​​Each student is expected to write an argumentative, research essay on one of the three topics covered in the second half of the course:

(1) Money and Politics,

(2) Indigenous Politics in Canada or

(3) Climate Change and Canada.

You may write on one of the themes as a whole, you may write on a single aspect or topic within one of the larger themes, or any combination in between. In making your argument, you must provide textual evidence to substantiate your claims by directly referencing primary course readings from the syllabus. In addition to citing course material, you must also cite at least THREE (3) external scholarly sources (academic book or journal article).

Essay Structure:

The structure of your essays should consist – as should all academic essays – of FOUR basic sections:

1) Introduction: The purpose of the introduction, for an academic essay, is simply to forecast what the content of your essay will be. In clear and concise terms, tell the reader what topic you will be discussing, and what claims you will make about it. DO NOT make any arguments in the introduction (no citations!). Simply articulate to the reader what they should expect to encounter as they read through the essay. Remember: academic essays should not be written like detective fiction. The academic reader distains mysteries and surprises, so make sure to give away your conclusion in your introduction. The introduction should be approximately 1 page in length.

2) Background Information: In the next section of your essay, you need to demonstrate to the reader that you understand what you are talking about before you begin to make your argument. Following your introduction, then, you should provide a basic summary or outline of the topic you have chosen: basically, you need to re-narrate for your reader how this topic is usually discussed in academic scholarship, and why. You should not make any arguments in this second section, but merely lay out the terrain upon which your argument will take shape. This section is a good place to cite scholarly authorities on the topic you have chosen. This section of the essay should constitute approximately 2-3 pages of the essay.

3) Argument: Now that you've adequately defined your object of inquiry and convinced your reader of your knowledge of the subject, you're ready to make your argument. There should be a few "I argue ..." kinds of sentences in this section, and it's never a bad idea to cite other academic sources that agree with conclusions, if you can find them. And remember: in the humanities/social sciences, you don't prove things in any strong sense of his term; there are only different interpretations and perspectives (and some are better than others depending on the depth of research, originality, and overall insight into the topic), so frame your argument accordingly. This section should be approximately 2-3 pages in length.

4) Conclusion: Your conclusion should resemble, grammatically, semantically and mechanically, your introduction. All your conclusion should do is briefly summarize the work that you've done, and provide some closure to your essay. It should tell the reader that you have, in fact, done exactly what you've set out to do in the introduction. DO NOT introduce new ideas, themes, or references in the conclusion. The conclusion should be approximately 1 page in length.

Other Requirements

All pages should be numbered, double-spaced, with 12 point font. No title pages are necessary. Simply locate the title of your essay on the top of the first page. Titles should clearly indicate what the content of your essay is. Dry and completely uncreative titles are perfectly acceptable, and in most cases preferred. Students must also include their name, student number, course number, and date, somewhere on the top of the first page. When citing sources, you may use either a parenthetical or footnote/endnote style in your essays – MLA, APA, Chicago, etc., – as long as it is consistent throughout. Remember, citation styles are not arbitrary demands made by university instructors to produce obedient students: citations are designed to allow your readers to follow and evaluate your argument by checking your sources. When in doubt about citation format, use common sense about what information should be included, and try to make it consistent with your other citations. Making it clear and easy for your reader to find your source material is the most important thing.

All academic essays must include a Works Cited listing (bibliography) at the end of the essay (an extra page isn't necessary if you have space on your final page). Any and all references made to external works of any kind must be included on the Works Cited listing. Listings should always be in alphabetical order, and be consistent throughout. ONLINE, NON-SCHOLARLY SOURCES, ASIDE FROM JOURNALISTIC

SOURCES, WILL NOT BE PERMITTED. All references should come from printed sources retrieved from the MSVU library (or other novanet libraries), online journal publications, or news outlets.

If anyone has any questions or concerns about the essay, or anything else about the course, please feel free to contact me. And I am more than willing to look over any rough drafts, and offer some constructive comments.