Course Descriptions - Undergraduate Calendar 2019-2020

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L E G A L  S T U D I E S

 

LS 100s


LS 101 LEC 0.50Course ID: 011710
Introduction to Legal Studies
An introduction to the study of law, its structure, and legal institutions from a cross-cultural and historical perspective. This interdisciplinary course examines the origins of legal systems and their impact on society. Included is an analysis of the diverse historical, political, economic, and cultural conditions under which law arises and functions within society.
Also offered Online

LS 200s


LS 201 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012768
Women and the Law
This course provides an introduction to feminist legal thought with a particular focus on Canadian cases, legislation, law reform, and legal literature. Included is an analysis of the ways in which law contributes to women's legal, social, political, and economic status as well as the manner in which the law is used as a mechanism of social change for women. The intersection of gender with age, race, ethnicity, religion, and class will be addressed.
Antireq: WS 206
(Cross-listed with GSJ 206)
Also offered at St. Jerome's University

LS 202 LEC 0.50Course ID: 011711
Criminal Law
A case-study approach to the study of criminal law in Canada with a focus on basic concepts and core principles relating to legal judgements along with comparative examination between civil and criminal law and attention to legal theory.
[Note: Formerly LS 102.]
Prereq: LS 101.
Antireq: LS 102

LS 203 LEC 0.50Course ID: 015560
Special Topics in Legal Studies
An in-depth analysis of research in selected topics in Legal Studies.
[Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of two times.]
Prereq: LS 101

LS 206 DIS,LEC 0.50Course ID: 007749
Canadian Government & Politics
An examination of Canada's federal system, parliamentary government, and national political processes, such as the party system, interest groups, the electoral system, and voting behavior.
Prereq: One of PSCI 100, 101, 110
(Cross-listed with PSCI 260)

LS 221 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008661
Research Methods
An introductory survey of the research techniques commonly employed by sociologists, criminologists, and legal studies researchers. The formulation of research designs appropriate to various kinds of intellectual problems in social science is stressed.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R; Not open to students in the Faculty of Mathematics.
Antireq: ISS/SDS 251R, KIN 330, SOC 321/LS 321, PSYCH 291, REC 270, SMF 220, SWREN 251R
(Cross-listed with SOC 221)

LS 222 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008602
Juvenile Delinquency
A systematic analysis and criticism is presented of biological, psychological, psychoanalytical, and sociological theories of juvenile delinquency. Attention is given to statistics and contemporary research with special emphasis on the distribution and types of delinquent subcultures.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 222)
Also offered Online

LS 223 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008603
Deviance: Perspectives and Processes
The deviance-making process is examined in a variety of social contexts. This course examines the emergence of rules and control agencies, the processes by which people become involved in deviant activities, and the contingencies affecting their careers as deviants.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 223, SOC 223R)

LS 224 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008584
Victims and Society
This course will examine the substance of victimization: the scientific study of victims, the process, etiology, and consequences of victimization. Topics will include victims and politics, the victims' movement, victim-precipitation, the victimization of women, and family violence.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 201)

LS 226 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008631
Sociology of Mental Disorder
An examination of sociological research and theory in the field of mental disorders particularly as they apply to issues of law and social control. Topics include mental health legislation, the medical model of mental "illness," the epidemiology of mental disorder, family processes and psychiatric hospitalization, public attitudes and social stigma, and specific forms of mental disorder.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 249)

LS 227 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008609
Criminology
An examination of the major theories of crime causation and their implications for the development of social policy. Both historical and contemporary theories will be discussed.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 227)

LS 228 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008610
Sociology of Criminal Justice
Decisions to process offenders and the role of social factors in the Canadian criminal justice system are critically examined. Focal issues include police discretion, the legal profession, and prison systems.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 228)

LS 229 LEC 0.50Course ID: 010101
Selected Topics in Criminology
Sociological analysis of research and theory on selected criminal activities. Motivation, modus operandi, and the social characteristics of offenders will be examined in relation to such specific crimes as drug and sexual offenses, theft, robbery, murder, organized crime, and/or other criminal activities.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 229)
Also offered Online

LS 235 DIS,LEC 0.50Course ID: 006241
History of Ancient Law
A historical introduction to law in the ancient world. Babylonian, Assyrian, Hittite, and Roman law, legal practices, and concepts will be examined.
(Cross-listed with CLAS 210, HIST 210)

LS 236 DIS,LEC 0.50Course ID: 006194
Law and Society in the Middle Ages
A study of the laws and legal procedures of the Middle Ages. This course examines the relationship between legal procedures and institutions and the medieval societies that produced them.
Prereq: Level at least 2A.
Antireq: HIST 101
(Cross-listed with HIST 236)

LS 237 DIS,LEC 0.50Course ID: 011574
Canadian Legal History
This course examines the Canadian legal system from colonial times to the present with particular emphasis on such themes as law and the economy, courts and judiciary, the legal profession, family and criminal law, women and the law, and civil liberties.
(Cross-listed with HIST 277)

LS 240 LEC 0.50Course ID: 014846
Terrorism
This course offers an introduction to the study of terrorism, with a primary focus on sociological approaches. The course examines the history, causes, and diversity of forms of terrorist groups and the process of radicalization, suicide terrorism, and some aspects of the counter-terrorism response of states.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 240)

LS 249 LEC 0.50Course ID: 015068
Mental Disorder and the Law
An examination of laws, law enforcement, and social policies in relation to mental disorder. Included is an analysis of mental health legislation, involuntary commitment, mental health courts, and various issues related to the police and the correctional system's handling of mentally disordered offenders.
Prereq: LS 101
Offered at St. Jerome's University

LS 263 LEC 0.50Course ID: 015069
Organized Crime
An examination of select criminal organizations in North America. Particular attention will be given to the social history of "the mafia" and the development of legal tools for policing criminal organizations. Additional themes for discussion include enterprise and economic crimes, corruption, and the role of women in organized crime.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 263)

LS 271 LEC 0.50Course ID: 007192
Conflict Resolution
An examination of the resolution of conflicts, ranging from interpersonal to broader social and international conflicts. Students are introduced to negotiation, mediation, and nonviolent resistance, and are encouraged to develop their own theoretical understandings that aid in addressing conflict.
(Cross-listed with PACS 202)
Also offered Online

LS 272 LEC 0.50Course ID: 010100
Psychology and Law
Psychological principles drawn from a variety of subdisciplines (e.g., social, clinical, cognitive) will be surveyed in terms of their relevance and application to the legal system. Topics may include jury selection and decision-making, eyewitness testimony, insanity defense, competency assessment, risk assessment, and attitudes toward law and the legal process.
Prereq: PSYCH 101/101R or 121R
(Cross-listed with PSYCH 230)
Offered at St. Jerome's University

LS 273 LEC 0.50Course ID: 014137
Children's Rights in Canada
This course examines children's rights from a moral and comparative legal perspective. Students explore the welfare and developmental interests of children; the corresponding duties of parents, custodians, educators, and social workers; and the nature and scope of public educational authority in the common law jurisdictions of Canada.
(Cross-listed with SDS 210R)
Also offered Online

LS 280 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008645
Social Statistics
A basic course in statistics used in social science research including sampling, central tendency, probability, and covariance, as illustrated in specifically sociological and criminological data.
Prereq: One of LS 101, SOC 101/101R or 120R; Not open to Math students.
Antireq: ARTS 280, ECON 221, ENVS 278, ISS/ 250A/B, ISS/SDS 250R, KIN 222, PSCI 214/314, PSYCH 292, REC 371, SMF 230, STAT 202, 206, 211, 221, 231, 241, SWREN 250A/B, 250R
(Cross-listed with SOC 280)

LS 283 LEC,TST 0.50Course ID: 003247
Business Law
Particular attention is given to the law relating to contracts and business organizations. Other areas of study include sources of law, the judicial process, real and personal property, torts, agency, credit, and negotiable instruments.
Antireq: MTHEL 100/COMM 231, BUS 231W, CIVE 491, GENE 411, ME 401; (Faculty of Mathematics) ENVS 201
(Cross-listed with AFM 231)

LS 286 LEC 0.50Course ID: 015067
Law in Popular Culture
Much is at stake in how law is portrayed in paintings, literature, music, television, and movies. In this course students will draw on a range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities to study how law is represented in popular culture, and how these representations, in turn, impact how we view law.
Prereq: LS 101
Offered at St. Jerome's University

LS 291 LEC 0.50Course ID: 010336
Legal Writing
A study of the principles, processes, and various forms of writing used in the practice of law and drafting of legislation. The history and structure of legal writing, including current debates about plain language, will be examined.
(Cross-listed with ENGL 210I)

LS 292 LEC 0.50Course ID: 011771
Literature and the Law
A study of literary works that involve legal matters and/or have led to litigation on such grounds as obscenity, treason, heresy, libel, and plagiarism.
(Cross-listed with ENGL 213)

LS 300s


LS 300 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008694
Sociology of Law
This course examines the social construction of law and its administration as a social process. Topics will include law as an instrument of social control and social change, legal culture, the identification and evaluation of criminal suspects, the trial process and the rights of special groups. The specific laws highlighted will vary.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or SOC 120R; Level at least 3A
(Cross-listed with SOC 370)
Also offered Online

LS 306 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008608
Juvenile Justice
An examination of theories of juvenile justice, juvenile law, and the structure and operations of juvenile systems, especially in Canada.
Prereq: LS/SOC 222.
Antireq: SOC 226
(Cross-listed with SOC 306)

LS 319 LEC 0.50Course ID: 007201
Negotiation: Theories and Strategies
This course explores different ways of negotiating between people and groups with conflicting interests. Students will learn the theory behind the strategies and develop practical negotiation skills you can put to use in your daily life at home, at work, and in the community.
Antireq: PSYCH 439
(Cross-listed with PACS 323)

LS 322 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008664
Field Research Methods
This course provides a critical evaluation of research techniques in sociology, criminology, and legal studies with an emphasis on learning and applying qualitative fieldwork approaches.
Prereq: SOC/LS 221 or SOC/LS 321; Not open to Mathematics students
(Cross-listed with SOC 322)

LS 325 LEC 0.50Course ID: 008667
Sexuality and the Law
Despite the commonly held belief that sexuality is nothing more than "doing what comes naturally," cultural definitions, including prohibitions against specific forms of conduct, impinge upon the most private or intimate of acts. This course examines the social construction and control of sexuality through law.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with GSJ 326, SOC 325)

LS 326 LEC 0.50Course ID: 014130
Punishment and Society
A critical criminological and sociological examination of theories and practices of punishment. This course will examine transformations in penal theory, penal management, and penal institutions and their social and policy implications.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 326)

LS 327 LEC 0.50Course ID: 009873
Policing in a Democratic Society
A critical examination of the police as social control agents in contemporary democratic societies. Topics include the historical evolution of policing; police recruitment, training, and education; police/community relations; the occupational subculture of the police; police authority and discretion; private policing; and police deviance and criminality.
Prereq: One of SOC/LS 227, SOC/LS 228, or SOC/LS 229
(Cross-listed with SOC 327)
Also offered Online

LS 328 LEC 0.50Course ID: 015551
Trafficking and Financial Crime
An examination of the causes and impact of the illegal traffic in goods and services in Canada and internationally. Topics may include human trafficking, trade in illicit drugs and weapons, money laundering and financing of terror, and the relationship between trafficking and state political violence.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R; Level at least 3A
(Cross-listed with SOC 328)
Also offered Online

LS 330 LEC 0.50Course ID: 015561
Special Topics in Legal Studies
An in-depth analysis of research in selected topics in Legal Studies.
[Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of two times.]
Prereq: LS 101; Level at least 3A

LS 331 DIS,LEC 0.50Course ID: 006346
Human Rights in Historical Perspective
A detailed analysis of selected topics in the history of human rights. Special attention will be paid to revolutionary developments since World War II, and to the emergence of modern human rights policies. Topics will be examined through assigned readings, lectures, and films.
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with HIST 321)

LS 342 LEC 0.50Course ID: 014132
Migration and Legality
This course introduces students to key concepts and case study research on the regulation of human migration and its exclusionary practices. It examines how state policies, laws, and international organizations control the mobility of migrants and refugees across regions and borders.
(Cross-listed with SOC 342)

LS 344 LEC 0.50Course ID: 013487
Restorative Justice
This course investigates the history, theory, principles, practices, and people of restorative justice. Content will centre particularly on restorative justice as a way of dealing with crime and interpersonal violence in the Canadian context.
Prereq: Level at least 2A or Peace and Conflict Studies Diploma students
(Cross-listed with PACS 329)

LS 351 LEC 0.50Course ID: 007311
Philosophy of Law
Basic themes in the philosophy of law. Issues include the nature of law and its relation to morality and politics, legal reasoning, the justification of punishment, and theories of rights, responsibility, and liability.
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with PHIL 327)

LS 352 LEC 0.50Course ID: 011185
Human Rights
What are human rights? Which do we have, and why? What are the practical implications of human rights, for both individuals and institutions? A comprehensive discussion of theory and history, of law and morality, and of national and international applications.
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with PHIL 328)

LS 363 LEC 0.50Course ID: 007797
Canadian Constitutional Law
An introduction to the nature and basic principles of constitutional law. Explores constitutional conventions, the distribution of powers in the Canadian federalism, Aboriginal and treaty rights, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Prereq: LS 101 or LS 206/ PSCI 260
(Cross-listed with PSCI 363)

LS 365 LEC 0.50Course ID: 014268
Transnational Migration
This survey of transnational migration in the contemporary moment examines the reasons people have migrated voluntarily (e.g., as migrant workers) and involuntarily (e.g., as refugees), and how international and domestic law and policies affect, enable, and/or criminalize the movements of people across state borders.
Prereq: One of PSCI 250, 252, 255, 259, 264, 281, LS 206/PSCI 260; Level at least 3A
(Cross-listed with PSCI 375)

LS 366 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012593
Global Governance
Global governance is governing beyond the state. An examination of diverse problems - global warming, international human rights, terrorism, property rights disputes, and health crises - which transcend borders and demand cooperative global solutions.
Prereq: Level at least 3A.
Antireq: PSCI 357 taken before winter 2010
(Cross-listed with PSCI 389)

LS 372 LEC 0.50Course ID: 010042
Criminal Profiling
Foundational assumptions for, and basic approaches to, criminal profiling will be considered, along with a survey of relevant techniques in the context of numerous case studies. Limitations and alternatives to profiling will also be addressed.
Prereq: PSYCH 230/LS 272
(Cross-listed with PSYCH 330)
Offered at St. Jerome's University

LS 373 LEC 0.50Course ID: 011378
Public Policy and Native Peoples in Canada
This course examines the evolution, logic, processes, and impacts of government policies developed specifically for Native peoples, with particular attention to government policy as both a cause of and a response to social problems within Native communities.
[Note: SWREN 311R is available only to students who have been given conditional admission to the BSW program; such students must have already completed their first undergraduate degree.]
(Cross-listed with SDS 311R, SWREN 311R)

LS 374 LEC 0.50Course ID: 011390
The Evolution of Family Law in Canadian Society
This course examines the evolution of family law in Indigenous, francophone, anglophone, and other communities in Canada. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, the course not only explores the demographic, economic, social, and political contexts in which family law developed but also assesses its significance for Canadian society.
Antireq: ISS 350G
(Cross-listed with SDS 353R)

LS 386 LEC 0.50Course ID: 015066
Law and Violence
Discussions about law's coercive power raise important questions about the legitimacy of state-sanctioned violence. This course uncovers the roots and limits of law's power as it relates to questions of violence, obedience, and dissent.
Prereq: LS 101
Offered at St. Jerome's University

LS 387 LEC 0.50Course ID: 015373
Criminal Justice Institutions
The societal context of policing, courts, and corrections is examined to understand how social control and the law are used in the criminal justice system. Special emphasis is placed on the socio-economic, legal, political, and situational environment that shapes responses to different categories of offenders and offences.
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or SOC 120R; Level at least 3A
(Cross-listed with SOC 387)

LS 400s


LS 401 SEM 0.50Course ID: 011899
Law, Culture, and Rights
This seminar explores the intersection of culture and rights from a legal studies perspective in order to better understand the diversity of ways that law shapes our society, and vice versa. Students will debate and assess selected topics from the perspective of various disciplines spanning the social sciences and humanities.
Prereq: Level at least 4A

LS 402 SEM 0.50Course ID: 011900
Perspectives on Legal Authority and Subjectivity
This seminar explores the relation between those who make or administer law and select legal subjects whose lives and identities are shaped by law. Students will debate and assess selected perspectives while touching on various disciplines spanning the social sciences and humanities.
Prereq: Level at least 4A

LS 403 LEC 0.50Course ID: 013627
Socio-Legal Responses to Crime
This course examines responses to crime from historical, philosophical, legal, psychological, sociological, and other related perspectives. The primary focus is on the relationship between the law, motivations of offenders, and responses by individuals and the criminal justice system to chronic, sex, and violent offenders.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies

LS 413 SEM 0.50Course ID: 015013
Surveillance and Society
An examination of the way monitoring technologies alter and shape social life in terms of security, fear, control, and vulnerability.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 413)

LS 419 SEM 0.50Course ID: 015549
Police Systems and Practices
This course examines contemporary issues in policing. Topics may include police response strategies in different models of policing, economics of policing, use of discretion, police accountability, and the changing functions and activities of the police.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 419)

LS 422 SEM 0.50Course ID: 015550
Violent Extremism and Terrorism
This course examines contemporary issues in terrorism studies. Topics may include the history and comparative analysis of political and religious forms of violent extremism, the process of radicalization and recruitment, the analysis of different forms of terrorist activity, and the counter-terrorism policies and practices.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 422)

LS 423 SEM 0.50Course ID: 015548
Peers and Crime
This seminar examines the peer influence perspective in criminology. Key theoretical, methodological, and substantive issues and challenges are addressed.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 423)

LS 425 SEM 0.50Course ID: 014849
Crossing Borders: Law and Global Deviance
This seminar-style course, positioned at the intersection of sociology and law, examines illicit cross border activity such as terrorism, piracy, drugs, trafficking, and illegal immigration. Each cross-border activity will be examined, along with the way states respond to it politically and legally at a national and international level. Ethnographic research on the activity will provide for rich descriptions of how and why people participate in such activities.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 425)

LS 428 SEM 0.50Course ID: 010152
Sentencing as a Social Process
Examines in depth the process and results of criminal sentencing. Topics include types of sentences for criminal and quasi-criminal offences, objectives of sentences, factors affecting sentences, the process of sentencing, the administration and effectiveness of sentences, and unresolved debates in sentencing.
Prereq: SOC/LS 228; Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 428)

LS 431 SEM 0.50Course ID: 015689
Corporate Governance
Corporations adopt different internal regulations depending on geography, size, industry, legal jurisdiction, political climate, and historical context. In this course each of these factors is examined in order to understand the evolution of corporate governance. This framework prepares students for a critical assessment of the main theories of corporate governance, while a comparative approach invites debate about corporate legal obligations and social responsibilities.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors
Offered at St. Jerome's University

LS 433 SEM 0.50Course ID: 015727
Crime, Law, and Technoscience
A critical examination of science and technology in law and criminal justice. Focus will be on topics such as the histories, politics, and cultural representations of forensic sciences and technologies used in evidence collection, surveillance, policing, criminal courts, and incarceration.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Sociology or Legal Studies majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 433)

LS 434 SEM 0.50Course ID: 014842
Sociology of At-Risk Youth
This course examines the social attributes and surrounding conditions associated with at-risk youth. It will focus on the development of youth in three major institutions - education, criminal justice, and mental healthcare. This course will focus on the attributes of youth themselves, but also to changing institutional definitions and practices. This course will include an experiential learning component outside regular classroom hours.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 434)

LS 461 SEM 0.50Course ID: 015070
Transnational Organized Crime
This seminar course examines contemporary legal regimes surrounding transnational organized crime, terrorism and organized crime, and international money laundering.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Legal Studies majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 461)

LS 462 SEM 0.50Course ID: 013476
Government and Politics of Indigenous Peoples
An introduction to the history and development of government policy and regulations that have altered the political and social structures of aboriginal societies. We explore contemporary challenges to government policy and regulations, as reflected in the struggles for land, aboriginal rights, and self-government, as well as the development of a global identity.
Prereq: Level at least 4A
(Cross-listed with PSCI 462)

LS 463 SEM 0.50Course ID: 014530
Rights and Public Policy
An examination of the role that rights and rights discourse plays in public policy development and policy change. Examines Canadian public policy in relation to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and human rights legislation, as well as cases in comparative context.
Prereq: LS 101 or LS 206/ PSCI 260
(Cross-listed with PSCI 463)

LS 464 SEM 0.50Course ID: 007813
Justice and Gender
Theories of justice are concerned with the distribution of the basic goods of society - money, power, status, leisure, and so on. This course considers how the gender system fares from the standpoint of liberal justice, and to what extent the promises of liberal justice can be used to overturn the unequal treatment of women.
Prereq: One of LS 201, PSCI 225, 226, 291, 292, 370; Level at least 4A
(Cross-listed with PSCI 421)

LS 492 SEM 0.50Course ID: 013570
Communication and Social Justice
An examination of the ways in which communication on the part of individuals, groups, and institutions contributes to fostering justice in social contexts. Areas of focus include communication and justice in interpersonal, workplace, community, and national/international contexts.
Prereq: Level at least 3A
(Cross-listed with SPCOM 430)

LS 496 LEC 0.50Course ID: 013626
Special Topics in Legal Studies
This course will deal with selected topics in Legal Studies. Subjects will be dependent upon the research and/or instructional interests of faculty.

LS 498 LEC 0.50Course ID: 012278
Directed Readings in Legal Studies
Selected study and assignments under the direction of a faculty member who teaches courses in legal studies and criminology.
Instructor Consent Required
Prereq: Level at least 3A
49 Feminism and the Law