Students

SOCI3080 – Economic Futures: Work, Inequality and Power

2020 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Ben Spies-Butcher
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Our economy is changing. New technology, social norms and politics are reshaping who does what, and who gets what. In this unit we look at what has changed, and what will change. Why is work becoming less secure, housing more expensive and inequality growing? How are the choices of national governments shaped by broader global forces? We examine the big trends driving change, for example, the rise of service employment and automation, the introduction of competition in public services and distrust in formal politics. Not only will we explore what is driving inequality and insecurity, we also ask how we can respond - as (future) workers, governments and citizens.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: describe a number of theoretical approaches to the relationship between the economy, policy and society
  • ULO2: assess the suitability of different theoretical approaches to different kinds of social and policy problems
  • ULO3: analyse how policy development is influenced by macro economic and political forces
  • ULO4: apply ideas from political economy and political sociology to recent developments in the global economy and in the development of social policy
  • ULO5: demonstrate an ability to appreciate ethical dimensions of challenges confronting contemporary societies and be able to reflect strategically on how these can be addressed
  • ULO6: work in teams to construct a collective understanding of social issues and promote collaboration
  • ULO7: understand how the structure of the economy is shaped by civil society and collective social action

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Run a seminar/online discussion 30% No Weeks 6-12
Short paper 20% No Monday 24th August
Seminar/online forum engagement 10% No ongoing
Issue/policy analysis 40% No Friday 6th November

Run a seminar/online discussion

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Weeks 6-12
Weighting: 30%

 

In most weeks, student groups will run part of the seminar/online discussion. The presentations will have similar structures in class and online. In class the group will be responsible for running the class, providing input (e.g. a short presentation or media clip) and running activities. Online groups will be responsible for weekly forums, including posting stimulus material and structuring student engagement. The group is collectively responsible for developing the material, usually this would involve individual members playing different roles, some of which may not involve running live sessions. Individual contributions will be identified in the individual reflection.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • describe a number of theoretical approaches to the relationship between the economy, policy and society
  • assess the suitability of different theoretical approaches to different kinds of social and policy problems
  • analyse how policy development is influenced by macro economic and political forces
  • apply ideas from political economy and political sociology to recent developments in the global economy and in the development of social policy
  • demonstrate an ability to appreciate ethical dimensions of challenges confronting contemporary societies and be able to reflect strategically on how these can be addressed
  • work in teams to construct a collective understanding of social issues and promote collaboration

Short paper

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Monday 24th August
Weighting: 20%

 

Analysis of key paper and idea.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • describe a number of theoretical approaches to the relationship between the economy, policy and society
  • apply ideas from political economy and political sociology to recent developments in the global economy and in the development of social policy
  • understand how the structure of the economy is shaped by civil society and collective social action

Seminar/online forum engagement

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: ongoing
Weighting: 10%

 

Active participation in seminars and activities run by student group facilitators. This will involve posting on discussion forums run by other student presenters and engaging with arguments and concepts developed in the forums.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • describe a number of theoretical approaches to the relationship between the economy, policy and society
  • assess the suitability of different theoretical approaches to different kinds of social and policy problems
  • analyse how policy development is influenced by macro economic and political forces
  • apply ideas from political economy and political sociology to recent developments in the global economy and in the development of social policy
  • demonstrate an ability to appreciate ethical dimensions of challenges confronting contemporary societies and be able to reflect strategically on how these can be addressed
  • understand how the structure of the economy is shaped by civil society and collective social action

Issue/policy analysis

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Friday 6th November
Weighting: 40%

 

Analysis of a significant social, political and economic change.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • describe a number of theoretical approaches to the relationship between the economy, policy and society
  • assess the suitability of different theoretical approaches to different kinds of social and policy problems
  • analyse how policy development is influenced by macro economic and political forces
  • apply ideas from political economy and political sociology to recent developments in the global economy and in the development of social policy
  • understand how the structure of the economy is shaped by civil society and collective social action

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Given the unusual circumstances surrounding COVID-19, we will discuss how the unit can work best for everyone in the first class. The default option is to have a 3 hour seminar on campus. However, we may also consider Zoom classes depending on who is able to access campus. If we do default to online learning, short lectures will be pre-recorded and we will have shorter (1-1.5 hours) Zoom discussions to replace face-to-face seminars.

Unit Schedule

Section Week Topic
  1 Intro
Dynamics 2 Class conflict
  3 Market Society
Context 4 Keynesian welfare
  5 Neoliberalism
Challenges 6 Automation and the Service Transition
  7 Inequality
  8 Work and Insecurity
  9 Financialisation
Futures 10 Housing, wealth and Generational Inequality 
  11 Green New Deals & Climate Challenge
  12 MMT, Basic Income and Job Guarantees
  13 COVID and the Future

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

The second half of the unit content has been changed to focus on economic challenges and futures to reflect the new course title.