Students
POIR2010 – Contemporary Issues in Australian Politics: Race, Nation, Class and Gender
2020 – Session 2, Special circumstance
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
Download as PDF
| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor and Lecturer
Lloyd Cox
Contact via 98504096
B247
Friday 10-12
Conor Keane
Contact via TBA
B248
TBA
Conor Keane
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above OR (10cp in HIST or MHIS or POL or POIR or MHIX or POIX units)
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Australia confronts a number of persistent questions: does it live up to its reputation as an egalitarian country whose unofficial motto is a 'fair go for all!'? How have class relations been influenced by the mining boom and its aftermath? Are Australian women and men making progress toward greater equality? What are the prospects for ‘closing the gap’ between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and more recent arrivals? Taking as its central themes, race, nation, class, and gender, the course is structured into sections addressing race and nation; class politics; gender and sexuality. |
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: Demonstrate the ability to peer below the surface feature of Australian politics and its discourses to identify the underlying inequalities at play
- ULO3: Understand and identify linkages between class, race, gender and Australian nationhood
- ULO4: Critically analyse Australian politics and assess the ways in which it reinforces, reduces or normalises inequality/
- ULO5: Demonstrate capacity to assess the extent that the media and new technologies impact – if at all – on the reproduction of existing social relations
- ULO6: Demonstrate critical understanding of the interplay between discourse, ideology, structures and agency in shaping the makeup of Australian society in terms of race, nation, class and gender
General Assessment Information
Late Submission Penalty: “Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.”
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-home exam | 25% | No | November 6-8 |
| Participation | 10% | No | All year |
| Quizzes | 20% | No | Weeks 3, 6, 9, 12 |
| Essay | 45% | No | 25/9/2020 |
Take-home exam
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: November 6-8
Weighting: 25%
Take-home exam - details and timing described on ilearn.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand and identify linkages between class, race, gender and Australian nationhood
- Critically analyse Australian politics and assess the ways in which it reinforces, reduces or normalises inequality/
- Demonstrate critical understanding of the interplay between discourse, ideology, structures and agency in shaping the makeup of Australian society in terms of race, nation, class and gender
Participation
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: All year
Weighting: 10%
Participation in online discussion
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to peer below the surface feature of Australian politics and its discourses to identify the underlying inequalities at play
- Critically analyse Australian politics and assess the ways in which it reinforces, reduces or normalises inequality/
Quizzes
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Weeks 3, 6, 9, 12
Weighting: 20%
Quizzes based on reading and lecture content.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to peer below the surface feature of Australian politics and its discourses to identify the underlying inequalities at play
- Understand and identify linkages between class, race, gender and Australian nationhood
Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 25/9/2020
Weighting: 45%
2500 word research essay - details provided on ilearn
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to peer below the surface feature of Australian politics and its discourses to identify the underlying inequalities at play
- Understand and identify linkages between class, race, gender and Australian nationhood
- Critically analyse Australian politics and assess the ways in which it reinforces, reduces or normalises inequality/
- Demonstrate capacity to assess the extent that the media and new technologies impact – if at all – on the reproduction of existing social relations
- Demonstrate critical understanding of the interplay between discourse, ideology, structures and agency in shaping the makeup of Australian society in terms of race, nation, class and gender
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
Resources: There is no set-text for this unit. Instead, key weekly readings will be posted on ilearn as will any supplementary readings. The week's recorded lecture and the power point slides can also be found on ilearn.
Delivery: For lecture times (which will be recorded and available to download) and tutorial times (for internal students) please consult the MQ Timetable website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au. Due to the Covd-19 Crisis, internal and external student participation is based on discussion board contributions on ilearn. Students should aim to make a contribution each week, or up to 300 words. This includes responses to questions listed by the unit convenor and discussion with fellow external students. Students are expected to contribute and participate each week on the discussion board as they would in an on-campus tutorial.
Unit Schedule
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Lecture |
Tutorial/Online Discussion |
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Week 1 |
Introduction: Politics and Social Division in the Age of Covid-19 |
The political relevance of race, nation, class and gender in an era of global pandemic (but no need to contribute to the discussion board for this first week)
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Week 2 |
'Race' and the politics of reconciliation |
'Race' and Reconciliation |
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Week 3 |
The History Wars: Australian Multiculturalism in Question |
History Wars, Multiculturalism |
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Week 4 |
Immigration, Border Protection and Securitization |
Immigration, Borders and Exclusion |
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Week 5
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Australian Nationalism: Whose National Identity?
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The Politics of Nationalism
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Week 6 |
Citizenship and the Politics of Fear + Religion in Australian Politics
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Fear, Religion and Citizenship I |
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Week 7 |
Class, Affluenza and the Environment
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Capitalism, Consumption, and Environmental Politics
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Week 8 |
The Changing Face of Work and Industrial Relations
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The Politics of Workplace Change and Industrial Relations
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Week 9 |
Mutual Obligation and the Welfare State + the Marketisation of Education |
Welfare and Education
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Week 10 |
Feminism, Gender and Power
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Gender inequality and women in politics
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Week 11 |
Preparing for the final exam. I will give a shorter than usual talk on how to best prepare for the online exam that will be at the end of week 13.
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Week 12 |
Babies, the Family and Same-Sex Relationships in Australia |
Babies, the Family and Same-Sex Relationships in Australia
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Week 13 |
Concluding Remarks |
No tutorial |
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:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
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
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