Atlantic Canada Studies (ACST)

ACST 1000  Making Sense of Atlantic Canada    
3 credit hours  
This course provides an introduction to the Atlantic Provinces. It will examine specific content areas from multiple perspectives, including cultural industries, health and social services, environmental issues, economic development, and representations of the region. This course is intended as an introduction to Atlantic Canada Studies and to interdisciplinary inquiry.
ACST 1203  Scottish Gaelic - Introductory I  IRST 1203  
3 credit hours  
This course gives the student an introduction to the structure and use of Scottish Gaelic in a Nova Scotia context. Topics covered include grammar and conversation basics, traditional and new Gaelic songs, and conversation aimed at specific social occasions and locations.
ACST 1204  Scottish Gaelic - Introductory II  IRST 1204  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: ACST 1203/IRST 1203
This course gives the student a continuation of the introduction to the structure and use of Scottish Gaelic in a Nova Scotia context. Topics covered include grammar and conversation basics, traditional and new Gaelic songs, and conversation aimed at specific occasions and locations.
ACST 1207  Mi’kmaw Language – Introductory I    
3 credit hours  
Students are introduced to the Mi’kmaw language through a consideration of its relationship to the people and land of Mi’kmaki. Students will examine basic word structure, Mi’kmaw songs, and specific social conversations and greetings.
ACST 1208  Mi’kmaw Language – Introductory II    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: ACST 1207 or permission of the instructor
Students examine the place-based structure of the Mi’kmaw language.

ACST 1800 – 1825 Special Topics in Atlantic Canada Studies
6 credit hours
Course content varies from year to year.

ACST 1826 – 1849 Special Topics in Atlantic Canada Studies
3 credit hours
Course content varies from year to year.

ACST 2310  Rethinking Rural Nova Scotia  ENGL 2310, HIST 2310  
3 credit hours  
Students assess the significance of Nova Scotia’s rural landscapes by developing an understanding of their complex representations and histories. By using materials and approaches from both history and literature, students also explore the value of interdisciplinary research for generating new thinking about how the past can inform the future.
ACST 2311  Inheriting Atlantic Canada: The Cultural Past  HIST 2311  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: A minimum of twenty-four (24) university credit hours
Ideas, attitudes, and assumptions about Atlantic Canada have been influenced by social, cultural, political, religious, and ethnic traditions inherited from the past. The curriculum of this course covers a wide range of topics from gender, refinement, material culture, dress, food, and conspicuous consumption, to political choices and ethnic biases. Lectures, readings, class discussions, and mixed media demonstrate how historical events and previous ways of behaving and thinking continue to influence social and cultural customs and decision-making.
ACST 2313  Researching Atlantic Canada    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: A minimum of twenty-four (24) credit hours
There are many ways of interpreting the Atlantic Canadian experience. Individual disciplines (such as history, sociology, anthropology, economics, and biology) take different approaches, utilize different data, and present their research in different ways. All research, however, must be read with a critical eye. This course will expose students to a variety of ways of analyzing Atlantic Canada, focusing largely on qualitative research approaches and the human experience in the region.
ACST 2327  Scottish Gaelic-Intermediate I  IRST 2327  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: IRST 1203 and 1204
This course gives the student an opportunity to advance from the introductory level in a structured environment. Topics covered include a review of grammar and conversation basics. Time will be spent on composition of short stories, translation of written and recorded Gaelic, traditional and new Gaelic songs, and poetry and conversation aimed at specific social occasions and locations.
ACST 2328  Scottish Gaelic - Intermediate II  IRST 2328  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: IRST 2327 or equivalent
This course gives the student an opportunity to advance from the introductory level in a structured environment. Topics covered include a review of grammar and conversation basics. Time will be spent on composition of short stories, translation of written and recorded Gaelic, traditional and new Gaelic songs, and poetry and conversation aimed at specific social occasions and locations.
ACST 2341  Atlantic Provinces History, to Confederation  HIST 2341  
3 credit hours  
Commencing with the earliest Native-European contact in the Atlantic Provinces, students in this course will examine the interactions among the peoples who inhabited the region up until the mid-nineteenth century. Major events, such as wars, treaties, and Confederation will also be considered.
ACST 2342  Atlantic Provinces History, from Confederation  HIST 2342  
3 credit hours  
Beginning with the post-Confederation era, and then moving into the phases of industrialization and deindustrialization, students will study social, economic, and political developments in the region up to the end of the twentieth century and beyond. Major events such as the two World Wars will also be considered.
ACST 2380  Literature of Atlantic Canada  ENGL 2380  
6 credit hours  
An examination of the literature and literary background of Atlantic Canada. Emphasis in the first semester is on the 19th and early 20th centuries; in the second semester it is on contemporary writing.
ACST 2400  Health and Social Policy in Atlantic Canada    
3 credit hours  
This course is an exploration of the development of health and social policy in Atlantic Canada. The evolution of the welfare state, hospitals, training for health care workers, and contemporary health issues are examined.
ACST 2471  History of Football  HIST 2471  
3 credit hours  
Students analytically examine the evolution of sports such as soccer, rugby, Australian and North American football from the nineteenth century onwards, commencing with the earliest forms of vernacular football. Australian and North American football from the nineteenth century onwards. Although the scope will be international, special attention will be paid to Atlantic Canada.
ACST 2472  History of Hockey  HIST 2472  
3 credit hours  
Students analytically examine the evolution of sports such as shinty, hurling, field hockey, ice hockey, and sledge hockey from the nineteenth century onwards, commencing with the earliest forms of vernacular stick sports. Although the scope will be international, special attention will be paid to Atlantic Canada.

ACST 2800 –2825 Special Topics in Atlantic Canada Studies 
3 credit hours
This semester course will provide the student with an opportunity to take courses on specific Atlantic Canada topics which do not fit in with the standard offerings of other departments of the University.

ACST 2826 –2849 Special Topics in Atlantic Canada Studies 
3 credit hours
This semester course will provide the student with an opportunity to take courses on specific Atlantic Canada topics which do not fit in with the standard offerings of other departments of the University.

ACST 3305  Atlantic Canada Film and Television    
3 credit hours  
Students engage critically with texts (films and television shows) that tell stories about Atlantic Canada. They explore the ways the region and its citizens have been viewed historically as well as the contemporary visions of Atlantic Canada that circulate at the local, national, and transnational levels.
ACST 3307  The Poetics of the Archive  ENGL 3307  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: Three (3) credit hours in ENGL at the 1000-level
Students respond creatively and critically to archival materials, exploring the kinds of making (poiesis) that arise when we engage with research materials not only as texts and images but as physical objects in the world. Topics include the archive as muse, material meaning, and digital humanities. There will be one class visit made to the Saint Mary’s University archives, and students are required to visit at least one other archive in the community.
ACST 3311  Fisheries in Atlantic Canada    
3 credit hours  
A study of the relationship between the material basis and political economy of the Atlantic fisheries since 1945. Stress will be placed on the scientific facts underlying the fisheries, and in particular, the qualities and quantities in the marine ecosystem that support them. A detailed study will also be made on the methods of fisheries science which are the basis of fish stock assessments by government scientists. Roughly the last third of the course will examine the effects of the livelihood of fishermen, of government policies respecting the fisheries, and the regional, national and international political forces which are behind federal government fisheries regulations.
ACST 3312  Living in Atlantic Canada    
3 credit hours  
This course examines on-going societal issues facing Atlantic Canadians. In a seminar setting, student teams and weekly guest speakers from non-government organizations, engage students in lively presentations about the current challenges facing those living and working in this region. Topics include arts and culture, poverty and homelessness, women, youth, crime, addictions, and concerns faced by aboriginal, black, Muslim, and immigrant communities. The structure of this course provides students a unique learning environment. NOTE: To maintain the structure of ACST 3312, it should be limited to 30 students, and as a 3000-level course not recommend to first year students.
ACST 3320  Gender in Atlantic Canada    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: Six (6) credit hours in ACST or permission
Issues related to gender in Atlantic Canada are examined, including the individual body, the family, the economy, and the state. The experiences of women, men, and those who do not identify with either category are considered. Topics may include the gendering of government policy, class and cross-cultural perspectives on gender, and the gendered nature of work through examples drawn from throughout Atlantic Canada.
ACST 3321  African Nova Scotian Culture    
3 credit hours  
This course provides a basic understanding of African Nova Scotian culture. It introduces students to the history and cultural heritage of African Nova Scotian communities, their experience of life today, and the various forms of artistic expression produced by the culture. It also offers insight into the problems and concerns of African Nova Scotian communities and their historical and cultural connections with the Black Diaspora.
ACST 3325  The Irish and Atlantic Canada  IRST 3325  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: Thirty (30) credit hours and ACST 1000 or permission of instructor
This interdisciplinary course will offer a survey of the history and culture of people of Irish descent in the Atlantic Region. Topics will include Irish settlement in the Atlantic Region, religion and politics, sectarian conflict, social status, community organizations and contemporary Irish identity in the Atlantic Region.
ACST 3340  Geography of Nova Scotia (Group D)  GEOG 3340  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: 18 credit hours
Students will explore the geographical diversity of the province, with particular emphasis on interrelationships between physical and human patterns. A section on the physical environment is followed by a discussion of settlement, cultural patterns, and economic development. Current issues of resource development, industrial reorganization, environmental management, and land use planning are addressed.
ACST 3345  First Nations of the Atlantic Region    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: ACST 1000 or permission of instructor
Students will examine indigenous peoples’ experiences in the Atlantic region and their varied relations with imperial and Canadian institutions. While the focus is on the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet), and Passamaquoddy peoples, students will also explore the experiences of the Innu, Inuit, Métis, and other indigenous peoples of the region.
ACST 3354  The Foreign Protestants and the Founding of Lunenburg  HIST 3354  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: A minimum of Twenty-four (24) credit hours in ACST or HIST
Students examine the history of the Foreign Protestants (Lunenburg Germans) in Nova Scotia from the founding of Lunenburg in 1753 to World War II. Topics include settlement history, material and cultural traditions, the persistence of their ethnic identity into the 20th century, their importance to 19th century fishing and shipbuilding, and the designation of “Old Town” Lunenburg as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
ACST 3364  Nova Scotia in the Romantic Age, 1768-1836  HIST 3364  
3 credit hours  
Students examine the Romantic Era in Nova Scotia using a methodology that is part historical, part documentary, and part conceptual. The historical focus is on Maritime explorers and scientists between 1768 and 1836. The documentary focus is on how their discoveries led to the “making” of Nova Scotia. The conceptual focus is the impact of science and exploration on Romantic Literature.
ACST 3470  The British Black Atlantic  HIST 3470  
3 credit hours  
The term the “Black Atlantic” has been used to describe the interconnected nature of Black communities in the Atlantic world. This course examines the British dimension of that transatlantic experience. Among topics covered are: Britain’s involvement in African slavery, the migration of Black Loyalists to Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone, and the nature of the Black community in the United Kingdom.
ACST 3791  Literatures of the Black Atlantic  ENGL 3791  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: Three (3) credit hours in ENGL at the 1000 level
Students examine transnational literatures from African, Caribbean, European and North American contexts with a focus on the multidirectional networks and the distinctive poetics of water that constitute the historical and literary formation of the black Atlantic. Writers examined may include; Olaudah Equiano, Phillis Wheatley, Claude McKay, James Baldwin, Derek Walcott, Dionne Brand, Lawrence Hill, Bernardine Evaristo and Caryl Phillips.

ACST 3800 - 3825 Special Topics in Atlantic Canada Studies
3 credit hours
This semester course will provide the student with an opportunity to take courses on specific Atlantic Canada topics which do not fit in with the standard offerings of other departments of the University.

ACST 3826 - 3849 Special Topics in Atlantic Canada Studies
3 credit hours
This semester course will provide the student with an opportunity to take courses on specific Atlantic Canada topics which do not fit in with the standard offerings of other departments of the University.

ACST 4400  Health, Illness and Disease in Atlantic Canada    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: (s): ACST 1000 and Six (6) credit hours in ACST or permission of the instructor
This seminar is an examination of health and medicine in contemporary Atlantic Canada through an interdisciplinary perspective. Emphasis is placed on the organization of health services, health policy, the role of voluntary groups and agencies, and the experiences of health and illness in a regional context.
ACST 4411  Atlantic Canada Seminar I    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: A minimum of thirty (30) credit hours
This course will provide an opportunity for students to integrate their knowledge of Atlantic Canada in an interdisciplinary fashion. Drawing upon the expertise of a number of guest speakers familiar with various aspects of Atlantic Provinces life, the course will deal with such topics as the Atlantic fishery, agriculture, industry and labour, business enterprise, regional protest and cultural ethnicity.
ACST 4500  Honours Seminar    
6 credit hours  
Prerequisite: A minimum of sixty (60) credit hours
These courses will provide an opportunity for honours students to integrate their knowledge in an interdisciplinary fashion.
ACST 4501  Public History  HIST 4501  
6 credit hours  
Prerequisite: permission from the instructor.
Public history includes the practices and presentation of history outside academia involving a wide range of practitioners - from historians, museum curators, and film makers, to researchers, journalists, and archivists. This course will examine the evolution of public history as a discipline and a practice through both a classroom and a workplace component - including mentored volunteer work in a public history setting.

ACST 4511 - 4512 Honours Seminar
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: A minimum of sixty (60) credit hours.
These courses will provide an opportunity for honours students to integrate their knowledge in an interdisciplinary fashion.

ACST 4543  Indigenous Peoples in Atlantic Canada: Contemporary Issues    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: At least sixty (60) credit hours
In this seminar course students will examine contemporary issues facing First Nations and Inuit communities in Atlantic Canada. Students will be introduced to the challenges facing Indigenous Peoples in an age of increasing globalization, radical environmental change, and complex economic development, as they struggle to reassume self-government.
ACST 4565  Scottish Migration  HIST 4565  
3 credit hours  
From the late eighteenth to the middle of the twentieth century, Scotland had one of the highest emigration rates in Europe. This seminar course will examine a wide range of literature that discusses Scottish migration to various overseas destinations in order to place the Scottish presence in Nova Scotia in historical context.
ACST 4631  Environmental History of Atlantic Canada  HIST 4631  
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: At least sixty (60) credit hours
This interdisciplinary seminar course is an examination of the changing ways nature has been viewed and transformed in Atlantic Canada before and after European settlement, surveying environmental history up to the mid-20th century. Topics range from historic aboriginal resource use to colonial perceptions of nature and the early conservation movement.
ACST 4632  Atlantic Canada Ecology and Resources    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: At least sixty (60) credit hours
Ecology provides the background for considering the many social, economic, political, and philosophical dimensions of environmental and resource use in Atlantic Canada today. In this interdisciplinary seminar course, students examine contemporary regional ecological concerns through the study of concepts such as environmentalism, sustainability, environmental governance, and ecological literacy.
ACST 4633  Reading the Landscapes of Atlantic Canada    
3 credit hours  
Prerequisite: At least sixty (60) credit hours
Reading landscapes is an interdisciplinary investigation of the relationship between natural history, ecology, and human activity in a regional context. In this seminar course students examine the ecology and environment of Atlantic Canada by exploring a range of landscapes that include forests, marshlands, beaches, rivers, fields, and urban streets.

ACST 4800 – 4825 Special Topics in Atlantic Canada Studies
6 credit hours
Course content varies from year to year.

ACST 4826 – 4849 Special Topics in Atlantic Canada Studies
3 credit hours
Course content varies from year to year.

ACST 4876 - 4899 Directed Readings
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Permission of ACST Coordinator
These courses provide opportunities to study a particular subject in detail. They will normally require a considerable amount of independent, though supervised, study.