Society and Culture in Canada [Pacific Canada] 

HIST 4303

Society and Culture in Canada [Pacific Canada] 

Winter 2027

Instructor: Professor Laura Madokoro

Introduction: What is the Pacific? A region? An ocean? There are many ways of thinking about the Pacific and, relatedly, the Pacific World. Inspired by the idea of Canada as a Pacific Nation, this course explores how the history of Canada has been shaped by its Pacific connections and, in turn, how Canada has shaped and influenced the Pacific World. To this end, this course traces the history of Canada and the Pacific World from the late 18th century to the present and covers subjects such as identity, migration, cultural and political change. As the course takes a transnational approach, we will be studying aspects of the history of China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam in addition to our focus on Canada.

Class Format: This seminar meets once a week over a three-hour block and combines lectures and discussion based on course materials including novels, academic articles, films, and. Where possible, we will take field trips across the National Capital Region to further our understanding of Canada’s relationship to the Pacific World. 

Assessment: As this seminar is based on engaged participation, there is a self-assessment grade for participation, as well as an assessment of weekly reading reflections, a class presentation, and a final research project. 

Course Materials: Readings for the course consist of a variety of essays and academic articles as well as a range of textual, audio, and visual primary sources. 

Questions? Please e-mail laura.madokoro@carleton.ca