One of the key factors that influenced my decision to attend UBC, along with the amazing campus and the chance to attend one of the leading universities in the world, was the opportunity of joining the CAP program for my first year. Sharing much of my first year at university with a community of like-minded students was a very attractive option for me, and I am happy to say that I have benefited greatly from the community of CAP and the friendships that I have made in the program, friendships that would have been much more difficult to come by if I had applied for conventional classes. However, from an academic standpoint, the aspect of CAP that has impressed me the most is the level of connectivity between all of the classes, which has been at times both explicit and subtle, but as a whole the relationship between the courses in my stream has greatly reinforced and compounded my understanding of the various facets of law and society, and has led me to identify three major themes of the program: national identity, human rights and the marginalization of different groups by the state.

National identity is a major theme of the course that was discussed in many of our classes, but the two class discussions concerning identity in the CAP program that stood out most to me occurred in Poli 101 and ASTU. In Poli 101, which focused on Canadian politics, we discussed exactly what it means to be Canadian, and different forms of Canadian nationalism. Professor Kopas highlighted something that I found very interesting and hadn’t really considered at the time, which is the argument that Canada, as an artificially created country with no longstanding homogenous ethnicity, derives much of its national identity from deciding what it is not, rather than what it is. An example of this would be Canadians defining themselves as “not American,” a distinction that is woven subtlety into the national identity of many Canadians, myself included. This idea, however interesting, remained in the back of my mind until we discussed What We All Long For in ASTU, particularly Dawson’s article, where one of her key arguments is that Canada should not be the sum of its ethnic and social exclusions, which are particularly present through What We All Long For. This related directly to our discussion in Poli 101 concerning the source of Canadian identity in defining different ethnic and social exclusions, and the relationship between these two classes impressed upon me the dangerous nature of defining oneself by excluding others. This was of course not the only discussion throughout CAP of national identity and exclusion, but it was one of the most recent and significant interrelations that I have encountered between our CAP courses.

Another key interrelation between the CAP courses that has impacted me greatly was our various discussions surrounding the UDHR in ASTU and History 104 in first semester. In ASTU we used the UDHR as a lens through which to consider basic human rights in a number of different situations that we were continually introduced to throughout the year. In History 104 we also discussed the significance of the UDHR for what it represented as an internationally endorsed document setting various ideals and standards for the proper and basic treatment of human beings. The discussions of the UDHR in ASTU and History 104 complimented each other, giving me a valuable background and lens through which to consider the actions of different entities in society, and whether their actions constituted a breach of human rights or not. I was able to practice this throughout the year, as the rest of our courses, such as Anthropology 101 and History 105 in second semester, continually presented different situations and case studies that I could judge, explore and interpret using my knowledge of the UDHR. This is undoubtedly a perspective and exercise that I will carry with me into the future, and I plan to use the interrelated and complimentary knowledge of the UDHR that I gained from courses such as ASTU and History 104 and put into practice throughout the rest of my courses to consider new situations and interactions within society.

A final major theme that was imparted to me through the interrelation of our CAP courses was the marginalization of minority groups and relationship between these groups, the state and society as a whole. In second semester all three of our CAP courses, Anthropology 101, History 105 and ASTU discussed indigenous issues, both in Canada and around the world. For most of my life, I was ambivalent and ignorant to the desperate situation and cultural genocide that many indigenous groups experience, particularly in Canada, a country that I always considered to be a beacon of justice and freedom from oppression. Throughout the three CAP courses this semester, I was continually made aware of the experiences that indigenous groups have endured due to colonialism, and it was made dramatically clear to me that the actions of past governments and colonization continue to cripple and oppress the indigenous peoples of many countries, and Canada is one of the foremost examples of this tragedy. The interrelation between these courses forced me to consider the perspective of indigenous peoples and the marginalized, and it has forever altered the way that I will perceive the relationship between law and society, but I feel that this is for the best. These three interrelated courses have greatly informed and enlightened me as to the issues currently facing the many marginalized groups of society, and this has transformed me into a far more aware and conscientious citizen.

CAP has been an incredibly rewarding experience, both socially and academically. I have benefited immensely from the friendships that I have made with my like-minded CAP colleagues, but the interrelation between all of the courses in our stream has profoundly impacted me and done more to shape my understanding of the world, in particular law and society, than any conventional class structure would. I am convinced that the themes of CAP, spoken to by each of the courses of our stream in their own unique way, have turned me into a more conscientious and effective citizen, and I look forward to applying the knowledge and perspectives that CAP has granted me into the rest of my life.