Students

POIR2580 – Political Violence

2021 – Session 2, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update

The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.

This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.

Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Steve Wood
steve.wood@mq.edu.au
Marty Kear
marty.kear@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above OR (10cp in HIST or MHIS or POL or POIR or MHIX or POIX units)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Humans are creatures that i) engage in politics; and ii) have a history of violence through all ages and across all cultures. This unit explores intersections of these two expressions of human behaviour: politics and violence. It incorporates theoretical and philosophical perspectives and empirical analyses, including on war, terrorism, authoritarianism and totalitarianism, genocide and ethnic cleansing, insurgencies and revolutions, assassinations, death squads, protest, and humanitarian intervention.

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: acquire knowledge and understanding about varieties of political violence, includingrelevant concepts, actors, theoretical perspectives, processes and contexts
  • ULO2: develop abilities to conduct independent research and deploy appropriate sources in ascholarly way
  • ULO3: understand the importance of organisation and time management of workloads, andstudent responsiblities in this area
  • ULO4: build capacity to apply critical evaluation and debating skills, and enhance presentationin written and verbal forms
  • ULO5: develop a more intensive knowledge of particular sub-themes, which could be expandedon in later postgraduate study

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.

 

Notice on Plagiarism, Fabrication, Purchasing Essays, and other dishonest practice – read this very carefully and take note

Plagiarism and other forms of dishonest academic practice are more trouble than they are worth. They are unscholarly, unethical, unfair, and illegal. It will waste your tutor’s and convenor’s time and ultimately your own. You will achieve far better outcomes by avoiding it. Do not do it. There are no excuses whatsoever. Plagiarism will result in a zero (0) for the assignment it occurred in. If you plagiarise do not claim after the fact that you did not understand what it was. More info at:

https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/glossary/terms/plagiarism

https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3

https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/glossary/terms/deception

 

We are aware that a large majority of students conduct their studies and submit their assessment items in accordance with academic requirements and conventions. The message above is not directed at these much appreciated hard-working students. It is directed at a significant minority of people who do not conduct their studies in accordance with academic requirements and who cheat against their fellow students. A minority of this kind recurs every semester in almost every unit. This notice is an attempt to pre-empt any form of dishonest academic practice and save everyone a lot of trouble.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
tutorial presentation (in class or online) 20% No 14:00 and 15:00, Tuesday, weekly
Exam 35% No During Examination Period
tutorial on-campus or online participation 10% No ongoing
Research Essay 35% No 1 November 2021, 4pm

tutorial presentation (in class or online)

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 14:00 and 15:00, Tuesday, weekly
Weighting: 20%

 

tutorial presentation (in class or online)

in-class presentations (for internal students = 20%) - students to send these to the tutor if the University cancels in-class presentations, the presentation materials (slides, accompanying text, etc) are to be sent to the tutor

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • acquire knowledge and understanding about varieties of political violence, includingrelevant concepts, actors, theoretical perspectives, processes and contexts
  • develop abilities to conduct independent research and deploy appropriate sources in ascholarly way
  • understand the importance of organisation and time management of workloads, andstudent responsiblities in this area
  • build capacity to apply critical evaluation and debating skills, and enhance presentationin written and verbal forms
  • develop a more intensive knowledge of particular sub-themes, which could be expandedon in later postgraduate study

Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: During Examination Period
Weighting: 35%

 

Authentic invigilated examination on campus. North Ryde and approved exam centre.

If an exam is not allowed on campus, an end of semester online test will replace the exam. In that event. expectations re: academic standards will be higher than for an exam.

 

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • acquire knowledge and understanding about varieties of political violence, includingrelevant concepts, actors, theoretical perspectives, processes and contexts
  • develop abilities to conduct independent research and deploy appropriate sources in ascholarly way
  • understand the importance of organisation and time management of workloads, andstudent responsiblities in this area
  • build capacity to apply critical evaluation and debating skills, and enhance presentationin written and verbal forms
  • develop a more intensive knowledge of particular sub-themes, which could be expandedon in later postgraduate study

tutorial on-campus or online participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: ongoing
Weighting: 10%

 

contribution to weekly tutorials (for internal students = 10%)

online participation (for external students = 10%)

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • acquire knowledge and understanding about varieties of political violence, includingrelevant concepts, actors, theoretical perspectives, processes and contexts
  • develop abilities to conduct independent research and deploy appropriate sources in ascholarly way
  • understand the importance of organisation and time management of workloads, andstudent responsiblities in this area
  • build capacity to apply critical evaluation and debating skills, and enhance presentationin written and verbal forms
  • develop a more intensive knowledge of particular sub-themes, which could be expandedon in later postgraduate study

Research Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 1 November 2021, 4pm
Weighting: 35%

 

Research Essay

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • acquire knowledge and understanding about varieties of political violence, includingrelevant concepts, actors, theoretical perspectives, processes and contexts
  • develop abilities to conduct independent research and deploy appropriate sources in ascholarly way
  • understand the importance of organisation and time management of workloads, andstudent responsiblities in this area
  • build capacity to apply critical evaluation and debating skills, and enhance presentationin written and verbal forms
  • develop a more intensive knowledge of particular sub-themes, which could be expandedon in later postgraduate study

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

2 lectures per week. Lecture audio and power point slides accessible on Echo via the unit iLearn site.

Power point slides uploaded to the iLearn site.

At time of writing there will be one (1) on campus tutorial (14:00-15:00) and one (1) Zoom tutorial (15:00-16:00) weekly.

Extraordinary circumstances (e.g. pandemic developments) may require some unit delivery details to change.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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.

Unit information based on version 2021.03 of the Handbook