Teaching

M21 - Challenging Silences in the Student Experience

Date: Jun 14 | Time: 03:30pm to 05:00pm | Location: Monument à sir Wilfrid Laurier Statue, Square Dorchester Square (weather dependent/selon la température) OR Zoom (see details/voir détails)

Chair/Président/Présidente : Veronica Kitchen (University of Waterloo)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Veronica Kitchen (University of Waterloo)

Zoom Meeting Link | Meeting ID : 967 0025 4095 | Password: 789224

Erasure of Women from the History of Western Political Theory: Content Analysis of Undergraduate Syllabi and Library Classification and Options for Improved Discoverability: Kayla Dold (University of Ottawa)
Abstract: How often do you review your bookshelves or citation software for gaps in your literature or syllabus? How often do you review your bibliographies, literature reviews, or even database search results? Do you ask yourself what is missing? Do you ever ask who is missing? This paper presents the results of a case study conducted on undergraduate political theory syllabi taught at a mid-size Ontario university from 2010 to 2020 and the assigned text’s library classification. Using content analysis and descriptive statistics, we explore who and what is taught over the ten-year study period, and who largely is not: women of all identities, but especially those of colour. We interpret these results through three related theoretical lenses: the Matrix of Domination, a theoretical map developed by P.H. Collins (2000) to explain the oppression of Black women in Western culture; Citational Relationality, a theory of reference sketched by S. Ahmed (2014) to explain how repetitive practices over time ossify into exclusive canons; and Intersectional Invisibility, articulated by Purdie-Vaughns & Eibach (2008) to demonstrate how we tend to include exemplar minorities that reflect hegemonic identities despite their differences, like whiteness and heterosexuality. Firmly rooted in a transformative paradigm, this research not only demonstrates how our pedagogical and classification practices facilitate the erasure of women from the history of Western political theory. It also provides a roadmap for critiquing those practices and options for rendering women discoverable in political theory research and pedagogy – from citation policies to data mapping the library.

Teaching Training and Mentorship in Canadian Political Science Graduate Programs: Noelle Jaipaul (University of Alberta), Dax D’Orazio (Queen's University), Rissa Reist (University of Alberta), Elise Sammons (University of Alberta)
Abstract: Canadian political science programs offer varied opportunities for graduate students to develop their skills in teaching and pedagogy (e.g., formal training, informal training, mentorship, etc.). This study employs a mixed-methods approach to assess the availability and types of teaching training and mentorship offered to graduate students in Canadian political science programs. It does so through surveying the graduate chairs of political science departments at U15 research universities across Canada, and an analysis of graduate program manuals. In doing so, this study enriches our understanding of the current state of graduate teaching training and mentorship. With this evidence, the authors suggest areas for improving and adapting the approaches, knowledges, and methods currently used to support graduate students in developing their own pedagogical approaches.

Is Political Science in Canada Inclusive and/or Diverse? Evidence from a Cross-Institutional Course Syllabi Review: Ulas Tastekin (McMaster University), Nathan Andrews (McMaster University), Akalya Kandiah (McMaster University)
Abstract: In the last two decades, we witnessed a rising interest in epistemic oppression in political science. Scholars from various sub-disciplines of political science investigated the issue based on theoretical studies, historical backgrounds, including the Canadian context, and empirical studies by looking at faculty experiences, publication processes, and course materials. As a result, especially compared to many other subjects, “decolonizing the discipline” has been a common discourse among political scientists with the purpose of making it more inclusive and diversified. Our research aims to assess the practical outcomes of the proliferation of these studies in the last decades by looking at 85 syllabi from political science programs at undergraduate and graduate levels in 22 Canadian universities. Specifically, the study investigates core courses from the subjects of political science (general), Canadian politics, comparative politics, public policy, and international relations. Our analysis is based on quantitative analysis of course readings and qualitative analysis of critical themes in the syllabi retrieved. Our research shows that the rising awareness in the literature and the broader discipline regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion does not translate into practical outcomes in terms of the diversification of course readings. Our findings, therefore, showcase where we are as a discipline and what could be done to address this apparent incompatibility between wider EDI efforts and pedagogical diversity.

International Student Mobility to Canada and New Zealand: 'Edugration' or 'Transience'?: Conrad King (Kwantlen Polytechnic University), Catherine Gomes (RMIT), William Shannon (University of Canterbury), Micky Lu (University of Canterbury)
Abstract: Policymakers in some key Western international education hubs assume that international student mobility (ISM) is based on aspirations for permanent migration, particularly if those students come from the Global South. The concept of ‘edugration’ - an amalgam of education and immigration – has become influential in both policy and research. This paper examines student motivations for ISM in Canada and New Zealand using a mixed methods approach of online surveys and focus group interviews, collecting data from 396 international student participants (Canada: n=244; New Zealand: n=152). The results show a nuanced picture, highlighting that many students view international study as a transient experience rather than one that facilitates permanent migration. The paper also discusses the extent to which a desire to attract potential migrants is reflected in policies related to ISM in the two countries, and the potential implications of the findings for these policies.