These are 1-unit modules that can be taken by any student in any level. The content and schedules vary annually. Details may be found below or by contacting Arts & Science Academic Program Administrator Ginni Dhaliwal (dhalig18@mcmaster.ca or ext. 23153). These courses are evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis. Some modules may require a fee to cover costs of travel and accommodation.
ARTSSCI 4MN1 may be repeated, if on a different topic. Enrolment is limited.
Please Note:
- Payment of McMaster course credit fees (i.e. tuition and supplementary fees) for ARTSSCI 4MN1 is in addition to the module fees, if applicable.
- Even if all funds for the trip are paid, you are ineligible to participate in the module if you have not enrolled in the course.
- Submission of the necessary Release Form(s) must be submitted prior to the start of the course, if applicable.
Winter 2023 Modules
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO JUSTICE (1)
In modern society, we often hear calls for “justice”. Using law as a touchpoint, and drawing on the diverse lived experiences of our classroom community, this course investigates how we respond to that call. Beginning with philosophy, we will start by examining theories of justice, with a view to developing a better understanding of what “justice” means in the abstract and how we know when we’ve achieved it. Next, using historical examples, we will examine some of the tools of achieving justice – ranging from conventional political action to litigation to civil unrest – and evaluate them in terms of their efficacy, efficiency, and ethics. We will then discuss some of the consequences of justice, including the costs of achieving justice and the impact that the pursuit of justice has on the involved parties, the legal system, and society as a whole. Finally, we will explore applications of justice using a case study that engages with justice on many potential levels, and will attempt to answer for ourselves: what does justice require from us in our day-to-day lives?
Module Schedule:
Tuesday, 17 January 2023, 7:00 – 10:00pm (LRW 3001)
Tuesday, 24 January 2023, 7:00 – 10:00pm (LRW 3001)
Tuesday, 31 January 2023, 7:00 – 10:00pm (LRW 3001)
Tuesday, 14 February 2023, 7:00 – 10:00pm (LRW 3001)
Instructor:
Jeff Wyngaarden
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Justice (1) Outline
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO JUSTICE (2)
Our sessions exploring legal decision-making will be grounded in local and global concerns over “territory and the law” and Indigenous land claims specifically, to understand where we live, how we make decisions concerning and on contested land, who benefits and should benefit from it, what is owed to whom, and what is or should be the role of the law and judges in answering these and other questions. Students will have the opportunity to experience legal-decision making through analysis of court decisions and conversations with legal experts.
Module Schedule:
Friday, 3 March 2023, 2:30-4:20pm (Warner/Wilson Room, LRW 3038)
Friday, 10 March 2023, 2:30-4:20pm (Warner/Wilson Room, LRW 3038)
Friday, 17 March 2023, 2:30-4:20pm (Warner/Wilson Room, LRW 3038)
Friday, 24 March 2023, 2:30-4:20pm (Warner/Wilson Room, LRW 3038)
Instructor:
Lev Marder
Interdisciplinary Approaches to Justice (2) Outline
FALL 2022 Modules
PATTERNS OF SOCIAL CONNECTION IN THE CITY
Loneliness has been described as one of the biggest public health issues of our time. While the urban environment is densely populated, social isolation is pervasive. Furthermore, cities have long been characterized by economic and racial segregation, reinforced by urban planning frameworks and policies. This course will explore the concept of “connection” in cities through the lenses of urban planning, public health, and sociology. It will also examine foundational questions and thinkers on loneliness as part of the human condition.
This is an experiential, place-based course. You will be introduced to a variety of historical and contemporary case studies to learn about patterns of polarization and segregation, as well as efforts to foster more connected communities. Through site visits to several Toronto-based projects, neighbourhood walking tours, seminar-style discussions, and reflective exercises, you will be challenged to bridge theory with practice and to relate course themes to your own experiences. Site visits in previous years have included 401 Richmond, an arts-based community hub, Daniels Spectrum and Regent Park, and more (see here for details).
Module Schedule:
Saturday, October 22, 10:00am – 4:30pm
Sunday, October 23, 10:00am – 3:30pm
Wednesday, November 2, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Instructors:
Jackie Brown, Arts & Science alum (2014)
Ros Pfaff, Arts & Science alum (2013)
Patterns of Social Connection in the City Outline
Fall 2021 Modules
THEORIES OF DECISION-MAKING AND JUDGEMENT: A PRACTICAL COURSE FOR THE INDECISIVE ARTSCI
This course explores four modes of decision-making. We begin with personal decision-making and move outward to societal-level decision-making in law and policy. We conclude with a turn to technology-assisted decision-making in order to probe fundamental questions about how humans decide. In the personal decision-making unit, we draw on a variety of disciplines, including psychology, philosophy, and behavioural economics to glean lessons about how to make better decisions for ourselves. We then study legal decision-making by reading what judges have to say about how the law functions and we apply their analyses to a judicial decision. In the policy unit, we ask how to responsibly make decisions that impact other people and we look at patterns of who is left out in policy decisions. In the final unit, we dive into how humans use computers to make decisions more efficiently, noticing how human biases appear in algorithms, and conclude by using fiction to explore decision-making from unexpected perspectives. Throughout the course there are opportunities to reflect and participate in imaginative activities aimed at helping students integrate lessons from the course, and, hopefully, feel more comfortable making decisions in your own lives.
Module Schedule:
Thursday 21 October 2021 6:30-8:30pm (Zoom)
Thursday 28 October 2021 6:30-8:30pm (Zoom)
Thursday 4 November 2021 6:30-8:30pm (Zoom)
Thursday 11 November 2021 6:30-8:30pm (Zoom)
Instructors:
Leanna Katz, Arts & Science alum (2012)
Daniel Carens-Nedelsky, Arts & Science alum (2012)
Theories of Decision-Making and Judgement Course Outline
Winter 2022 Modules
PATTERNS OF SOCIAL CONNECTION IN THE CITY
Loneliness has been described as one of the biggest public health issues of our time. Although the urban environment is densely populated, social isolation is pervasive. Furthermore, cities have long been characterized by economic and racial segregation, reinforced by urban planning frameworks and policies. This course will explore the concept of “connection” in the urban environment through the lens of city planning, public health, and sociology. It will also examine foundational questions and thinkers around loneliness as part of the human condition.
In this course, you will learn about patterns of polarization through a variety of historical and contemporary case studies, as well as efforts to foster more connected communities. Through seminar-style discussions and reflective exercises, you will be challenged to relate course themes to your own experiences.
Module Schedule:
Saturday 15 January 2022 10am-5pm (Zoom)
Sunday 16 January 2022 10am-3pm (Zoom)
Thursday 27 January 2022 6:30-8:30pm (Zoom)
Instructors:
Jackie Brown, Arts & Science alum (2014)
Ros Pfaff, Arts & Science alum (2013)
Patterns of Social Connection in the City Course Outline
winter 2021 modules
THEORIES OF DECISION-MAKING AND JUDGEMENT: A PRACTICAL COURSE FOR THE INDECISIVE ARTSCI
This course explores how we, as interconnected individuals, make decisions and exercise judgement. Using law as a starting point, we will discuss legal reasoning as a formal mode of decision-making, and specifically, how judges come to their decisions. We will then branch off into lessons from psychology about making both major life decisions and small everyday choices. Next, we will study algorithms and critically consider the possibilities and pitfalls of outsourcing decisions to machines. Finally, we will reframe decision-making and judgement through an equality lens and use fiction to explore imaginative dimensions of the topic. One aim of this course is to explore theories of decision-making from a variety of disciplines in order to help you feel more comfortable making decisions and exercising judgement.
Module Schedule:
Thursday 28 January 2021 6:30-8:30pm
Thursday 4 February 2021 6:30-8:30pm
Thursday 11 February 2021 6:30-8:30pm
Thursday 25 February 2021 6:30-8:30pm
Instructors:
Leanna Katz, Arts & Science alum (2012)
Daniel Carens-Nedelsky, Arts & Science alum (2012)
Theories of Decision-Making and Judgement Course Outline
PATTERNS OF SOCIAL CONNECTION IN THE CITY
Loneliness has been described as one of the biggest public health issues of our time. Although the urban environment is densely populated, social isolation is pervasive. Furthermore, cities have long been characterized by economic and racial segregation, reinforced by urban planning frameworks and policies. This course will explore the concept of “connection” in the urban environment through the lens of city planning, public health, and sociology. It will also examine foundational questions and thinkers around loneliness as part of the human condition.
In this course, you will learn about patterns of polarization through a variety of historical and contemporary case studies, as well as efforts to foster more connected communities. Through seminar-style discussions and reflective exercises, you will be challenged to relate course themes to your own experiences.
Module Schedule:
Sunday 7 March 2021 10am-1pm
Monday 8 March 2021 10:30am-1:30pm
Sunday 14 March 2021 10am-1pm
Monday 15 March 2021 10:30am-1:30pm
Instructors:
Jackie Brown, Arts & Science alum (2014)
Ros Pfaff, Arts & Science alum (2013)
Patterns of Social Connection in the City Course Outline
Winter 2020 Modules
THEORIES OF DECISION-MAKING AND JUDGEMENT: A PRACTICAL COURSE FOR THE INDECISIVE ARTSCI
It has occasionally been said that Artscis are indecisive (who us?). This course is about decision-making in different contexts. The aim is to help students become better at making decisions.
We begin with judicial decision-making, as a case study of a formal decision-making process. This study of judicial decision-making will introduce students to one aspect of the legal system. We will explore questions about how intuition, reason, and legal constraints like precedent influence decisions, and how writing reasons can help judges clarify their thinking. We will discuss what lessons judicial decision-making offers for personal decision-making.
We will then look at what other disciplines have to say. Behavioural psychology offers insights into how our brains work when we make decisions. Feminist relational theory posits decision-making, beyond an individual exercise, as a process where we think about ourselves embedded in relationships with others.
This course will involve readings, response papers and practical exercises, based on which we hope students develop a personal praxis for making decisions they stand behind. There may be an opportunity for students to present what they learn at the World of Work Forum.
Module Schedule:
Sat. 18 – Sun. 19 January 2020 9:30am-3:30pm (LRW-3038, McMaster University)
Instructors:
Leanna Katz, Arts & Science alum (2012)
Daniel Carens-Nedelsky, Arts & Science alum (2012)
Theories of Decision-Making and Judgement Course Outline
A CELEBRATION OF WINTER AS PLACE
Winter is the misunderstood season. We will explore, with an Algonquin Park cabin stay, winter as a fundamental expression of Canadian identity through the lenses of history, geography, and literature. While travelling by snowshoes and skis, and of course sitting around the fire, we will examine key stories and characters in our Canadian understanding of winter, including Franklin, wendigos, Sam Magee, and Grey Owl. This exploration will also include the “idea of North” and the Norwegian friluftsliv approach to winter outdoor life. The central goal is to embrace the winter season as a “place” in our personal psyche and Canadian consciousness.
To do this we must be active in a thriving winter place where we are engaged in winter chores of chopping wood for our fires, drawing water from our ice hole, and clearing roofs of burdensome snow. We will learn the key winter activities of snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, building a snow shelter (Quinzee) and setting up a wall tent wood stove camp.
Please note that there is an additional trip fee ($200) to cover accommodations, transportation, and equipment rentals. A $100 deposit is due upon application submission.
Module Schedule:
Thurs. 9 January 2020 5:30-6:30pm (LRW-3038, McMaster University)
Sat. 15 – Tues. 18 February 2020 (Algonquin Park)
Instructor:
Dr. Bob Henderson, retired Arts & Science instructor
Jeff Cameron
Zach de Jong, Arts & Science alum (2018)
Winter as Place Course Outline
Fall 2019 Modules
URBAN PLACEMAKING
This one-unit module will explore the concept of urban placemaking, a collaborative process of animating public and private spaces to strengthen the social and cultural fabric of cities. We will look at community-driven placemaking aimed at solving local issues such as food insecurity, economic instability, and social isolation, as well as developer-led placemaking initiatives with (often controversial) goals of revitalizing entire neighbourhoods.
This is an experiential, place-based course. We will discuss urban placemaking initiatives around the world, including the “Rebuild Foundation” in Chicago, “Project Row Houses” in Houston, and Prinzessinnengarten in Berlin. We will conduct site visits of several Toronto-based projects, including “Daniels Spectrum,” a community cultural hub that was built as part of the Regent Park Revitalization Plan. Using these spaces as case studies, students will participate in facilitated discussions about the challenges associated with ensuring that they are vibrant, community-driven, and financially sustainable.
Please note that there is an additional fee of $15 for this module and students will be responsible for covering their own travel costs associated with participating in the module (e.g. GO Transit).
Module Schedule:
Saturday 5 October 2019 10am-5pm (Toronto, various locations)
Sunday 6 October 2019 10am-3:30pm (One James North-112, Hamilton)
Monday 21 October 2019 6:30-8:30pm (LRW-3038, McMaster University)
Instructors:
Jackie Brown, Arts & Science alum (2014)
Ros Pfaff, Arts & Science alum (2013)