Sessional Lecturer: POL377H1 F, Topics in Comparative Politics I (Becoming Israel)

University of Toronto • Toronto, ON

7d • Onsite

About The Position

This course will focus on Israel's balancing act between two competing objectives, one seeking to fulfill the Zionist vision and entrench "Jewishness" within the state and the other seeking to establish democratic institutions and procedures. Since independence, Israel's official ideology, Zionism, has been shaping the state's economic, political, demographic, and security policies, designed to advance the interests of the Jewish population in Israel. The Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel fall outside the sociological boundaries of the Jewish nation and present a challenge to nation-building. At the same time, Israel's commitment to democratic principles and procedures entails guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of Palestinian Arab citizens. In this course, students will explore the most salient manifestations of the tensions between Israel's commitment to democracy and Zionism, familiarize themselves with the debates about Israel's political regime, institutions, and society, and develop their positions on these divisive debates. The estimated course enrollment is 70 students with 50 hours of TA support. The class schedule is Friday 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The delivery method for this course is currently in-person, but may change as determined by the Faculty or the Department. The sessional dates of appointment are September 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026.

Requirements

• PhD is required.
• Teaching experience at the university level is required.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated evidence of excellence in teaching and mastery of the subject area is preferred.
• Previous experience in teaching a similar course is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Preparation of course syllabus and course marking scheme
• Planning and teaching weekly lectures
• Setting and marking assignments/tests/exams and course administration in accordance with the University regulations as described in the Faculty of Arts & Science Academic Handbook for Instructors
• Submission of grades
• Available for office hours for academic counselling of students
• Dealing with student enquiries, appeals and petitions
• Supervising and training TAs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree