Political Studies

Edited by Stephen McGlinchey (E-International Relations) 2017
CC BY-NC 4.0
The perfect book to get you started, or get caught back up, with International Relations. As a ‘Day 0’ beginner’s guide, this textbook condenses the most important information into the smallest space and present concepts in an accessible way. The chapters build up the foundations for understanding how the world works and then explore the key global issues that concern the discipline – taking readers from no knowledge to competency. The journey starts by examining how the international system was formed and ends by reflecting that International Relations is always adapting to events and is therefore a never-ending journey of discovery. The book is designed to capture attention with an engaging narrative that places the reader inside crucial issues and debates so they can understand how things work, and where they fit in the world around them.

Suggested for:
POL 2103 - Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics

Edited by Stephen McGlinchey, Rosie Walters and Christian Scheinpflug (E-International Relations) 2017
CC BY-NC 4.0
This text covers introductory concepts in political science. It covers concepts in political science, from constructivism to postcolonialism. This book is designed as a foundational entry point to International Relations theory – structured to condense the most important information into the smallest space and present that information in an accessible manner. The first half of the book covers the theories that are most commonly taught in undergraduate programs. The book then expands to present emerging approaches and offer wider perspectives. Each chapter sets out the basics of a theory whilst also applying it to a real-world event or issue, creating a lively, readable and relevant guide that will help students to see not only what theories are – but why they matter.
Suggested for:
POL 2103 - Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics

Edited by Marc Woons and Sebastian Weier (E-International Relations) 2017
CC BY-NC 4.0
This politics text has been positively-reviewed and has been successfully adopted by other faculty. It covers introductory concepts in epistemologies of global politics, from decolonial feminism to ontological violence. Critical Epistemologies of Global Politics combines social science and cultural studies approaches to IR, showing why contemporary Border Studies needs to be trans-disciplinary if it is to avoid reproducing the epistemological and political order that has led to contemporary global crises like the rise of ISIS, global migration, or increasing contestations of the State form as such. The volume offers a critical epistemology of global politics and proposes an enriched vision of borders, both analytically and politically, that not only seeks to understand but also to reshape and expand the meanings and consequences of IR.
Suggested for:
POL 2103 Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics (3 units)

Geoff Andrews and Michael Saward (Open University) 2013
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
This text on nationalism covers salient issues in nation-building using themes of nationalism, self-determination, and secession to tie nation-building in with world politics. It covers introductory concepts in politics, from statehood to national self-determination. What makes a 'nation' and what makes peoples strive for nationhood? This unit will provide you with an introduction to studying political ideas by looking at how people who see themselves as nations challenge the existing order to assert their right to a state of their own. After studying this unit you should be able to: grasp the concepts of nation, nationalism and self-determination; have a better understanding of the role they play in current political disputes; think about the problem of how to take democratic decisions about secession; relate political theory to political practice more rigorously; take a more informed and active part in debates about national and international politics.
Suggested for:
POL 3109 - Nationalism

Edited by Marianna Karakoulaki, Laura Southgate, and Jakob Steiner (E-international Relations) 2018
CC BY-NC 4.0
This migration text has been positively-reviewed and has been successfully adopted by other faculty. It covers concepts in 21st-century migration, from human rights to the 2015 migrant crisis. Thousands of people risk their lives daily by crossing borders in search of a better life. During 2015, over one million of these people arrived in Europe. Images of refugees in distress became headline news in what was considered to be the worst humanitarian crisis in Europe since 1945. This book provides a critical overview of recent migration flows and offers answers as to why people flee, what happens during their flight and investigates the various responses to mass migratory movements. Divided in two parts, the book addresses long-running academic, policy and domestic debates, drawing on case studies of migration in Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific. Coming from a variety of different fields, the contributors provide an interdisciplinary approach and open the discussion on the reasons why migration should be examined critically.
Suggested for:
POL 3113 - Migration, Mobility, Borders and Citizenship

Edited by Federica Caso and Caitlin Hamilton (E-International Relations) 2015
CC BY-NC 4.0
This political science text covers salient issues in popular culture and world politics. It covers concepts in popular culture, from comics to video games. This edited collection brings together cutting-edge insights from a range of key thinkers working in the area of popular culture and world politics (PCWP). Offering a holistic approach to this exciting field of research, it contributes to the establishment of PCWP as a sub-discipline of International Relations. Canvassing issues such as geopolitics, political identities, the War on Terror and political communication – and drawing from sources such as film, videogames, art and music – this collection is an invaluable reader for anyone interested in popular culture and world politics.
Suggested for:
POL 3116 Politics and Culture (3 units)

Edited by Peter Burnell (Manchester University Press) 2003
CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Democratization is a major political phenomenon of the current age. Democratization through the looking glass argues that our perspectives on democratization reflect the intellectual origins of the inquiry. How we see and understand it are influenced by what we 'bring to the table'. By considering democratization across a range of disciplines from anthropology and economics, to sociology, law and area studies, this volume offers a rich combination of analytical frameworks, distinctive insights and leading points of concern. On one level the book provides anyone interested in democratization with a wide-ranging distillation of the main themes, issues, and topics, concisely written by leading experts in their field. On a second level the book advances the case for a broadly-based comparative study which includes Europe and North America alongside developing regions, while maintaining the belief that a multi-disciplinary approach enhances our understanding of democratization far more than that of a narrow political science view. The book is aimed at students of politics willing to explore the boundaries of their subject and all social scientists who need an introduction to this important contemporary phenomenon.
Suggested for:
POL 4184 - Democratization and Authoritarianism

Edited by David Taras (Mount Royal University) and Christopher Waddell (Carleton University) 2012
CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 CA
Substantial changes have occurred in the nature of political discourse over the past thirty years. Once, traditional media dominated the political landscape, but in recent years Facebook, Twitter, blogs and Blackberrys have emerged as important tools and platforms for political campaigns. While the Canadian party system has proved surprisingly resilient, the rhythms of political life are now very different. A never-ending 24-hour news cycle has resulted in a never-ending political campaign. The implications of this new political style and its impact on political discourse are issues vigorously debated in this new volume of How Canadians Communicate, as is the question on every politician’s mind: How can we draw a generation of digital natives into the current political dialogue?
With contributions from such diverse figures as Elly Alboim, Richard Davis, Tom Flanagan, David Marshall, and Roger Epp, How Canadians Communicate IV is the most comprehensive review of political communication in Canada in over three decades – one that poses questions fundamental to the quality of public life.
Suggested for:
POL 3133 Political Communication (3 units)

Valérie Vézina, Francis Abiew, Jennifer Anaquod, Tyler Chamberlain, Frédérick Guillaume Dufour, Serdar Kaya, Conrad King, Logan Masilamani, Gregory Millard, Ross Pink, Dave Poitras, Étienne Schmitt, Jackie F. Steele, Arjun Tremblay, Serbulent Turan, and John Wright (Kwantlen Polytechnic University) 2021
CC BY-SA 4.0
This open educational resource (OER) brings together Canadian and international scholars in a contemporary, pluralistic volume introducing undergraduates in a variety of relevant disciplines to political ideologies and worldviews. This introductory volume is also suitable for a wider general audience. This volume is the first of its kind, a fully open textbook on political worldviews that deals with the historical development of classical ideologies, while expanding and updating the subject using contemporary political examples and non-Eurocentric examinations of ideology. The volume includes chapters on Indigenous worldviews, Confucianism, and the future of ideology in the emerging global order. The volume also contains valuable sets of discussion questions throughout.
Suggested for:
POL 2107 Introduction to Political Thought
POL 2108 Modern Political Thought I
POL 3102 Modern Political Thought II

Edited by Alexander Lautensach and Sabina Lautensach (University of Northern British Columbia) 2020
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
This first and only university textbook of human security, intended as an introductory text from senior undergraduate level up, and includes chapters by 24 authors that encompass the full spectrum of disciplines contributing to the human security field. It is based on the four-pillar model of socio-political security, economic security, environmental security and health security. The chapters include learning outcomes, extension activities, and suggested readings; a comprehensive glossary lists key terms used throughout the book. This textbook can be used in courses on international studies and relations, political studies, history, human geography, anthropology and human ecology, futures studies, applied social studies, public health, and more.
Suggested for:
POL 3124 The Politics of Security (3 units)
POL 4189 Politics of Human Rights (3 units)

Emily Regan Wills (University of Ottawa) 2020
CC BY 4.0
This series of recorded lectures on research methods in political science was developed for the course POL 2156 Foundations of Research in Political Science at uOttawa. Recorded as part of making it a blended/flipped course, topics covered in the videos include paradigms of research in political science, research ethics, relational accountability, understanding causality, research with people, research with communities, and research with numbers.
Suggested for:
POL 2156 Foundations of Research in Political Science (3 units)

Edited by Stephen Brown (University of Ottawa), Molly den Heyer (St. Francis Xavier University and Dalhousie University) and David R. Black (Dalhousie University) 2016
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
This revised edition not only analyzes Canada’s past development assistance, it also highlights important new opportunities in the context of the recent change in government. Designed to reach a variety of audiences, contributions by twenty scholars and experts in the field offer an incisive examination of Canada’s record and initiatives in Canadian foreign aid, including its relatively recent emphasis on maternal and child health and on the extractive sector, as well as the longer-term engagement with state fragility. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Canada’s changing role in the world.
Suggested for:
POL 4170 Politics of Foreign Aid (3 units)