J. Hart, BA PhD Kent
Reader and Head of Department
Introduction
Political Science is the study of human relationships that involve power, rule, or authority. It is about how societies govern themselves and how societies ought to be governed. It is about how nations relate to each other in a global polity. It is about the political behaviour of individuals and groups that occurs in all societies. It is about those who have political power in society and those who do not.
Political Science is a broadly-based discipline and the Department of Political Science offers courses that span a number of sub-fields within the discipline. First-year units are designed to provide an introduction to the study of politics while later-year units allow students to take more specialised courses within (and across) five principal areas: (a) political thought and political theory, (b) Australian government and public policy, (c) comparative politics and comparative public policy, (d) international politics, and (e) the methodology of political science.
A departmental major in Political Science usually consists of any two first-year units in political science followed by units to the value of thirty two credit points chosen from later-year units in political science. There are no compulsory requirements in the departmental major and students can take a broad range of advanced units or, if they choose, to specialise in one or two of the five principal areas described above. There are no prerequisites for entry into first-year units, but those offered at later-year level normally require successful completion of two first-year units in Political Science. The prerequisites for each unit are noted in the unit entries.
Not all the units listed on the following pages are offered every year and most of the upper-level units are taught in alternate years only. Students wishing to consider their choice of courses for more than one year ahead should consult the department’s Undergraduate Adviser. The Undergraduate Adviser and other members of the staff will also be pleased to offer advice relevant to the choice of units
Students who wish to study for an honours degree in political science should read the section The Degree with Honours at the end of the department’s entry in this handbook. Admission to Political Science IV is dependent on completion of a required number of political science units at second and third-year level and the attainment of prescribed grades in those units.
The following units are offered in 1999
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First Semester |
Second Semester |
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First Year |
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Introduction to Politics |
Ideas in Politics |
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Second or Third Year |
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Australian Elections |
Australian Federal Politics |
FIRST-YEAR UNITS
The first year in political science usually consists of two units chosen from the three units listed in this section. The normal course of study for most students would commence with the unit Introduction to Politics in the first semester and then a choice of one of the two units offered in the second semester. However, it is possible for students to take two units in the second semester and thus complete the first year of Political Science in one semester. Students who enter in mid-year may spread their first year in Political Science across two calendar years (by taking one unit in the second semester and then Introduction to Politics in the first semester of the following year).
Introduction to Politics POLS1002
(6cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Mr Adams
Syllabus: The first aim of this unit is to introduce students to some of the key concepts in the discipline of Political Science: power, influence, authority, legitimacy, coercion, conflict, interests, policy-making, bureaucracy, corruption, accountability and democracy.
The second aim is to use these ¾ and other ¾ concepts to examine the major institutions of Australian politics, often in a comparative perspective. Students will explore the Constitution, Federalism, Parliament, Cabinet, Public Service, the Electoral System, the High Court, State Governments, Political Parties, Interest Groups, Social Movements and the Media.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Essay and examination
Ideas in Politics POLS1003
(6cp)
Second semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Shearmur
Syllabus: The unit offers an introduction to some of the major ideas which are influential in contemporary politics, and to controversies about them. Ideas which we are likely to discuss will include: liberalism, conservatism, socialism (including Marxism), feminism, ecological ideas and politics, politics and identity, politics and religion, and the issue of censorship. The course will be designed so that students are assisted to acquire skills which will enable them to make effective use of library and IT facilities, and to write and to present effectively, on this material.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Essay, tutorial and Newsgroup performance, and examination.
Introduction to Australian and International Political Economy POLS1004
(6cp)
Second semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lectures will be taped
Lecturer: Dr Kuhn
Syllabus: Will I ever get a job or will I be able to hold on to my current one? Can I afford to study or travel? Will I be able to set up and sustain a household? The answers to these questions depend on more than the kind of people we are. International relations, election results, the extent of racism, the degree of equality between men and women and levels of industrial conflict are not simply determined by politicians’ decisions. No serious understanding of the forces which shape either our own lives or politics on a national and international scale is possible without knowledge of the interactions amongst politics, economic structures, relationships and developments.
This course will examine the boundary between politics and economics. It will explore the impact of economics on politics and of politics on economics, particularly through the study of Australia’s class structure and its relationship to competing theories and ideas about economic policy. Attention will be paid to social democratic, economic rationalist and Marxist approaches. There will be a strong emphasis on discussing and exploring current international and Australian issues as they arise in the media and public debate.
A role play of an industrial dispute will help achieve the course’s fundamental aim, to develop the ability of participants to critically evaluate arguments about political economy.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Essay, tutorial participation and examination.
This unit is a core unit in the Political Economy program major.
LATER-YEAR UNITS
Approaching Politics POLS2051
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Mr Adams
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: This unit examines the degree to which students of politics can usefully draw on materials from outside the discipline of Political Science. Attention will be paid to some of the following: psychoanalysis, cognitive and social psychology, novels, plays, political satire, art, architecture, journalism, television and films. Among the questions to be addressed are the following: what descriptions of, and attitudes towards, politics can be found in these materials? How does the work of outsiders differ from that of political scientists? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches to politics? What is distinctive about the political scientist’s approach?
Australian Elections POLS2066
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Mr Bennett
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: An analysis of elections in Australia. Most of the course will deal with Commonwealth elections, but there will be discussion of aspects of State elections. Topics will include voting methods, electoral law, campaigning, voting behaviour, the place of the media.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Written work and a final examination.
Australian Federal Politics POLS2065
(8cp)
Second semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
This course may not
be taken by students who have passed Australian Politics (POLS2007)
Lecturer: Mr Bennett
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: This course examines various aspects of government and politics in Australia. Topics include the politics of the Constitution, judicial review, the Australian Parliaments, Prime Ministers and Premiers, Cabinets, the place of the vice-regal offices, the federal nature of the Australian polity, the place of the States and Territories, Commonwealth-State financial relations, local government.
Proposed assessment: Written work and a final examination.
Australian Foreign Policy: The Search for Security and Prosperity POLS3001
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures, one tutorial and one 3-hour video colloquium
a week
Lecturer: Dr McKinley
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: Australia’s international history in the twentieth century is frequently marked by conflict: right through to the early 1990s, decisions to wage war of one type or another punctuated national life. More recently, however, the political-military dimension has been joined by a resurgent emphasis on the political- economic dimension of foreign policy. Increasingly, national survival is seen to reside more in Australia’s economic competitiveness and less exclusively in its military preparedness. This course will examine the record (including the transition to the present period) in terms of the implications it has for, and the insights it gives into, the country’s role as a political actor. Accordingly, in the first instance, the focus will be on Australian policy with respect to major wars ¾ the First World War, Second World War, Korean War, Suez Crisis, Vietnam War, and the Gulf War of 1990-91.
Within this perspective, particular attention will be paid to both Australia’s alliance relationship with the United States of America, and its concepts of peace — in which name, presumably, the former are established, and ultimately, the wars were fought. Attention will then turn to what many see is the principal pre-occupation of Australian foreign policy in the post-Cold war era ¾ namely, the attempts by successive Australian governments since the early 1980s to embrace the globalising world economy in an effort to secure the country’s prosperity. A question running through this analysis is whether, for Australia, economic cooperation and conflict has assumed the traditional status of war and alliance relationships.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Essay, tutorial contributions and one three-hour examination.
Australian Government Administration and Public Policy POLS2005
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999. Next offered in 2000
Two lectures and one tutorial
a week
Lecturer: Dr Simms
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science or Economics or Economic History or Sociology or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: This unit will include three major themes. In the first instance, an introduction to public policy and the different approaches to studying public policy. Secondly, an analysis of the actors and institutions, such as politicians, officials, interest groups and the media, involved in making policy, largely but not solely in the Australian context. Thirdly, a discussion of the Australian federal public policy process itself, including topics such as policy communities, problems of rationality and decision making and the issues of policy design and implementation.
Australian Political Economy: Industrial Relations, Industry Policy and Economic Crisis POLS2054
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Kuhn
Prerequisite: Introduction to Australian and International Political Economy or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: Since the mid 1970s Australia has experienced profound technological changes, gone through a series of deep recessions, seen dramatic shifts in industrial relations and the role of government, and participated in new economic relations with other countries. This course will explore these developments and the processes of capital accumulation, government policy, capitalist crisis, globalisation and class conflict which underpin them. It will also consider debates over the implications of these changes including over the extent to which they have fundamentally altered the nature of our society; and the sorts of political strategies necessary to deal with them.
Proposed assessment: A book review, a tutorial paper and an essay.
This unit may be included in the Political Economy program major.
Australian Political Parties POLS2067
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Simms
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science or with permission of the Head of Department
Syllabus: Throughout the Western World party systems have been challenged by the emergence of new parties of the left (eg the Greens) and by new parties of the right (eg One Nation). This unit examines the nature of the Australian political party system and the rise of the new parties. It also examines the reasons for the weakening of the party system such as globalisation, economic restructuring and unemployment. Future scenarios for the development of political parties will also be sketched.
Proposed assessment: Written work and a take-home examination.
Bureaucracy and Public Policy POLS2009
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Mr Adams
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: This unit will provide an introduction to the study of public administration and public policy. Topics to be covered include: the role and nature of governmental bureaucracy; policy-making; the implementation of policy; administrative politics; governmental corruption; the control of government; governments and markets; values in public administration; some problems of modern government.
The unit will contain a blend of theory and case studies. It will be comparative in scope, drawing its illustrations and cases from a number of systems of government.
Proposed assessment: An essay and a final examination.
Classical Marxism POLS2061
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999
One two hour seminar and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Kuhn
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science or Sociology or Anthropology Economic History or Introduction to Philosophy or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: Widespread ideas about Marxism (that it only applied to the ‘dark satanic mills’ of 19th Century capitalism, that it advocates political conspiracies and can only result in endless queuing) are generally based on ignorance of what Marx argued. His main concern was to understand the nature of capitalist society and implications for how we live, think and can change the world. His approach has inspired and influenced large mass movements and millions of people. His ideas continue to be a reference point including for many hostile to his political conclusions.
In order to clarify the content of classical marxism, this course will aim to develop students’ understanding of key marxist concepts and their application to concrete problems. It will be organised around seminars which will engage in detailed discussion of important Marxist texts, principally by Marx and Engels, their historical context and contemporary relevance. Lectures will be concerned with the background to these texts and their relationship to marxist theory and practice. Issues addressed will include: the relationship between marxist analyses of capitalism and political activity; the marxist conception of socialism as the self-emancipation of the working class; Marx’s integration of earlier radical democratic and socialist traditions; the place of revolution in Marx’s approach to the supersession of capitalism.
Proposed assessment: Seminar presentation, essay, course diary.
This unit may be included in the Political Economy or the Social and Political Theory program majors.
Contemporary Political Theory POLS2063
(8cp)
Second Semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr West
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science, or Introduction to Philosophy, or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: In recent years, political theory has been revived by a series of ambitious and systematic works. This unit will examine influential figures such as Rawls, Nozick, Hayek, Walzer, Oakeshott and Okin, who have, in different ways, renewed the diverse ideological traditions they represent. It will examine their accounts of basic political values, their visions of the ‘good society’ — such issues as the nature of social justice and the distribution of wealth, central concepts such as equality, liberty and rights, the legitimacy of the state and the value of democracy. Socialist, feminist and ecological approaches to political theory will also be considered. The unit will approach these questions in the light of the political realities of Western countries.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: An essay, a second assignment and tutorial work.
This unit may be included in the Social and Political Theory program major.
Development and Change POLS2011
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Sutherland
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science or Sociology or Anthropology or Geography or Economics or Economic History or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: This course is about development and change in Third World societies. It surveys the impact of colonialism and examines theoretical approaches to development. Against this background the course takes up some key issues facing Third World countries, including trade, investment, debt, aid, food, the environment and human rights. Development strategies are reviewed and agents of change are considered.
Proposed assessment: An essay, tutorial work and an examination.
This unit may be included in the Development Studies program major.
Economic Liberalism and Its Critics POLS2077
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Shearmur
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science or with the permission of the Head of Department
Syllabus: In the period since the Second World War, there has been a revival of interest in and a development of classical liberal ideas. They have made their impact on politics in many countries especially since the end of the 1970s. This course is designed to offer a non-technical introduction to these ideas, to features of their dissemination, to the critical response to them, and to some of the theoretical debates that have taken place which relate to them. It will not be concerned with their party-political reception. While we will deal with economic ideas, the course interest in them will be resolutely political, and it will not be open to students to undertake, for this course, technical work in economics.
Preliminary reading
Frankfurt School and Habermas POLS2076
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999. Next offered in Second Semester 2000
Two lectures and
one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr West
Prerequisites: Two first-year units in Political Science or Introduction to Philosophy or with permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: This unit will examine the social and political thought of the Frankfurt School and Habermas. After a brief look at the formation and history of the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, the first part of the unit will examine some of the major influences on, and themes of, the Frankfurt School’s brand of ‘critical theory’. Themes will include: Marxism and the critique of political economy; Weber, the rationalisation of society and the philosophy of history; Freudian psychoanalysis, the individual and the family; aesthetics, art and the culture industry; the critique of positivism and the notion of a critical theory of society. The work of theorists such as Horkheimer, Adorno and Marcuse will be discussed. The second part of the unit will look in more detail at the work of Jürgen Habermas, the latest and most systematic of the thinkers associated with the Frankfurt School. We will consider Habermas’s reformulation of critical theory, his account of knowledge and human interests and his theory of communication. The unit will conclude with a comparison between Habermas and ‘poststructuralist’ and ‘postmodernist’ theorists such as Foucault and Lyotard.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: An essay, a second assignment and tutorial work.
Gender and International Politics POLS2068
(8cp)
Second semester
One two-hour lecture and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Pettman
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science, or a Women’s Studies unit or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: This unit will analyse gender relations within international politics. It will examine issues to do with gender and war, gender and the state, and women’s experiences of nationalism and citizenship, as well as women’s roles in the development process and the international political economy. It will scrutinize key concepts and categories in international politics in the light of recent feminist and critical scholarship.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Tutorial participation, written work and a course review.
This unit may form part of a major in Women’s Studies.
Germany and Austria in Europe POLS2071
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999
Two lectures and one tutorial per week
Lecturer: Dr Kuhn
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science, or Post-war German Society, or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: Germany is the economic powerhouse of the European Union seeking a greater role in world politics. Unification, after the political collapse of East Germany, has increased Germany’s political influence. But its economic miracle finished in the early 1990s (at the latest) and unification has stressed German society. Since the late 1980s there have been several waves of increased electoral support for fascist organisations and of violence against minorities. Germany, with one of the most powerful union movements in the world and employers stressing the need for ‘international competitiveness’ by holding down wages and other costs has seen increased levels of industrial conflict. Social conflict in Austria, governed since 1987 by a Grand Coalition of Social Democrats and conservatives, has been much less open. Attacks on the welfare state in Austria have been less than in most other developed countries. But the electoral support for the coalition parties has been declining and the main opposition is Europe’s most influential fascist party.
The course will examine the background to contemporary developments, the distinctive features of two countries’ institutions, societies and economies, their class structures and political parties. A major focus will be on understanding current issues in the news from Austria and Germany.
Proposed assessment: An essay and a tutorial paper.
This unit is a Bachelor of Arts (European Studies) designated unit.
Globalism and the Politics of Identity POLS2075
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Pettman
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science, or with the permission of the Head of Department
Syllabus: This unit analyses the making of political identities in the contemporary world, beginning with the world itself, the West and its Others, and international processes of colonisation, migration, decolonisation and globalism. It moves on to dominant political identities, including those of state, citizen and old nationalisms, and to post-colonial and post-migratory identities. Within this global frame, the unit then pursues debates around community, identity and difference through a focus on Australian nationalism, Aboriginality and ethnicity; and on Australia’s place in the world and the region.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Tutorial participation, written work and a course review.
This unit may form part of a major in Women’s Studies
Lies, Drugs, Sex, and Videotapes: Counter- Narratives of Global Politics POLS3020
(8cp)
Second semester (This unit is offered in second semester in alternate years)
Two
lectures, one tutorial and one 3 hour video/colloquium a week
Lecturer: Dr McKinley
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science, or with the permission of the Head of Department
Note: This unit is not available to students who have successfully completed Governance, Identity, and Silenced Discourse ¾ POLS3020
Syllabus: This course will present an inquiry into significant developments in Global Politics, some originating in World War II, from perspectives which the mainstream effectively excludes, marginalises, repressively tolerates, or silences in the interests of maintaining its own privileged position in explaining, prescribing, and legitimating the world and its various orders. It examines, in turn, the current state of the world, (in particular the phenomenon known as ‘globalisation’ and its consequences), and the proximate origins of these conditions in both theory and practice. At each turn the purpose is to juxtapose the accepted and acceptable record, and declared values of the West’s victories since 1945 with the empirical record, and to disturb certain conventional truths from their comfortable repose. Accordingly, this course is a critical reflection on the conventional wisdom, the powers, which sustain it, and the purposes which it serves. The extended schedule of subjects will include: secret government and secret wars conducted by intelligence agencies; genocide, terror, and mass murder; ‘black propaganda’ operations (including those of a sexual nature) against out-of favour political leaders such as Indonesia’s Sukarno; violence; racism; support of dictators; organised crime and drug cartels; and the development and extension of Third World conditions in the name of economic progress. Throughout, extensive use will be made of documentary videotapes.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Essay, tutorial contributions and examination
Government and Politics in the USA POLS2013
(16cp)
Full-year unit
Not offered in 1999. Next offered in 2000
Lecturer: Dr Hart
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: This is a full-year unit designed to provide (1) a broad introduction to the structure and processes of government in the United States, (2) an understanding of the political behaviour and political ideas of the American people, and (3) some knowledge of current public policy issues in American politics.
The course begins with an examination of the eighteenth century origins of American government, the political ideas of Americas Founding Fathers, and the nature of American constitutionalism, in order to provide the necessary background to the study of government institutions and political processes in twentieth century America.
The major part of the course will cover the organisation and structure of Congress, the nature of the Presidency and the executive branch of government, the role of the Supreme Court with particular emphasis on its political and policy impact, political parties, electoral politics, voting behaviour and voting turnout, the political impact of the mass media, interest group politics, the character of American federalism, and politics at the state and local level.
This will be followed by a consideration of selected political movements in the United States to illustrate the variety of forms of political action and the relationship between political ideas and political action in contemporary America. Among the subjects to be examined are the new left, the civil rights movement, black power, the radical right, neoconservatism, the new right, and the womens movement. The study of political ideas will be linked to a survey of the major areas of public policy debate in the United States. This will include economic and budgetary policy, welfare reform, health care, and the conduct of US foreign policy.
The course will conclude with a review of some theoretical contributions to the debate about the distribution of power in the United States and the nature of American democracy.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: The assessment will be based on two essays to be submitted during the year and an examination at the end of the year.
International Politics POLS2015
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr George
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: This unit provides a broad ranging introduction to the study of international politics. Its aim is to familiarise students with the basic concepts, issues, themes and historical events integral to an understanding of the contemporary world scene.
Proposed assessment: An essay and an end-of-semester examination.
International Relations Theory POLS3017
(8cp)
Second semester
One lecture and one two-hour seminar a week
Lecturer: Dr George
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: This unit addresses some of the most important issues in International Relations Theory with special emphasis on developments in the post WWII period. Following an introduction to the major theoretical concepts employed by IR scholars and policymakers, the unit explores in more detail: theories of power politics Realism, the neo (realism)/neo (liberalism) debate and various critical social theory perspectives in the 1990s.
Proposed assessment: An essay and an end-of-semester examination.
Modern Political Theory POLS2023
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Shearmur
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: This unit provides an introduction to some of the key Western thinkers in the ‘modern’ period: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Adam Smith, G.W.F. Hegel, Karl Marx and J.S. Mill. We will look at the context in which they were writing, at some of their texts, and at controversies about the interpretation of their work. At the same time, the unit also deals with problems and issues which set the scene for political controversy in our own day, and there is ample opportunity to discuss the bearing of the issues and figures with whom we will deal on topics that are of current concern in Australia today.
This unit may be included in the Social and Political Theory program major.
Proposed assessment: Assessment will be by way of an essay or project, contributions to a computer-based ‘newsgroup’, and a personal ‘reflective journal’. There will not be an exam.
New Social Movements POLS2064
(8cp)
First Semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr West
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science, or Introduction to Philosophy, or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: Social movements have assumed particular significance in recent years. This unit will concentrate on the experience of feminist, lesbian and gay, black and ecological or green politics. The unit will consider some of the theoretical issues raised by these movements, in particular: (a) their relation to other forms of politics, especially class politics; (b) problems of political practice (organisation, strategy and tactics), for example the role of consciousness raising, autonomy and separatism; (c) issues in political theory such as the distinction between oppression and exploitation, the concepts of power and interests, the nature of personal politics and the politics of identity and culture; (d) whether these movements are really new. It will examine the work of theorists such as Touraine, Habermas, Offe, Melucci and Foucault in the light of these issues.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: An essay, a second assignment and tutorial work.
Pacific Politics POLS2055
(8cp)
Second semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Sutherland
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science or Sociology or Anthropology or Geography or Economics or Economic History or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: This course is about the island countries of the Pacific. The first part of the course surveys colonial impacts and the process of decolonisation and then examines the forms of government, culture and ideology, political participation, the situation of Pacific women and various agents of change. The second part of the course is concerned with the Pacific Islands in the context global context. It examines key economic issues, regional cooperation and the process of reform in the 1990s.
Assessment: An essay, tutorial work and an examination.
This unit may be included in the Development Studies program major.
Paradigms and Research Programmes in Political Science POLS2078
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Shearmur
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science or Sociology or Introduction to Philosophy or with the permission of Head of the Department.
This unit may not be taken by those who have taken POLS3006.
Syllabus: This unit offers an introduction to selected systematic approaches to the study of political science, to their application, to theoretical issues raised by them, and to discussions about how they might be evaluated. It will thus discuss such topics as the contrasting approaches of rational choice theory, hermeneutics and Marxism to the study of political science, and issues upon which different approaches have been in conflict. It also offers an introduction to a variety of research tools and their use in political science research, and will include a piece of bibliographical research.
Politics in Britain POLS2025
(8cp)
Second semester
Two lectures and one tutorial per week
Lecturer: Dr Hart
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Note: Students may not count both this unit and HIST2103 From Socialism to Thatcherism in their degree course.
Syllabus: The unit is about the development of party politics in post-war Britain. Its principal focus will be the competition between the parties in terms of ideology, policy, and electoral appeal. It will examine the breakdown of the post-war consensus, the rise of minor parties, theories of partisan decline, the impact of the media on voting behaviour, and the response of the parties to major domestic and foreign policy issues since 1945, including the Suez Crisis, Northern Ireland, the European Community, the Falklands War, economic management, industrial relations, and race and immigration.
Proposed assessment: An essay and a final examination.
Politics in Central and West Asia POLS2070
(8cp)
Not offered in 1999. To be offered in 2000
Two lectures and one tutorial
per week
Lecturer: Professor Saikal
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science, or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: This course covers a predominantly Muslim region which has recently come to prominence in world politics, largely as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Its focus will be on the national politics and interstate and international relations of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The course concentrates on selected themes concerning social integration, political mobilisation and economic modernisation in the context of a common Islamic religion but sectarian and ethnolinguistic diversity.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: One essay and either a three-hour examination or a second essay.
Politics in Japan POLS2029
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Tabusa
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science, or with the permission of the Head of Department
Syllabus: The unit aims to introduce students to the structure and operation of a political system based on distinctive social, political and economic foundations, and to its interaction with the international political community. Topics covered will include the evolution of the post-war political system, political parties, elections, political participation, policy-making and implementation, and selected issues in postwar Japanese politics.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: An essay, tutorial work and a final examination.
Politics in Russia POLS2069
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial per week
Lecturer: Professor Saikal
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: This unit provides an introduction to the politics of Russia. It traces the evolution of Russian politics through both Tsarist and Soviet periods. While it primarily focuses on the rise and fall of communist ideology and institutions, it also examines in detail the ongoing development of political structures in post-communist Russia and the forces, both domestic and international, which play a role in shaping those structures.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: One essay and either a three-hour examination or a second essay.
Politics in the Middle East POLS2031
(8cp)
Second semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Professor Saikal
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: The unit concentrates on the contemporary politics of the Arab world and Iran, with some reference to Turkey and Afghanistan. It examines the political development and dynamics of the major countries involved at national and regional levels. This is done in the context of four major variables ¾ Islam, oil, the Arab-Israeli conflict and other regional disputes, and super power rivalry ¾ and the consequences of the interaction of these variables against the background of the regions growing importance in world politics. The main countries under study are: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Jordan and Israel.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: One 3000-word essay and one three-hour examination or a long essay in lieu of an examination.
Politics, Policy and the Media POLS2080
(8cp)
Second semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Lecturer: Dr Simms
Prerequisites: Two first-year units in Political Science or Sociology or with the permission of the Head of Political Science.
Syllabus: This unit explores key contemporary issues about the political role of the media, largely, but by no means solely, in the Australian context. Students will be encouraged to specialise in one area selected from amongst the following themes: the political effects of the media; policy-making on the media; and, gender and the media.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: A 2,500 word essay, tutorial work and either an examination or further written assignments.
Pressure Groups and Australian Public Policy POLS2043
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Lecturer: Professor Warhurst
Syllabus: This unit involves the study of the impact of pressure groups on policy-making in Australia. The role of both sectional groups (such as business organisations and trade unions), promotional groups (including the environmental and women’s lobbies), as well as some other groups including the churches, will be examined. The unit will also address differing styles of interaction between groups and governments, such as consultative strategies, political lobbying, direct action and public opinion management.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: There will be an essay, tutorial work and an examination.
Religion and Politics in Australia POLS2081
(8cp)
Second semester
Two lectures and one tutorial per week
Lecturer: Professor Warhurst
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science
Syllabus: This unit is primarily concerned with the domestic Australian elements in the interaction between politics and religious interests, organisations and ideas, but international aspects will also be considered. In the context of church-state debates, the direct place of Christians, Jews and Muslims in politics will be analysed, as well as the religious component of Aboriginal and ethnic politics. Religion generates political passion among both proponents and opponents and its impact on party and group politics is unpredictable as it appears on both the right and left of politics. Churches are themselves internally divided over political issues and over the appropriate relationship between church and state. Churches are also significant actors in public administration as deliverers of educational, health and welfare services. Political issues to be discussed include the regulation of life and death, educational politics, social justice, censorship and pornography, immigration and ethnic affairs, gender and equal employment opportunity and economic policy.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Essay, Examination and Tutorial Assessment
This unit may be included in the Religious Studies Program Major
The Welfare State POLS2072
(8cp)
First semester
Two lectures and one tutorial per week
Lecturer: Dr Gray
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science, or with the permission of the Head of Department.
Syllabus: This unit begins by examining ideas about the welfare state and moves on to look at the development of social policy in comparative perspective. In the first part of the course, debates surrounding the expansion of the public provision of welfare are studied, beginning with the writings of ‘New’ Liberals, such as Hobson and Hobhouse and moving on to the present day critiques by Marxist, libertarian, feminist and anti-racist thinkers. In the second part of the course, the welfare state and its development in selected countries is studied, with special focus on Australia. Central concerns are i) to identify the main similarities and differences in welfare provision between countries ii) to explore some of the explanations for divergent developments iii) to examine the crisis of the welfare state and iv) to examine proposals for reform.
Preliminary reading
Proposed assessment: Written work and an examination.
Women and Australian Public Policy POLS2074
(8cp)
Second Semester
Two lectures and one tutorial per week
Lecturer: Dr Gray
Prerequisites: Two first-year units in Political Science or successful completion of any Women’s Studies unit.
Syllabus: This unit will examine the efforts of womens groups to influence Australian public policy since the late 1960s. It will begin by looking at feminist theories of the state and critiques of bureaucracy, power and hierarchy. Feminist analyses of the unequal status of women in Australia will then be examined. The focus will be on the sexual division of labour, the public-private dichotomy and the attitudes and practices that underpin those divisions. Critiques of public policy and of proposals for reform across a range of policy areas will then be studied, together with an examination of the strategies and tactics used by different groups of women. The policy areas under consideration will vary but may include equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation, affirmative action, child rearing, paid employment, non-market and caring work, health, social security and welfare. International comparative material will be included where appropriate.
Proposed assessment: Written work and an examination.
This unit may be included in a Women’s Studies major or in a BA in Australian Studies or a BA in Policy Studies.
The degree with honours
Honours Adviser: Dr West
Intending honours students should first read the general statement ‘The degree with honours’ in the introductory section of the Faculty of Arts entry.
Admission
There will be a series of meetings for students hoping to advance to Political Science IV. Further information can also be obtained from the Political Science office or through the Departmental web page. Students with particular enquiries should consult the Honours Adviser.
Requirements
To be eligible for entry into Fourth Year Honours students must have completed the requirements for the pass degree
The degree with honours in Political Science normally comprises:
(a) Two first-year units in Political Science.
(b) Additional (second and third-year level) units of political science to the value of 64 credit points. At least 24 of these 64 advanced credit points of Political Science are to comprise units completed with a grade of Distinction or above, with the remainder to be completed with grades of Credit or above. However, where a grade of High Distinction has been obtained, one grade of Pass will be allowed. Up to two Passes may be allowed in this way. Thus, students can qualify for Honours with the following patterns of results (or better) in later-year units:
|
3 Ds |
5 CRs |
||
|
1 HD |
3 Ds |
3 CRs |
1 P |
|
2 HDs |
3 Ds |
1 CR |
2 Ps |
Students may be given approval to take units to the value of 16 of their 64 credit points outside the Department. A list of Approved Outside Points may be obtained from the Department.
(c) Political Science IV, comprising
Final honours results are determined on the basis of a student’s overall performance in Political Science IV (1/2 thesis and 1/2 course work).
Combined honours including political science
Students may combine honours in Political Science with honours in certain other subjects, the overall work load being equivalent to honours in a single subject.
Sixteen of the Political Science credit points at second and third-year level are to be completed with grades of Distinction or above. The remaining credit points of Political Science should be completed with grades of Credit or above.
When planning such a degree students should take account of the honours requirements in both subjects. Those interested should consult the Honours Adviser as early as possible.
Double honours including political science
Students interested in doing more extended work in Political Science and another subject may take a double honours degree. This usually takes 5 years to complete. Intending students should consult the Honours Adviser.
Graduate Studies
For information on Graduate Studies in Political Science see the Graduate School Handbook.