadian background. The latter received the same British style of education, which set them apart in B.C. society. EVIDENCE/SOURCES: Census data; school records, especially magazine and speeches of headmaster; recollections. ASSESSMENT: So what? The larger significance for B.C. should be more explicit: were there similar schools about the province? Is a sample of 450 pupils large enough? Evidence that pupils came only because the school was British is slim.