Final Paper
Final Paper
Having completed each module, write a 1,000 – 1,500 worded expository essay based on two of the twelve topics below. Your Final Paper must analyze one level of governance (e.g., federal, provincial, or municipal) or an institution that has been active in some aspect of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., a corporation, advocacy group, or non-profit) in relation to your chosen topics.
Module 1. Pandemic Control Basics:
1a. Mask mandates: How can policy makers and health care advocates promote sustainable mask mandate policies to control future COVID-19 outbreaks? In short, how do we perpetuate masking as a long-term pandemic control measure without overly burdening citizens who are already fatigued from life under COVID-19?
1b. Future vaccine doses: As COVID-19’s daily impact decreases and life improves over the course of the pandemic, how can policy makers ensure continued high rates of vaccination booster shots in the long-term as well as an equitable distribution of shots across Ontario?
Module 2. Health:
2a. Transmission and case management: Researchers combine traditional data collection tools and scenario modeling to identify new COVID-19 threats. What lessons have emerged from planning across government and health authorities to produce stronger COVID-19 protocols and responses during the pandemic?
2b. COVID-19’s social costs: The pandemic has created massive social impacts, increasing vulnerabilities and inequalities across Ontario. How can policy makers and social actors reshape post-crisis society by promoting inclusive and sustainable governance models that also improve health outcomes?
Module 3. Economy:
3a. Gendered aspects of the pandemic: COVID-19 worsened gender disparities in the labour market. How can policy makers and gender equality groups advocate for more inclusive labour policies that will improve gender equality outcomes in the Ontario labour force?
3b. Income support: The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was received positively and helped a broad range of Canadians stay financially afloat. What lessons emerged from the pandemic to guide future income supports for unexpected disruptive events like another pandemic?
Module 4. Education:
4a. Digital divide in education: COVID-19’s impact clearly revealed how access to online resources differed greatly depending on various student demographics (e.g., income level, race, rural vs. urban settings, etc.). How can policy makers narrow the worst aspects of the digital divide and promote more equitable educational outcomes?
4b. Online, hybrid, and face-to-face education: Many students across the K–20 landscape were forced to learn online for over a year. What lessons from the pandemic can guide future education delivery. Consider whether the future of Ontario education should be online, hybrid, face-to-face, or some combination of all three?
Module 5. Indigenous Perspectives:
5a. Governmental support during the pandemic and beyond: How can policy makers, Indigenous peoples, and human rights groups advocate to improve economic, educational, and healthcare outcomes for Indigenous communities?
5b. Territorial sovereignty: What lessons from the pandemic can inform future policies regarding Indigenous territorial sovereignty? In short, what emergency power should Indigenous communities have in policing their own territorial borders during acute situations like a pandemic?
