The Social Construction of Borders

Course description

For much of the modern era, the term “border” has been synonymous with the geopolitical boundaries of the Westphalian system. Borders are demarcated and securitized; they are negotiated and fought over. Borders help to define citizenship and to exclude the unwelcome and Other. But what of culture? Does cultural identity stop (or start) at the border? How do we form our cultural identities, and what relationship do these processes have with state boundaries? Is “Canadian culture” only expressed by Canadian citizens, for example, or can non-citizens adopt the Canadian cultural identity? How do virtual spaces challenge our understanding of borders and bordering processes?