Dr Frank Lewins BA McM, PhD LaT
The School of Social Sciences brings together the disciplines of Political Science and Sociology. Both disciplines involve the study of human relationships and societies. The broad aims of the School are
Political Science studies human relationships involving power, rule and authority. It is about how societies govern themselves and understanding different ways of thinking about how societies ought to be governed. It focuses on how nations relate to each other in a global polity, and the political behaviour of individuals and groups that occurs in all societies. It is about those who exercise political power in society and those who do not.
Sociology in general is the study of collective human action, social relationships, and individual human behaviour insofar as social forces influence these. Answers to sociological questions are sought via the systematic observation of social forces that shape human action, the fundamental assumptions being that much human behaviour is socially produced and many of the relations between social forces and human action are recurrent.
Political Science and Sociology are broadly-based disciplines and the School offers courses that span several sub-fields within the disciplines.
For beginners the School offers courses that are designed to provide an introduction to the study of politics and/or courses on the relation of the individual to the wider society and the nature of contemporary society.
Later-year courses in Political Science enable students to take more specialised courses in areas like
Later-year courses in Sociology enable students to take specialised courses in
The School of Social Sciences offers numerous courses in several majors in the Faculty of Arts, particularly in the following programs and degrees: Contemporary Europe; Development Studies; European Studies; Gender, Sexuality and Culture; International Relations; Policy Studies; Political Science; Population Studies; Social Research Methods and Sociology. The School also plays an active part in the Australian National Internships Program.
For general enquiries contact the School Administrators:
Mrs Sharon Merten 02 612 54420 (telephone); 02 612 52222 (fax); Sharon.Merten@anu.edu.au
Ms Helen Felton 02 612 54521 (telephone); 02 612 52222 (fax); Helen.Felton@anu.edu.au
Further details about the School can be found at: http://arts.anu.edu.au/sss
Contemporary Europe: Professor Elim Papadakis
<Elim.Papadakis@anu.edu.au>
International Relations: Dr Jim George
<Jim.George@anu.edu.au>
Political Communication: Dr Marian Simms
<Marian.Simms@anu.edu.au>
Political Science: Dr Michael McKinley
<Michael.McKinley@anu.edu.au>
Population Studies: Dr Don Rowland
<Donald.Rowland@anu.edu.au>
Social Research Methods: Dr Don Rowland
<Donald.Rowland@anu.edu.au> and
Dr Owen Dent <Owen.Dent@anu.edu.au>
Convener: Professor Elim Papadakis, BA Kent, PhD Lond.
The value of studying Europe arises both from its history, recent events and prospects for change. Following the end of the Cold War and the expansion of the European Union, new possibilities have emerged for cooperation and unity as well as for reasserting traditions and diversity. Apart from gaining an understanding of the foundations of modern Europe, the program focuses on contemporary European society. An important consideration is that Australia has in common with many European countries similar social and economic concerns, high levels of education, and relatively affluent societies. Europe, which represents the biggest trading bloc in the world, is also the largest trading partner of Australia.
This major is taken by students enrolled in the BA (European Studies) and is available to students enrolled in the BA.
The major consists of a minimum of 42 units consisting of the following courses:
(a) 12 units at first year level. This must include EURO1004 Europe in the Modern Era: Foundations of International Relations and any one of the following:
Introduction to Politics POLS1002;
Introduction to Australian & International Political Economy POLS1004
Introduction to International Relations POLS1005
Contemporary Society SOCY1003;
Ends of Empire: British Colonial Rule and its Outcomes HIST1015;
Contemporary Issues in Philosophy PHIL1003;
Fundamental Ideas in Philosophy: an Historical Introduction PHIL1004.
(b) Plus a minimum of 30 units (usually equivalent to five courses). Four of these courses must include either European Society and Politics EURO2008; The European Union: Policies, Institutions and Challenges EURO2003; Contemporary Issues in Historical Perspective EURO2005; Citizens, the State and Democracy SOCY2052; Green Governance POLS2087; and Fascism and Antifascism POLS2092
One other course can be drawn from the wide selection of designated courses listed below.
Art and Architecture of the Italian Renaissance ARTH2019
Charlemagne to Chartres ARTH2096
Deconstruction A Users' Guide PHIL2002
Early Medieval Europe: Art and Architecture ARTH2095
European Cinema, European Societies FILM2003
European Philosophy A PHIL2087
European Philosophy B PHIL2097
Frankfurt School and Habermas POLS2076
Germany and Austria in Europe POLS2071
High Renaissance in Rome and Venice ARTH2094
Ideas, Causality and Culture PHIL2099
Ideological Issues under the Fifth Republic FREN2014
Love, Death and Freedom (20th C French Phenomenology) PHIL2059
Modern European Theatre DRAM2001
Modernism and Postmodernism: Architecture in our Century ARTH2092
Modernism in 20th Century Art and Design ARTH2043
19th and 20th Century Poetry ENGL2008
Philosophy and Gender PHIL2070
Philosophy of the Enlightenment PHIL2092
Politics, Culture and Society in Postwar Italy ITAL3010
Postwar British Drama DRAM2009
Postwar Italian Cinema ITAL3009
Postwar European Cinema: Films and Directors FILM2004
Postwar German Society GERM2020
Power and Subjectivity PHIL2089
Theories of Literature and Criticism ENGL2009
Women in Italian Society ITAL3014
World at War, 1939-1945 HIST2136
Any later-year course in German, French or Italian not primarily language based (see entries under School of Language Studies).
26 hours of lectures and 12 tutorials
Coordinator: Dr Forth and Professor Papadakis
Syllabus: This course develops perspectives on the concept of Europe from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. It considers political, social and cultural forces at work on European countries both with respect to elements of unity and diversity, to traditions and innovations and to the significance of notions like democracy, authoritarianism, the nation state, social class and citizenship.
Among the core themes are the idea of European unity, the shifting boundaries of European culture and identity, the development of political, social and economic theory, the impact of encounters with cultures outside of Europe, the consequences of transformations like the political and the industrial revolutions of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the development of a welfare state and models of unifying Europe today.
The course provides access to perspectives on modern Europe, which are critical of prevailing orthodoxies, constructive in attempting to understand the benefits of particular courses of action and offer explanations and interpretations of social, political and cultural forces at work in Europe.
22 hours of lectures and 11 tutorials
Coordinator: Professor Papadakis
Prerequisite: Any two first-year Sociology courses if undertaking the Sociology major or two first-year Arts courses.
Syllabus: This course draws on sociological theory and political thought to understand changes in citizenship, development of the state and understandings of democracy. It focuses on questions of power and trust in considering the role of politicians, the state, and citizen involvement in the political system, including conventional and unconventional political action, and links between citizens and political associations. These issues are explored in the context of social changes in Europe and support among political elites and ordinary citizens for nation states and the European Union. The key themes in the course are citizenship and the state; public opinion and political persuasion; citizen involvement in decision-making as a form of manipulation and social control; and the possibility of democracy. The approach adopted in this course allows for appraisal of prevailing theories about citizens and the state and analysis of case studies.
Proposed assessment: Tutorial participation, essay and an examination
22 hours of lectures and 11 tutorials
Coordinator: Mr J Gage, Faculty of Economics and Commerce
Syllabus: The course will identify significant issues in the life of contemporary Europe and trace the development of these issues over the recent past; that is principally since the Second World War. Strong emphasis will be placed on the emergence of a European consciousness over the last fifty years, especially on the political, economic and social elements of that consciousness. An examination of the origins, evolution and present state of institutions of European coursey will also form a core component of the course.
The description and analysis of these particular aspects of European experience will be placed within the wider framework of examination of the ideological and cultural trends that have characterised the European continent since 1945.
Proposed assessment: One class paper, one essay and a two-hour examination
24 hours of lectures and 12 tutorials
Coordinator: Professor Papadakis
Syllabus: This course identifies continuity and change in the organisation of European societies, beginning with the conception of Europe after World War II and appraising political and social structures and institutions.
Among the key themes are those pertaining to notions of economic reconstruction and development, challenges by social movements to aspects of the postwar settlement, shifts in values and attitudes, questions of race and ethnicity, religion, the status of women, employment and social policies, and national identities and cultures. The course considers the position of Europe and European nations in the context of changes in power relationships around the globe.
The course explores critical and constructive perspectives on contemporary European societies. It also aims to develop thinking skills and conceive alternative paths for action to those advocated by wellestablished practitioners or commentators.
Proposed assessment: Tutorial participation, essay and examination
22 hours of lectures and 11 tutorials
Coordinator: Dr Muller and Professor Papadakis
Syllabus: The syllabus reflects the shifting challenges confronting the European Union and Europe. It includes an analysis of the institutions of the European Union in the context of questions of subsidiarity, the democratic deficit and likely reforms. The course also covers the nature, history and evolution of major policies and their impact on member states as well as the wider debate over the evolution of the European Union as it confronts `globalisation'.
Other considerations include the perspective of member states on issues like defence, social policy, culture and enlargement; and the European Union in the world, as an expanding regional bloc, as an aid donor to developing countries and as a partner of Australia. Students will be encouraged to explore the relationship between the institutions of the European Community as well as the particular issues of concern to present or prospective member states by means of workshops or simulations.
Proposed assessment: An essay, simulations and an examination
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, Sociology, History or Anthropology, or with the permission of the lecturer
Syllabus: Fascism is not simply a matter of history. There are large fascist movements in several European countries, India and other parts of the world. Smaller fascist groups are very widespread from Australia to Russia, Japan to the Courseed States. In many countries large populist and racist parties have emerged with the potential to develop in a fascist direction. This course examines the emergence of fascism as a distinct form of social movement since the late 19th century, the circumstances under which fascist organisations have expanded and even taken power. It will also explore struggles against fascism and the strategies and theories which guided them, in order to encourage students to develop their own systematic understanding of fascism and effective ways to prevent or combat fascist movements. In addition, the course will consider how governments have treated antifascist movements.
Proposed assessment: Tutorial participation, tutorial paper and essay
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science if undertaking a Political Science major or any two first year Arts or Geography courses or one later year EURO course.
Syllabus: Though most people agree the environment matters, they disagree over why it is significant as well as the urgency and best approaches to achieving environmental objectives. This course explores the capacity of governments (mainly in Europe and Australia) to respond to these challenges, and has three components.
First, it considers how different ways of thinking about the environment influence actors and institutions. These ways of thinking include opposing ideas about potential catastrophes; beliefs that experts will solve all problems; ecologically sustainable development; and green radicalism and participatory democracy.
Second, it explores the obstacles to, and potential for, effective policy implementation in terms of governments' capacity to interact with non-state actors (green movements and interest groups; industry and green enterprises; the media; public opinion; transnational organisations). We consider the kinds of pressure they exert on the state to take action.
Third, the course focusses on specific issues (like air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and depletion of the ozone layer) in evaluating explanations for the logic and performance of national governments and transnational institutions like the European Union.
Proposed assessment: Participation in tutorials; an essay; and an examination
Convener: Professor Elim Papadakis
The single Honours in Contemporary Europe enables either BA students or BA (European Studies) students to focus on Contemporary Europe in their fourth year.
The normal requirements for entry into fourth year single Honours in Contemporary Europe are --
(i) completion of ten courses from the Contemporary Europe major comprising 7 courses/42 units and 3 courses/18 units from either designated courses of the Contemporary Europe major or European language courses with a Credit level average
(ii) completion of other courses which, when taken together with (i) above, are sufficient to meet the requirements for a BA degree.
Students who have completed the BA (European Studies) will have a major in a language. Students enrolling in the single Honours in Contemporary Europe but who have not been enrolled in the BA (European Studies) are not required to have a language major, though competence in a language is desirable.
The fourth year program will comprise --
The thesis will count for 50% of the grade and the two seminar courses for 25% each.
Students wishing to do the Honours in Contemporary Europe should consult the Convener about their choice of seminar and about other seminars that may be available.
Students can do a fourth (honours) year in the BA (European Studies) by combining honours in an affiliated honours school with work at honours level in European Languages (see School of Language Studies entries in this Handbook).
Convener: Dr Jim George, BA WAust., PhD ANU
The study of International Relations has traditionally been focused upon the (often hostile) engagements between nation-states and/or their diplomatic elites seeking to advance the national interest by means other than warfare. These are still important and relevant themes on the contemporary IR agenda. But at the beginning of the 21st century analysts and policymakers require a broader, more comprehensive body of knowledge and understanding in their dealings with the complex and volatile era beyond the Cold War. This major is designed to provide students with such knowledge and understanding in regard to both traditional and more recent agendas.
Students wishing to undertake the International Relations major plus a Political Science major would be required to complete the two first year IR courses and 5 x 6 unit IR later year courses for the IR major plus 7 x 6 unit POLS later year courses to complete the Political Science major.
The International Relations major consists of a minimum of 42 units comprising a maximum of 12 units (2 courses) at first year level followed by a minimum of 30 units (5 courses) at later year level.
Either POLS1002 Introduction to Politics; or POLS1003 Ideas in Politics; or POLS1004 Introduction to Australian and International Political Economy; plus POLS1005 Introduction to International Relations (core course)
Students must choose a minimum of 5 courses which must include the core course POLS3001 Australian Foreign Policy: The Search for Security and Prosperity plus 2 courses from List A and the remaining 2 courses from either List A or List B:
Diplomacy and International Conflict POLS2056
Gender, Globalisation and Development POLS2086
International Relations Theory POLS3017
Development and Change POLS2011
Gendered Politics of War POLS2085
Globalism and the Politics of Identity POLS2075
Identity Difference and Ethnicity SOCY3022
International Politics POLS2015
Japanese Foreign Policy and Asia-Pacific Region POLS2082
Politics in the Middle East POLS2031
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Syllabus: This course provides a broad ranging introduction to the study of international relations. It concentrates primarily on the major events (eg The World Wars, The Nuclear age, The Cold War); ideas (realism, liberalism, communism) and strategic practices (eg balance of power, collective security, deterrence) that have shaped the traditional international relations agenda, before engaging the new agenda of the post-Cold War era, particularly the new international political economy of the globalisation era which it explores in a variety of contexts, including its impact upon Australian foreign policy.
Proposed assessment: An essay and an end-of-semester examination. An assessment proposal will be discussed in the classes of the first weeks of the course.
Two lectures, (one of which might be devoted to a video screening) for eleven weeks and one tutorial a week for ten weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer
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 -- the First World War, Second World War, 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 -- 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.
Proposed assessment: One 2,5000 word essay, and either a take-home exam of maximum length 1,500 words, or a one and one-half hour examination.
Incompatability: POLS3020 Governance, Identity and Silenced Discourse
This course can be counted towards the Political Science or International Relations majors.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or Sociology, or Anthropology, or Geography, or Economics, or Economic History, or with the permission of the lecturer.
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, globalisation, debt, aid, food, the environment, governance, human rights, the military and democratisation. Development strategies are reviewed and agents of change are considered.
Proposed assessment: An essay, tutorial work and an examination.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science if undertaking a Political Science or International Relations major, or two first-year GEND courses if undertaking a Gender, Sexuality and Culture or Women's Studies major with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course 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 globalisation. It utilises critical and feminist accounts to interrogate particular political identities: of state, citizen and nationalism, and post-colonial and post-migratory identities. Within this global frame, it pursues contemporary debate around region, and 'Asia'. It concludes with a brief consideration of how international identity politics might figure in determining Australia's place in the world.
Proposed assessment: Tutorial participation, written work and a course review.
This course can be counted towards a Women's Studies or Gender, Sexuality and Culture Studies or Political Science or International Relations major.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year units in Political Science or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course 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.
This course can be counted towards a Political Science or International Relations major.
Two lectures, (one of which might be devoted to a video screening) for eleven weeks and one tutorial a week for ten weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
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 that 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.
Proposed assessment: One 2,5000 word essay, and either a take-home exam of maximum length 1,500 words, or a one and one-half hour examination.
Incompatibility: Governance, Identity, and Silenced Discourse POLS3020
This course can be counted towards a Political Science or International Relations major.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week and eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or Sociology, or Anthropology, or Geography, or Economics, or Economic History, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course is about development and politics in the island countries of the Pacific. It outlines the vulnerability of these countries and surveys colonial impacts and forms of government. Tensions between `tradition' and modernity are then examined through a consideration of culture and ideology, political participation, state and civil society, the situation of Pacific women, and the indigenous question. The last part of the course is concerned with the Pacific Islands in the global context. It examines key economic issues, regional cooperation and the process of reform in the 1990s.
Proposed assessment: An essay, tutorial work and an examination.
This course can be counted towards a Political Science or Development Studies major.
Two lectures and one tutorial per week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course 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, and for that matter Russian politics and society.
Proposed assessment: One 3,000 word essay and either a two-hour examination or a 2,000 word essay.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer
Syllabus: The course concentrates on the contemporary politics of the Arab world, Iran, Israel and Turkey, with some reference to 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 -- Islam, oil, the Arab-Israeli conflict and other regional disputes, and major power rivalry -- and the consequences of the interaction of these variables for the region's importance in world politics.
Proposed assessment: One 3,000 word essay and either a two-hour examination or a 2,000 word essay.
22 hours of lectures and 10 hours of tutorials over 13 weeks.
Prerequisite: Any two first-year courses of Sociology or Anthropology or Political Science or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: The course surveys various sociological perspectives on global change and development. The course is divided into three components: theories of development; resistance and development; and globalisation and development. The first section charts the history of the concept of development. Using a variety of case studies from Russia to Central America, the second section examines resistance to social and political inequalities and their relationship to social change and development.
The final section draws upon contemporary critiques of development and progress and examines the concept of globalisation. These approaches will be assessed through examining a range of contemporary issues, ranging from the advent of the Newly Industrialising Countries (NICs), global consumerism and global institutions.
Students will be encouraged to take these issues and apply them to their own specific fields of interest in any aspect of global development.
Proposed assessment: Details will be discussed with students.
This course may be counted towards a Sociology, Political Science, International Relations, Development Studies or Environmental Studies major.
Offered in 2001, first semester, and in 2002
One lecture, a 2 hour film or documentary screening, and one tutorial a week. Lectures will be taped.
Prerequisite: Any first year History courses to the value of twelve units, or with the permission of the Convener.
Syllabus: The Second World War was the greatest conflict in history. An estimated 50 million men, women and children died in a war that engulfed the globe and shaped the world in which we live; it is the defining event in the history of the twentieth century. This comparative history course will focus on political, social and cultural aspects of World War Two. It will encompass the war in Europe, and the war in Asia and the Pacific. Topics and themes will include: Hitler and Japan's war aims; Blitzkrieg in Poland and France; the uses of propaganda; civilian mobilisation and total war; the effects of mass bombing; allied leadership, cooperation and division (Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin); civilians under Nazi occupation (collaboration and resistance); racial policies and genocide; wartime espionage; science at war; Japan's occupation of South East Asia; anti-colonialism and the war in Asia; planning for peace and the liberation of Europe; the decision to drop the atomic bomb.
Honours Convener: Dr Jim George
Intending Honours students should first read the general statement "The degree with Honours" in the introductory section of the Faculty of Arts entry.
There will be a series of meetings for students hoping to advance to International Relations IV. Further information can also be obtained from the School of Social Science Administration Office or through the School of Social Sciences web page. Students with particular enquiries should consult the Honours Adviser.
To be eligible for entry into Fourth Year Honours, students must have completed the requirements for the pass degree.
The degree with honours in International Relations normally comprises:
(a) Two first-year courses consisting of either POLS1002 or POLS1003 or POLS1004 plus POLS1005; and
(b) Eight later-year level courses from the International Relations major to the value of 48 units, including the core course POLS3001 and a minimum of 12 units from List A. At least 24 of these 48 later year courses must be completed with a grade of Distinction or above, with the remainder to be completed with grades of Credit or above. If students obtain one or more High Distinction grades in later-year courses in addition to the 24 units required at Distinction level, then later-year courses completed at Pass level to the same value will be counted at Credit level.
(a) A thesis on a topic approved by the Head of School.
(b) Participation in seminar courses.
Final honours results are determined on the basis of a student's overall performance in International Relations IV.
Students may combine honours in International Relations with honours in certain other disciplines, the overall workload being equivalent to honours in a single discipline.
Three courses from the International Relations major (18 units) at later-year level are to be completed with grades of Distinction or above. The remaining three courses (18 units) should be completed with grades of Credit or above.
When planning such a degree students should take account of the honours requirements in both disciplines. Those interested should consult the Honours Convener as early as possible.
Convener: Dr Marian Simms, BA ANU, PhD LaT.
Communication can be studied as an adjunct to political and electoral studies, analyses of the public sphere & citizenship and international politics and globalisation.
The major includes a small number of core courses in Political Science and a larger group of electives, drawn largely from Film Studies, History and Gender Studies. It is intended that students will gain key basic ideas and material from the core courses and then enrich their studies with elective courses. Electives enable students to make choices to study different disciplinary and theoretical approaches to communication.
Most of the courses adopt multi-media approaches to their subject matter. Some also focus on the impact of the new media, especially the internet. There is no dedicated introductory course, however, students may find GEND1002 Reading Popular Culture particularly useful as part of their first year studies in Arts.
A range of other majors would be complementary, including Political Science, Sociology, History, Gender, Sexuality and Culture, Philosophy and Film Studies.
An Honours year is currently available through the Political Science Honours School with a research topic in Political Communication possible.
Political communication provides knowledge useful for careers in the political and bureaucratic arenas, as well as skills in critical thinking and writing.
The requirements of the Political Communication major are a minimum of 42 units comprising:
(a) 12 units from any first-year Arts courses (usually 2 courses); and
(b) 12 later-year units of core courses from the list below; plus
(c) 18 later-year units from the list of designated courses
Note: Students may count a maximum of four Political Science 6 unit courses towards this major
|
Cross-Cultural Communication LING2021 |
Australian Foreign Policy: The Search for Security and Prosperity POLS3001 |
Australian Foreign Policy: The Search for Security and Prosperity POLS3001 #
Cross-Cultural Communication LING2021
Culture Matters: An Interdisciplinary Approach GEND2000
Diplomacy and International Conflict POLS2056
European Cinemas, European Societies FILM2003
Frankfurt School and Habermas POLS2076
Popular Culture, Gender and Modernity HIST2122
Postwar European Cinema: Films and Directors FILM2004
Pressure Groups and Political Lobbying POLS2043
Strategy: Paths to Peace and Security POLS2060
US Cinema: Hollywood and Beyond FILM2006
# POLS3001 is not available to students who have completed Governance, Identity and Silenced Discourse POLS3020.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first year courses in Political Science or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course analyses the character of current campaigning technologies in Australia. It also examines the types of changes that have occurred over the past twenty years that have led to the process of modernisation. The development of new technologies such as computers seems to have gone hand-in-hand with the growing centralisation of election campaigns and a focus on the national political elites. The influence of the Courseed States on Australia has been important as part of the broader trend of globalisation of campaign technologies.
This course will adopt two main approaches, namely case studies of particular election campaigns in Australia and in various overseas countries and then evaluation of those campaigns, using various criteria of efficiency and effectiveness. It will utilise video and other materials, including internet sites, from selected campaigns.
Proposed assessment: One two-thousand word essay, one examination, and tutorial work.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science or Sociology, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course 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.
Proposed assessment: A 2,000 word essay, tutorial work and either an examination or further written assignments.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisites: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course will explore three bodies of literature. It will examine, firstly, the work of Political Scientists who have drawn on various theories, concepts and findings from Psychology in an attempt to enhance their analysis of political phenomena. Second, it will explore work conducted by Psychologists that may have relevance to the understanding of political life. Third, it will draw on work by other social scientists who have explored psychological dimensions of social and political life. Some of the topics to be explored will be Political Leadership, Decision-making, Group Dynamics, Inter-group Relations and Prejudice, Collective Behaviour, Mass Media and Public Opinion, Emotions in Politics and Non-verbal communication.
Convener: Dr Michael McKinley, BA Well., PhD ANU
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 offers courses that span a number of sub-fields within the discipline. First-year courses are designed to provide an introduction to the study of politics while later-year courses allow students to take more specialised courses within (and across) six principal areas:
1. Political thought and political theory,
2. Australian government and public policy,
3. Comparative politics and comparative public policy,
5. The methodology of political science, and
A major in Political Science usually consists of any two first-year courses in political science followed by five courses to the value of thirty units chosen from later-year courses in political science, for a total of 42 units. There are no compulsory requirements in the major and students can take a broad range of advanced courses or, if they choose, to specialise in one or two of the five principals areas identified above. There are no prerequisites for entry into first-year courses, but those offered at later-year level normally require successful completion of two first-year courses in Political Science.
The first year in political science usually consists of two courses chosen from the three courses listed in this section. The normal course of study for most students would commence with the course Introduction to Politics POLS1002 in the first semester and then a choice of one of the two courses offered in the second semester. However, it is possible for students to take two courses 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 course in the second semester and then Introduction to Politics POLS1002 in the first semester of the following year).
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Syllabus: The first aim of this course 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, representation, accountability and democracy.
The second aim is to use these -- and other -- 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.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
Syllabus: The course 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.
Proposed assessment: Essay, tutorial performance and examination.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week
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? Who exercises the most power over our lives? What are the implications of globalisation? Where does social conflict come from? How can I bring about social change?
No serious answer to these questions nor understanding of the forces that shape either our own lives or politics on a national and international scale is possible without knowledge of political economy.
Political economy deals with questions of politics and material interests. It recognises that economic power is fundamental to understanding social relations and politics in Australia and globally.
In the course we will look at a) the social forces and structures, notably class structures that dominate our lives and underpin both intellectual and political life; b) difference ideologies that justify policies, especially economic ones, and the status quo. Particular attention will be paid to economic rationalist, social democratic and Marxist ideas; c) the main institutions that shape these policies in Australia and internationally.
The course does not assume that students have any background in political science or political economy. There will be a strong emphasis on discussing and exploring current Australian and international 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.
Proposed assessment: Review, an essay, an exam and tutorial participation.
To be announced on course web page www.anu.edu.au/polsci/courses/aipe/
This course can be counted towards the Political Science or International Relations majors.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Syllabus: This course provides a broad ranging introduction to the study of international relations. It concentrates primarily on the major events (eg The World Wars, The Nuclear age, The Cold War); ideas (realism, liberalism, communism) and strategic practices (eg balance of power, collective security, deterrence) that have shaped the traditional international relations agenda, before engaging the new agenda of the post-Cold War era, particularly the new international political economy of the globalisation era which it explores in a variety of contexts, including its impact upon Australian foreign policy.
Proposed assessment: An essay and an end-of-semester examination. An assessment proposal will be discussed in the classes of the first weeks of the course.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: In the last two decades of the twentieth century, welfare became a controversial issue in industrialised countries. Internationally, debates have raged about how much welfare should be provided and whether governments, families, individuals or communities should be primarily responsible for its provision. No consensus of these issues has emerged. The course begins with an examination of the reasons and justifications for welfare state development. We will then study a range of critiques of welfare principles and arrangements, including Marxist, libertarian, feminist and anti-racist perspectives. The course will finish with a brief examination of the Australian welfare system in order to determine its distinguishing features and a review of the main problems facing welfare systems. International material is included for comparative purposes.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course examines institutions and politics in the Australian federal system. International comparisons are included to illuminate the Australian situation. We will begin by looking briefly at the history of Australian federalism and then at theories of federalism as a system of government. Questions such as whether federalism is a good system bringing government closer to the people or whether it produces weak, conservative government will be addressed. This section will be followed by an examination of some of Australia's main institutions, including the constitution, the High Court, parliaments, Prime Ministers, Premiers and cabinets. In the final section of the course, we will study contentious issues in Australian federalism, such as the division of powers, financial relations, aborigines, women and federalism and the question of an Australian Bill of Rights.
Two lectures, (one of which might be devoted to a video screening) for eleven weeks and one tutorial a week for ten weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
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 -- 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 -- 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.
Proposed assessment: One 2,5000 word essay, and either a take-home exam of maximum length 1,500 words, or a one and one-half hour examination.
Incompatability: POLS3020 Governance, Identity and Silenced Discourse
This course can be counted towards a Political Science, International Relations or Australian Studies major.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or Economics or Economic History or Sociology or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course 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.
Proposed assessment: Written work and a take home or sit down examination.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: POLS1004 Introduction to Australian and International Political Economy, or with the permission of the lecturer.
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.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
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 course 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: Essay, examination and tutorial assessment.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course 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, markets and the community; values in public administration; some problems of modern government.
The course 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.
22 hours of lectures and 11 tutorials
Prerequisite: Any two first-year Sociology courses if undertaking a Sociology major or two first-year Arts courses.
Syllabus: This course draws on sociological theory and political thought to understand changes in citizenship, development of the state and understandings of democracy. It focuses on questions of power and trust in considering the role of politicians, the state, and citizen involvement in the political system, including conventional and unconventional political action, and links between citizens and political associations. These issues are explored in the context of social changes in Europe and support among political elites and ordinary citizens for nation states and the European Union. The key themes in the course are citizenship and the state; public opinion and political persuasion; citizen involvement in decision-making as a form of manipulation and social control; and the possibility of democracy. The approach adopted in this course allows for appraisal of prevailing theories about citizens and the state and analysis of case studies.
Proposed assessment: Tutorial participation, essay and an examination
One two hour seminar and one lecture a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or Sociology, or Anthropology, or Philosophy, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: Marx developed an understanding of how capitalism works as a guide to political action. His analysis of the relationships between economic and political power, class and inequality, accumulation and globalisation, exploitation and oppression, struggle and social change still provide insights into contemporary societies, despite changes in technologies and the details of capitalist organisation of production (whose dynamics he considered).
Through the course we develop our understanding of key Marxist concepts and their application to current problems. In seminars we discuss important Marxist texts, mainly by Marx and Engels, their historical context and contemporary relevance. Lectures provide background to these texts and their relationship to Marxist theory and practice. Issues we cover include: class; the Marxist conception of socialism as the self-emancipation of the working class; globalisation; alienation; Marx's integration of earlier radical democratic and socialist traditions; economic crisis; the place of revolution in Marx's approach to the supercession of capitalism.
Proposed assessment: Seminar presentation, essay, course diary.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or Philosophy, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course aims to explore the operation of Australian political institutions and processes through the examination of contemporary political issues. It is not a current affairs course. It will range widely across substantial new directions in the political system as well as responding to one-off events, such as the Olympic Games in Sydney, elections or political crises. Generally it will avoid terrain covered in other Australian Politics courses.
Topics will vary from year to year but may include: the High Court; corruption and political ethics; parliamentary processes and politics; government and business; constitutional reform; sport and politics; state politics; Pauline Hanson's One Nation; influential new books on Australian politics; political biography; political culture.
Proposed assessment: Essay, examination and tutorial assessment.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science or Philosophy or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: In recent years, political theory has been revived by a series of ambitious and systematic works. This course 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 course will approach these questions in the light of the political realities of Western countries.
Proposed assessment: An essay, a second assignment and tutorial work.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or Sociology, or Anthropology, or Geography, or Economics, or Economic History, or with the permission of the lecturer.
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, globalisation, debt, aid, food, the environment, governance, human rights, the military and democratisation. Development strategies are reviewed and agents of change are considered.
Proposed assessment: An essay, tutorial work and an examination.
Two lectures (one of which might be devoted to a video screening) for eleven weeks and one tutorial a week for ten weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: Popularly conceived, Diplomacy is the advancement, pursuit, and securing of the national interest by way of negotiation, compromise, and law. It is widely, if not universally lauded as a politically and morally sound practice although those who practise it, diplomats, are accorded high status if, in addition to tact and skill, they also exhibit cunning. Indeed, as diplomats increasingly came to be associated with a guileful outlook, Ambrose Bierce defined their work as 'the patriotic art of lying for one's country,' while William Butler Yeats noted of their ilk that they were 'easy men' who told their 'lies by rote.'
Diplomacy, however, frequently fails, sometimes intentionally so. In this context, therefore, it is better understood less exclusively -- and more as part of the discourses of power in global politics and the relations between states and other actors which are mutual strangers. Accordingly, this course is concerned, in the main, with how such relationships are mediated, and how and why the failures, which have led to the outbreak of violence occurred.
Proposed assessment: One 2,500 word essay, and either a take-home exam paper of maximum length 1,500 words, or a one and one-half hour examination.
This course can be counted towards a Political Science, Political Communication or International Relations major.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first year courses in Political Science, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course analyses the character of current campaigning technologies in Australia. It also examines the types of changes that have occurred over the past twenty years that have led to the process of modernisation. The development of new technologies such as computers seems to have gone hand-in-hand with the growing centralisation of election campaigns and a focus on the national political elites. The influence of the United States on Australia has been important as part of the broader trend of globalisation of campaign technologies.
This course will adopt two main approaches, namely case studies of particular election campaigns in Australia and in various overseas countries and then evaluation of those campaigns, using various criteria of efficiency and effectiveness. It will utilise video and other materials, including internet sites, from selected campaigns.
Proposed assessment: One two-thousand word essay, one examination, and tutorial work.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science, Sociology, History or Anthropology, or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: Fascism is not simply a matter of history. There are large fascist movements in several European countries, India and other parts of the world. Smaller fascist groups are very widespread from Australia to Russia, Japan to the Courseed States. In many countries large populist and racist parties have emerged with the potential to develop in a fascist direction. This course examines the emergence of fascism as a distinct form of social movement since the late 19th century, the circumstances under which fascist organisations have expanded and even taken power. It will also explore struggles against fascism and the strategies and theories which guided them, in order to encourage students to develop their own systematic understanding of fascism and effective ways to prevent or combat fascist movements. In addition, the course will consider how governments have treated antifascist movements.
Proposed assessment: Tutorial participation, tutorial paper and essay.
Incompatability: From Fascism to Neofascism EUHY2001.
This course can be counted towards a Political Science or Contemporary Europe major.
Two lectures and one tutorial a week for eleven weeks
Prerequisites: Two first-year courses in Political Science, or Sociology, or Philosophy or with the permission of the lecturer.
Syllabus: This course 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 course 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 course 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 shall consider Habermas's reformulation of critical theory, his account of knowledge and human interests and his theory of communication.
Proposed assessment: An essay, a second assignment and tutorial work.
22 hours of lectures and 10 hours of tutorials
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science when taken as a Political Science course or two first-year Arts courses when taken as a Women's Studies or Gender, Sexuality and Culture major.
Syllabus: This course brings together 'development' and 'globalisation' literatures, with particular attention to women's experiences and gender relations. It begins with an analysis of 'women and development' and its subsequent manifestations. It pursues a gendered critique of international political economy, and intensifying globalisation processes. It then focuses on particular aspects of contemporary global political economy, including the feminisation of the global assembly line, labour migration, the international political economy of sex, and transnational political organising for women's and workers' rights.
Proposed assessment: Tutorial participation, written work, and a course review.
Incompatability: Gender and International Politics POLS2068
This course can be counted towards a Women's Studies or Gender, Sexuality and Culture Studies or Development Studies or Political Science or International Relations major.
22 hours of lectures and 10 hours of tutorials
Prerequisite: Two first-year courses in Political Science when taken as a Political Science course or two first-year Arts courses when taken as a Women's Studies or Gender, Sexuality and Culture major.
Syllabus: This course focuses on key questions to do with gender and global politics. It will analyse women's experiences, gender relations and feminist scholarship in relation to collective identity conflicts, political violence and war. It will begin with an analysis of the international politics of identity, boundary politics and the making of the outsider. It will then focus on the gendered politics of war and peace. It interrogates key concepts in critical security studies, peace research and feminist ethics. It will conclude with a review of contemporary women's organising across identity and state lines for peace.
Proposed assessment: Tutorial exercises, essay (2,000 words) and review (1,700 approx).