Law was at the forefront of European expansion overseas in the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries, and was a formidable instrument of the colonial
powers as they sought to bring distant lands and peoples within their
economic, social, and political spheres of influence. Law, both imposed
and local, also provided space for resistance to and accommodation
of the colonial rule.
Understanding law as a site of struggle between the colonizer and
colonized, and within these communities as well, this seminar will
explore the role of law in the colonial encounter. This will involve
investigation of the differing legal traditions that inform conflict
over land, resources, and governance, and their relation in contexts
of unequal power.
The readings, a mix of primary and secondary material, will be drawn
from diverse historical and cultural settings. They will be informed
by a range of theoretical approaches, including legal pluralism, colonialism
and postcolonialism, Marxism, and feminism, and they will overlap
with a number of disciplines, including history, geography, and anthropology.
Particular attention will be devoted to the role of law in the relations
between First Nations and immigrant Canadians and their governments
in British Columbia.
Students will be evaluated on their class participation, a class
presentation, and a research paper.
Syllabus 2002/03
