Students
PHIL3052 – The Philosophy of Race and Identity
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
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Albert Atkin
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Here's a surprising fact: race is a myth. In terms of science there is nothing that our ordinary concepts of race and racial difference could be. Yet we still manage to feel the impact of race and racism in our daily lives. In this unit we examine a series of philosophical questions that emerge from these facts: What is our ordinary understanding of race and why does it lack scientific credibility? What do the social realities of race tell us about this concept? And what should we do with race if it really is a myth? Similarly, we shall ask some serious philosophical questions about racism - what is it? And why is it wrong? And we shall look at the philosophical implications of questions about race and racism in our daily lives - should we adopt policies of affirmative action? Is there any kind of racial profiling that is acceptable? And finally we shall spend some time exploring parallels between race and other forms of identity including gender, class and ethnicity.
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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: Identify key philosophical problems about race and identity at an advanced level.
- ULO2: Explain important philosophical responses to problems in the philosophy of race at an advanced level
- ULO3: Offer critical and reflective responses of their own to the problems and theories introduced in the unit at an advanced level.
- ULO4: Engage in purposeful reading of key philosophical articles on race and identity.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophical Paper One | 35% | No | End of Week 7 |
| Philosophical Paper Two | 35% | No | End of Week 13 |
| Participation | 20% | No | Ongoing |
| Reading Sheets | 10% | No | Ongoing |
Philosophical Paper One
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: End of Week 7
Weighting: 35%
An argumentative essay analysing and responding to key problems and theories from the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify key philosophical problems about race and identity at an advanced level.
- Explain important philosophical responses to problems in the philosophy of race at an advanced level
- Offer critical and reflective responses of their own to the problems and theories introduced in the unit at an advanced level.
- Engage in purposeful reading of key philosophical articles on race and identity.
Philosophical Paper Two
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: End of Week 13
Weighting: 35%
An argumentative essay analysing and responding to key problems and theories from the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify key philosophical problems about race and identity at an advanced level.
- Explain important philosophical responses to problems in the philosophy of race at an advanced level
- Offer critical and reflective responses of their own to the problems and theories introduced in the unit at an advanced level.
- Engage in purposeful reading of key philosophical articles on race and identity.
Participation
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 20%
Tutorial participation either in-class or online. Students should be prepared for the class by reading set papers in advance, and formulating questions for discussion with their fellow students.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Explain important philosophical responses to problems in the philosophy of race at an advanced level
- Offer critical and reflective responses of their own to the problems and theories introduced in the unit at an advanced level.
Reading Sheets
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 10%
Weekly short answer responses to set readings.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Offer critical and reflective responses of their own to the problems and theories introduced in the unit at an advanced level.
- Engage in purposeful reading of key philosophical articles on race and identity.
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
Lectures
For lecture times for the purpose of Live Streaming, please consult the MQ Timetable website: https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2020/. This website will display up-to-date information on your class times.
Online - Participation
Participation will be delivered through on-line zoom tutorial. This will all be made available to you through the course web-site.
Lecture Recordings and Live Streaming
Lectures in this unit will be recorded for later viewing by anyone enrolled in the course, regardless of the mode of offering. For more information about lecture recordings see:
Unit Webpages and E-Resources
This course has many resources including papers, reading sheets, submission boxes, recordings of lectures for download, all available and accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/.
PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement. Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements.
Course Texts
There is no compulsory set text for the course, but you may find Atkin, Albert (2012) The Philosophy of Race. Routledge useful.
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
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.