Indigenous Peoples and the State. Is it fair to say that the treatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada by federal and/or provincial governments is a scandal (or maybe a series of scandals)? If so identify your top two scandals which involve the treatment of Indigenous peoples. Outline details and tell us who is to blame and how these problems might be rectified.
Required length: 2,000 words, plus or minus 10%. (The limit is for text only. Citations, reference lists, and cover pages are not included in the word count.)
This is an academic essay. Thesis statements, APA style in-text citations, and lists of references are required.
Independent research is a must here! I will expect you to use outside peer-reviewed material from journal articles and books. You can use mainstream media sources as well (CBC, CNN, Atlantic Monthly, The Economist, etc) if the facts can be verified. You must use a minimum of 10 sources in this essay BUT only 1 source from this class. I want you to go out and find information yourselves – spend some time digging! Independent research and critical thinking are two of the most important skills you can acquire at university.
Correct spelling and grammar are essential.
Please ensure that you define all key terms carefully using references.
No long quotations, please. Anything longer than 1 sentence can be put into your own words.
Make sure you have a cover page with your name, student number, course number, the title of your essay, and date. Please double-space and number the pages.
You should lead with an introduction that outlines your research question, and summarizes the sections of the essay to follow.
The essay should end with a clear concluding section that summarizes what you have presented.
Headings are encouraged.
Papers must be submitted in MS Word, not in PDF or another program.
I would encourage you to either:
Find two scandals that are closely related as it will be easier for your research and writing, and I don’t want you to run out of space. The best plan would be to look at two issues that arise under the same prime minister during the same term of office.
Write on one scandal if you find you have enough material to really focus on one scandal only. If you need to you can email me and this could be another way of approaching the topic.
So two scandals are one option – another is to just focus on one.
You can use headings for the sections of your paper. In fact, I encourage you to use them (within reason – so maybe between 3-5 max) as it helps us see the sections of your paper and facilitates our reading.
Be sure to use academic sources to define your terms. Don’t rely on the recycled course material, please!
Most of the topics are looking for you to define what scandal means. Scandal can be the breaking of laws, or a Treaty (with Indigenous Peoples for example), or a breach of ethics or code of conduct, a violation of norms of expected conduct, or the violation of an international agreement, a convention, a treaty, or a covenant. These are just some examples.
A scandal does not need to involve breaking existing state law. Sometimes there are deliberate loopholes to allow people to get away with unethical behavior. Forms of inequality can be baked into how states are formed. Many states were founded on the dehumanization of some peoples and the denial of their rights. Sometimes legacies remain which can be seen in economic gaps, institutional inequalities, discriminatory social norms and values, and in the overall allocation of resources.
A scandal can take place over a long period of time if it is state policy to deny the same rights to some people for discriminatory reasons. We could also say that a scandal occurs if political leaders are made aware of past or present violations of human rights and dignity, and choose to ignore these violations and brush them under the carpet.
It is also the case that different groups of people will have different perspectives on what constitutes a scandal. What is not acceptable for some may be acceptable for others. The time period is also a consideration. What was acceptable in the past may not be today, and vice versa.
If you are having a hard time finding academic material on your chosen case study or studies, you can use media sources, and use academic sources to define your terms, and for other aspects of your paper.
I have corresponded with some of you about introducing personal reflections and experiences into your essay. This is fine as long as it adds richness to the analysis. However, this does not mean that I encourage informal language in the essays in general. Please use an accepted academic writing style to convey your arguments and structure your essay.
Remember that this is primarily an academic exercise in conducting independent research, organizing and presenting ideas and arguments, and writing in a clear, persuasive, and grammatically correct style.
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