In this unit we explore the concept of reconciliation and its relationship to conflict transformation and peacebuilding at personal, community, national and international levels. We will use case studies to highlight the psychological, spiritual, cultural, structural and political dimensions of reconciliation in different contexts such as indigenous/settler relations, restorative justice processes and transitional justice after mass violence.

This unit examines the causes and consequences of different types of violence, including war, genocide, terrorism, torture, gender-based violence, gang warfare and violence associated with racial, ethnic or religious tensions. We explore how violence has been defined and tolerated historically, its character and prevalence in different times and places, and the interconnections between direct, structural and cultural violence. Issues considered include cultural and social context, public perceptions, media representation, prevention, prosecution and the political economy of violence.

This unit explores the psychological dimensions of building peace in the world through cultivating inner peace or 'peace of mind'. We examine how it is that ordinary human beings can commit genocide and other mass atrocities, and how an understanding of underlying psychological processes can help with creating more peaceful communities. These inner processes include the effects of fear and trauma, and the development of empathy, resilience, healing and reconciliation.

This unit introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Peace and Conflict Studies and the history, philosophy, economics and politics of peace. Students will learn about the causes of violence and the potential for nonviolence, peaceful conflict resolution and other means of achieving peace with justice in different conflict settings.

This unit explores the interrelationship between human rights, peace and justice in theory and in practice. We examine the philosophical underpinnings, legal instruments, political struggles and ethical challenges involved in understanding and attaining human rights locally and globally. Students will engage in debates about global responsibilities for the prevention and prosecution of mass human rights violations and the means of promoting peace with justice through specific rights such as those of women, refugees, indigenous peoples and the non-human environment.

DVST6911 Dissertation Part A is the first part of a two semester dissertation project of 12,000-15,000 words
through which students engage in independent scholarly research about an issue of their own choosing and relevant to their discipline.

This elective is designed for international postgraduates who are new to study in an English language university. It supports the development of study, research, and critical thinking abilities, spoken English and academic language. Knowledge acquired in this unit will strengthen written and spoken English to help meet the standards necessary for successful completion of FASS Masters by coursework degrees. It is recommended that this elective be taken during your first semester.

In this unit students critically examine the role of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security. Contemporary and historical case studies are used to analyse the UN's performance in relation to such activities as peacemaking, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and peace enforcement. We assess the challenges facing the UN in achieving its mandate and implementing reform with a view to attaining peace with justice.

Completion of research and writing, and submission of a dissertation of 12000-15000 words on an approved topic, written under the supervision of an academic member of staff.

This unit examines media representations of conflict and their influence on the behaviour of those involved. It introduces creative ways for journalists, media development workers and media activists to apply principles of conflict resolution. Students diagnose 'war journalism' and 'peace journalism', and analyse conflict in a journalism context. Theories of news and concepts of objectivity and responsibility are critically explored. Students gain practical skills in peace journalism and media activism as well as devising peace journalism interventions in conflict-affected areas.

Religion is frequently blamed as the cause of violent conflict and yet peace and nonviolence are considered central to most if not all religions. In this unit we examine historical and contemporary case studies to deepen our understanding of how religion may be used to promote violence and how religion and religious actors can contribute to building peace and social justice. Students will gain an understanding of different religious traditions and build an appreciation of the issues involved in working with diverse faith communities in the pursuit of peaceful conflict transformation.

This unit of study will focus on the theory and practical application of facilitation, communication and conflict resolution skills in a community mediation context. Students will learn about various models of community mediation and will become skilled in the stages of community mediation through role-plays and simulation exercises. In addition to specific training in community mediation, the unit provides students with transferable skills and knowledge about mediation.

International development and humanitarian assistance are often delivered in a context affected by violent conflict. Aid and development operating in such complex situations risks feeding the conflict rather than alleviating it. A conflict-sensitive approach minimises the negative impact of aid and development ('do no harm') and maximises the positive impact on local capacities for peace. In this unit we take a skills-based approach to understanding and applying theories and methods of conflict analysis to designing conflictsensitive interventions that support more effective and accountable development practice in the field.

Research and writing on an approved topic of the candidate's own choice, under the supervision of an academic member of staff. The form of written output can include a long essay, a journal article, a research or funding proposal or a range of industry relevant writing outputs including, for example, a shadow report or evaluation report. The output produced must demonstrate appropriate scholarly engagement. Department permission required.

This unit offers students the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of social justice practice by undertaking a project-based placement in a domestic or international organisation. Under the supervision of the organisation, students undertake a specific focused task or set of tasks relevant to the organisation's mandate. Building on knowledge and skills developed in SCLG6923, this unit allows students to draw links between their practical project and scholarship relevant to their host degree program. Completion of this unit of study is assessed as pass/fail. Department permission required.

This unit of study provides students with practical training in experiential learning methodologies with application to working in the social justice sector. Students will also be introduced to cross-cutting issues in the sector, such as funding, and will receive training in vocational competencies, such as cultural competence and project management. Assessment in this unit of study allows students to critically apply their own area study and/or disciplinary lenses in setting professional development goals and planning a future project. Department permission required.

This unit offers students the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of applied social and political science practice by undertaking a project-based placement in a domestic or international organisation. Under the supervision of the organisation, students undertake a specific focused task or set of tasks relevant to the organisation's mandate. Building on knowledge and skills developed in the course of a SSPS Master degree, this unit allows students to draw links between their practice and scholarship relevant to their host degree program. Completion of this unit of study is assessed as pass/fail. Permission required from Department and / or School.

This unit of study introduces students to the theory and practice of conflict analysis and resolution. Students will gain an understanding of conflict resolution and transformation principles and interactive conflict resolution methods designed to address protracted, deep-rooted social conflicts. Students will learn skills that can be applied across the spectrum of conflict types from interpersonal and community, to inter-ethnic and international.

The unit introduces key social science concepts relevant to Development Studies. Students will learn to identify and critically assess fundamental ideas in social theory, including society as social facts, social action and change, the moral dimensions of human life, intercultural relations, and the idea of the global and universal in human societies.

This unit considers the evolving nature of security in the context of global politics. It focuses on non-military challenges to security while acknowledging the relationships between these and traditional security concerns. Among the topics considered are: international law and security; the privatisation of security; economics and security; energy resources; environmental degradation; the burden of infectious diseases; population dynamics; gender and age perspectives on security; the dilemmas of fragile and failing states; transnational organised crime; and new modes of warfare. The overall objective of the unit is to engage with issues and arguments that challenge how security is traditionally understood. Teaching and learning take place via a combination of lectures, student-led seminars, independent research, debates and case studies.

This unit focuses on the strategic dynamics of the Asia-Pacific region and the security challenges it faces. It combines a grounding in International Relations theory, and concepts of strategy and security, with a series of dedicated country profiles. Issues such as great power rivalry, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, piracy, and environmental degradation are all considered. The overall objective of the unit is to engage with issues and arguments about strategy and security that relate specifically to the Asia-Pacific region. Teaching and learning take place via a combination of lectures, student-led seminars, and independent research.

This unit assesses the political and security significance of disease-related events and developments. Whether one contemplates historical experiences with smallpox, the contemporary challenges posed by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and SARS, or the risks arising from new scientific developments such as synthetic biology, it is clear that diseases exercise a powerful influence over civilised humankind. The unit concentrates on areas in which human health and security concerns intersect most closely, including: biological weapons; fast-moving disease outbreaks of natural origin; safety and security in microbiology laboratories; and the relationships between infectious disease patterns, public health capacity, state functioning and violent conflict. The overall aim of the unit is to provide students with a stronger understanding of the scientific and political nature of these problems, why and how they might threaten security, and the conceptual and empirical connections between them.

This unit critically examines the notion of state fragility within the global system. It investigates the characteristics of so-called 'fragile' and 'failed' states, and the nature of international engagement with (and discourses about) these states. It explores various perspectives on state formation in both Western and post-colonial contexts, and emphasises the ways in which knowledge is produced about non-Western states. The unit expands upon the theoretical literature with evidence from case studies in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.

This unit examines the drivers of conflict and insecurity in the contemporary Middle East, starting with a theoretical framework that investigates the processes of state-formation and external intervention in the region. The unit focuses on the interplay between domestic factors (such as rentierism and regime dynamics) and international factors (including geopolitics/geo-economics, and the military industrial complex), and uses several detailed case studies to explore the relationship from various angles.

This unit introduces students to the basic knowledge of the issues, challenges and policies related to nuclear arms control and nonproliferation. The principal objective is to give students a better understanding of the politics of arms control and nonproliferation and help them develop the analytical skills for undertaking policy-relevant research and the ability to develop policy recommendations. The unit is also designed to examine proliferation problems and the ways that arms control can contribute to national and regional security.

The post-1949 era of 'development' has seen a philosophical and policy shift from nation-building projects of 'modernisation' to the local responsiveness of market forces and civil society. An anthropological emphasis on cultural and local difference and a sociological understanding of state and civil society provide a critical perspective on both this history and current debates. Case studies raise questions of health, gender and childhood, project success or failure, and of the hopes and skepticism development evokes.

Development is an international and intercultural process that seeks to both implement projects with specific objectives, and change the way people live and think. Language, as communication both enables such projects and is a source of incomprehension, misunderstanding and exclusion within them. Education as the longer term attempt to change the thinking and values of people and communities also has language at its heart. This unit examines the nature and politics of language and education and their relationship within development.

Poverty reduction has always been a central development goal. Major international programs such as the UN's Millennium Goals place poverty at their centre. New explanatory concepts such as social exclusion, capability, social capital and sustainability have considerably expanded our thinking about its nature. Students will examine cases from many parts of the world of the way discourses, policies and development practices operate together, enabling an evaluation of contemporary approaches to poverty and their effects on those most vulnerable.

Project design, dynamics and evaluation are key elements of the management and delivery of development initiatives. This unit focuses on the history, significance, context and design of evaluation in that process. The unit addresses debates about participatory approaches to evaluation, quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Assessment is organized around the design of a proposal for a project evaluation.

This unit provides students with analytical tools to understand and evaluate different forms of human activity upon the planet's ecosystems. Approaching the concept of 'the anthropocene' as a conceptual platform of social/political/cultural reflection, it will introduce students to contemporary critiques of development and the environment, environmental humanities and multispecies justice. The unit maintains a close association with critiques of anthropocentricism, alternative knowledge systems and social justice issues.

The principle of equality is a widely held ideal, however, inequality is on the rise worldwide. In this unit, to understand this paradox, you will investigate the historical development of inequalities of wealth and income across the global economy. To do this, you will consider different strands of liberal, Marxian, feminist, and postcolonial economic thought that seek to shed light on how global economic processes produce different forms of inequalities. You will learn how to apply these different analytical frameworks to contemporary issues of inequality and policy debates in affluent and developing nations.

This unit explores the processes and social dynamics underpinning economic development. You will engage critically with key themes - such as social policy, employment, migration, aid, and finance - informing the discourse of ‘development economics’, and reflect on alternative approaches to understanding the connections, tensions and contradictions between economic development, growth and wellbeing. You will consider key debates within this scholarship in their historical context and survey contending theoretical approaches in relation to comparative global economic development.

The unit introduces the core concepts of political economy through the lens of the principal schools of economic thought - Classical Political Economy, Marxian Economics, Neoclassical Economics, Institutional Economics, Keynesian Economics and Contemporary Political Economy. You will consider each school’s historical origins, their methodological approaches, analytical tools, policy prescriptions and insights. You will learn about the foundations for the application of political economic reasoning to advance understanding of contemporary issues like the climate crisis, precarious employment, energy impoverishment, the contemporary university business model, and global pandemics.

This unit introduces students to environmental economic theory, ecological economics, and other critical perspectives in order to develop an understanding of the parameters that define management of economy-environment interactions. Students will develop a critical appreciation of the systemic nature of the pressures imposed on environmental/ecological systems and the intractable problems this presents. The unit examines the different tendencies that inform environmental management and sustainable development; and the relative merits/weaknesses of the strategies and policies advanced.

This unit links debates over social rights and democratic legitimacy to structural economic arguments. It introduces the competing arguments over social rights and the struggles that have created them, and promotes the use of evidence in these conceptual arguments. The approach of economic liberalism to rights is examined. Important global issues involving rights and economic argument - such as self-determination, land rights, food security, fair trade and economic governance - are examined.

Modern life is marked by profound economic and social inequality. This unit guides students into their own research on the dimensions, causes, and consequences of inequality, with a special focus on Sydney. Students will learn in a hands-on way, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to social reality. They will learn practical skills in data visualisation with state-of-the-art software, and be asked to think creatively about responses to the processes reproducing inequality.

This elective supports development of skills in critical analysis, writing in different genres, research, presentation, and developing individual scholarly 'voice'. While valuable for all commencing postgraduates, it is of particular benefit to those returning to academia after an extended break, or for International students wishing to orient themselves to local standards of practice for academic communication. This unit is structured to have additional seminars and lectures early in the semester and fewer later in the semester so students have the opportunity to apply new skills to all their coursework. The unit is ideally taken in the first semester of study.

This unit will examine the internal governance of the People's Republic of China and aspects of its external relations. It begins by tracing the emergence of the PRC's political system after 1949, focussing on key features of Maoism and the rationale of Post-Mao reforms. It then considers the remarkable economic, demographic and social changes that have occurred in recent years and how China's government has responded to a range of crucial challenges. In particular the unit will provide critical insights into how concepts like democracy, human rights, civil society and 'rule of law' have developed within the Chinese context. Finally the unit will analyse the impact of 'globalization' on China's political system.

This unit aims to introduce students to how states and other actors in the international arena cooperate to build institutions as a response to common problems. After completing the unit students should be able to analyse contemporary international organisations to see how they work, whose interests they serve, and to what degree they attenuate or enhance the power of sovereign states.

This unit reviews developments in international security since before World War l, to recent events like September 11 and its aftermath. The principal focus is on developments since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of Communism. The unit takes account of traditional notions about the causes of war and the conditions of peace, as well as changes in the structure and process of contemporary international relations.

It is widely believed that we are entering a new era in which the transborder flows of capital, goods, ideas, and people are rapidly transforming human society. 'Globalisation', many claim, threatens the autonomy of nation-states and erodes the power of national governments to provide social protection and promote the nation's economic prosperity. This unit examines not only the causes and mechanisms of this process, but also assesses its social, economic, and political impacts. The views of radicals, transformationalists, skeptics, and institutionalists are compared and criticised. While globalisation is often viewed as a singular process, trending towards a global society, this unit offers a distinctive approach. Globalisation has uneven and highly differentiated impacts, whether harmful or beneficial, and this unevenness is closely associated with the nature of institutions of governance, at both the domestic and international levels.

This unit examines the environment as a political and policy issue. Although relatively recent, the environment has become a full-fledged public policy issue exerting influence in local, national and international arenas. The unit will first focus on the specific features of the policy that influences the capability of contemporary societies to enhance the management of environmental resources and of public goods in general. Second, it discusses the development of environmental policy in Western countries, with a particular emphasis on the European Union. Third, a grid for the analysis of environmental policy will be presented, with a discussion of the main actors (political, institutional and socio-economic) involved in it and of the factors (interests and ideas) influencing their positions. Fourth, the unit briefly discusses environmental conflicts and consensual approaches used for tackling them.

This unit introduces students to some of the most important contemporary structural changes in the global political economy and power structure with special attention to non-state actors (including corporate ones) and global civil society. The unit begins with an outline of the dominant modes of thinking about international political and economic relations, surveys some of the main theoretical schools and then examines global politics and political economy in terms of those events and forces that have been or are capable of precipitating major change. The historical focus will be principally on the role of war (including the so-called War on Terror), globalisation, power shifts and ideological innovation (including American unilateralism and Islamic fundamentalism) in the post Cold War period. The new agenda of international politics will be explored in a theoretical perspective - including the climate change emergency and the issue of effective global governance; the struggle for global social and economic justice, and the global prospects of democracy. The unit is designed as an advanced introduction to international relations for students pursuing postgraduate studies.

Why do states behave the way they do? Using a historical perspective, this unit explores the ways in which the different theories of international relations account for what shapes the international system - who are its main actors, what are its determining forces and structures. It examines both how these theories have vied with one another within inter-paradigm debates and how they developed in relation to specific historical events. These theories include realism, idealism, neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism, Marxism, the English school, constructivism, poststructuralism, feminism, post-colonial approaches. While no prior study of international relations is required, a willingness to engage with theoretical thinking and grapple with complex questions of ontology and epistemology is essential.

This unit examines the challenges of modern representative government. Comparing models of democratic politics, we assess the continuing relevance of political institutions, such as parliaments and parties, and consider political processes, citizen disengagement and new forms of participation.

From the ban on 'Supertrawlers' to investigating the 'live baiting' of greyhounds, modern public policy addresses contemporary issues in ways that mobilise or mitigate public sentiment. Understanding policymaking increasingly depends on analysing how the emotionality of a topic and the salience of an issue create penalties for actors and may influence policy responses. This unit focuses on the way emotional issues rise on the political agenda and can lead to short-term policy responses

Much recent attention has focused on preventing corruption and improving ethics in public sector organisations around the world. This unit equips students to identify and analyse different forms of corruption and ethical failure, and to reflect critically on the best ways of combatting corruption and enhancing ethics in the public sector. The unit takes a comparative approach to these issues.

This unit of study will examine a current national or international public policy process, issue or sector. It will deal with contemporary themes and issues in terms of ground level policies, as well as wider conceptual frameworks to help explain them.

This unit provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical introduction to the problem of terrorism worldwide and its impact on global security. It will cover the origins of terrorism, the structure and behavior of terrorist organisations, social, political, economic, and technological trends that impact terrorism and the threat it poses, and the complexities of counterterrorism policy. The knowledge and analytical skills acquired by students in this unit will be instrumental in understanding the challenge of terrorism.

This unit focuses on the nature of public policy and the processes by which it is produced. Relevant issues are common to all nation states, although they take specific forms in each individual country. First, the unit takes an overview of public policy - dealing with basic themes such as 'What is policy?' through to different approaches to understanding the policy process. These include policy cycles, rationality, interest groups, institutions, and socio-economic interests. Second, it maps out and examines the main components of public policy making: actors, institutions and policy instruments. Third, it focuses on aspects of policy-making processes which often attract a high level of attention from analysts. These include problem definition, agenda setting, decision-taking, policy implementation, policy evaluation and crisis policy-making. Fourth, it examines wider issues in terms of the state and who ultimately holds power over the making and shaping of public policy. Finally, it examines the 'bigger pictures' of long term policy trends, and the extent to which national policy making capacities and processes have been affected by globalisation. Assessments offer a large element of flexibility, allowing students to concentrate on areas of particular interest.

This unit outlines some of the most important developments in contemporary public management and governance and how these relate to the everyday practices of those working in the public sector. It uses examples drawn from a number of OECD countries to: critically analyse the forces that have driven the move towards 'public management'; examine the theory and practice of 'public governance'; evaluate the merits of these developments; and apply this knowledge to better understand specific developments across different contexts.

This unit examines politics and media. From the relationship between news media and electoral politics, the study of the intersection of media and power now includes the consideration of new media forms and their relationship with the "soft" politics of representation and performativity.

This seminar introduces students to the dynamics of US-China relations, regarded by many as the most significant bilateral relationship in the world. The seminar aims to give an overview of the history of US-China relations, to deepen the students' understanding of the strategic thinking and policy-making of both China and the US, and to discuss a number of key contemporary issues in the relationship in some detail. This bilateral relationship has arguably become the most complex and challenging for both Washington and Beijing.

This unit provides a foundational understanding of the content and philosophical justifications for human rights norms. Philosophical, historical and positivist perspectives will be brought together in this unit to allow students to grasp the content of human rights and the justification for norms that become domestic and international law. The unit covers institutional protection mechanisms, including UN treaty and charter bodies, and offers an exploration of core human rights treaties and their social and political context.

Using a case study approach, this unit helps students to analyse the causes and sustaining dynamics of human rights violations along a number of dimensions; cultural, economic, organisational, social and political. Students will then acquire analytic and practical capacities and skills to assess the merits and feasibility of different types of interventions and design intervention strategies. It considers the impact of different types of interventions and the processes available for assessing the human rights impact of other laws, policies or developments.

This unit of study will provide students the opportunity to assume institutional roles within the international human rights framework, and understand its opportunities and constraints in responding to social problems rooted in inequality, precarity and violence. This unit reaches beyond traditional classroom instruction by simulating a range of human rights issues to which students must respond, engaging students in exercises designed to practice skills for future human rights advocacy, including data collection, interview techniques, and engaging with the media.

Holocaust and genocide museums and memorials continue to grow in number and appeal. This unit tracks their evolution as a genre, the theoretical and political debates that have accompanied their development and their increasingly influential public and political roles. We examine both purpose-built institutions and those developed at former sites of mass murder, reflecting on how these sites of trauma both shape our understanding of past events and contribute to contemporary debates concerned with genocide prevention and other related issues.

In today's globalised and multicultural societies, cross-cultural communication is common enough. Even so, it continues to be a challenge, both for people who engage in cross-cultural communication on a daily basis, and for researchers trying to describe and understand it. In this unit of study we will consider a variety of discourse-analytic approaches to studying cross-cultural communication, including conversation analysis, speech act theory, interactional sociolinguistics, the ethnography of communication, and critical discourse analysis. In our analyses of actual samples of cross-cultural communication we will pay particular attention to the social positioning of participants in an interaction, and the ways how social relationships (particularly of power and intimacy) between participants are reflected in their linguistic practices. The unit will end with exploring applied perspectives, particularly on cross-cultural communication in educational, courtroom and workplace interactions.

How does it feel when your mother tongue is only spoken in your own village and not viewed as a 'proper' language? Are these communities justified in trying to revitalize their ancestral tongues? This unit will analyze the dilemmas faced by speakers of minority languages. We will address how to respectfully communicate and interact with these communities.

Media Relations provides students with practical experience in seeking media coverage for a specific issue on behalf of a non-profit organisation. It requires students to research, design, present, implement and evaluate a communication plan, and to develop key tactical elements including media releases for distribution across multi-media platforms.

This core unit of study in the Master of Media Practice takes an international media focus, developing knowledge of a wide range of media contexts in both the global South and global North. Drawing on comparative media theories, it enables students to map, analyse and debate similarities and differences in media markets, management and regulatory arrangements, professional media practices, and user cultures, to enhance graduate employability across global labour markets. Students are equipped to critically examine disparities in media access and infrastructure, emergent mechanisms of media governance, and debates about the role of media professionals in social progress across world regions.

This unit will provide an analysis of theories and practices of citizenship rights in Australia, other Anglophone countries and European countries in the 20th and 21st centuries. It will examine the relationships between different modes of citizenship, claims for rights and the formation of social movements with regard to the women's movement, Indigenous movements (where applicable) and movements concerned with migration, ethnic diversity and multiculturalism. Analyses will focus on the processes, content and outcomes of social movement advocacy.

This unit explores a series of issues of controversy and debate in social theory. These include debates over: the information age; new information and communication technologies; the new capitalism and changing work practices; the cultural sphere; new forms of power and surveillance; shifting claims to insight in knowledge societies; the role of education in social inequality; the bases of making knowledge claims; and globalisation. The unit involves both face-to-face seminars and online discussions.

This unit will provide students with an appreciation of the Indigenous peoples' struggle for Indigenous rights through an understanding of international, regional and national processes relevant to this struggle. Students will not only learn about Indigenous peoples histories in relation to colonisation and state building and the relevance of the nation-state and governments to the struggle for Indigenous rights but also the significance of international law, globalisation and economic development to Indigenous peoples struggle for Indigenous rights.

Quantitative methods are vital to social science. This unit introduces students to commonly used techniques for collecting and analysing numerical data to answer empirical questions about social, cultural, and political phenomena. It addresses the description of data with graphs and tables, descriptive statistics, statistical models, hypothesis testing, and other topics. The unit is appropriate for beginners, who will gain perspective and confidence conducting their own quantitative research and critically understanding that of others. It is taught in a computer lab, giving students practical experience with statistical software.

Qualitative research rests at the heart of social science. This unit introduces students to commonly used techniques for collecting and analyzing categorical data to answer empirical questions about social, cultural, and political phenomena. It examines case studies and comparative history; interviews, ethnography, and fieldwork; plus archives and content analysis, among other topics. Instruction is provided by a team of teachers with experience using these methods. Students therefore gain valuable insight into how to conduct and consume qualitative research.

This unit focuses on the institutions and individuals that make American foreign and national security policy. It
begins by examining the power of the president and Defense Department, as well as the State Department,
CIA and NSC. It then provides a historical overview, examining WWII, Vietnam, the Cold War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The third module examines the impact of nationalism and liberalism on US foreign policy. Then several regional and bi-lateral relationships are studied, including US-China relations, US-NATO relations and US policy in the Middle East. Lastly, America’s responses to global warming and the international refugee crisis will be explored.

This unit will focus on media coverage of political campaigns and politics in America. It will look at the role of the media in American society in shaping debates and also the power of the American media globally. The impact of the internet on American journalism will be discussed as will the future of the media.

Quantitative methods are vital to social science. This unit introduces students to commonly used techniques for collecting and analysing numerical data to answer empirical questions about social, cultural, and political phenomena. It addresses the description of data with graphs and tables, descriptive statistics, statistical models, hypothesis testing, and other topics. The unit is appropriate for beginners, who will gain perspective and confidence conducting their own quantitative research and critically understanding that of others. It is taught in a computer lab, giving students practical experience with statistical software.

Qualitative research rests at the heart of social science. This unit introduces students to commonly used techniques for collecting and analyzing categorical data to answer empirical questions about social, cultural, and political phenomena. It examines case studies and comparative history; interviews, ethnography, and fieldwork; plus archives and content analysis, among other topics. Instruction is provided by a team of teachers with experience using these methods. Students therefore gain valuable insight into how to conduct and consume qualitative research.

The focus of this unit is the conduct of research in political economy. You will learn a range of topics including research design, literature review, data collection and analysis, and writing a research proposal. You have the opportunity, through the weekly seminars, for critical discussion to identify, debate and reflect on the nature and challenge of undertaking research and the construction of a political economy analysis. Your assessment is structured to assist the progressive development of a research proposal. Completion of this unit is a pre-requisite for a Masters’ dissertation in political economy.

Modern life is marked by profound economic and social inequality. This unit guides students into their own research on the dimensions, causes, and consequences of inequality, with a special focus on Sydney. Students will learn in a hands-on way, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to social reality. They will learn practical skills in data visualisation with state-of-the-art software, and be asked to think creatively about responses to the processes reproducing inequality.

This unit will provide students with the fundamentals for constructing and conducting effective research projects in the social sciences. An overview of social science inquiry will be presented through an examination of the diversity in theoretical and methodological approaches used in research. This will include a focus on both primary research, using interviews and questionnaires, and secondary research, using statistical databases, content analysis and textual analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be covered in the unit, as will an overview of ethical practices associated with research design. The assessment will be based around constructing practical research projects that can be utilised in both university and workplace-based research.

This unit introduces students to key issues, debates and ethical questions in human research, enabling them to acquire knowledge and develop skills for research degrees and funding applications. It examines values and principles of research ethics, and encourages students to reflect on these in relation to research with human subjects. The unit offers practical support to higher degree research students developing, or planning to develop, a human research ethics application.

This unit provides training in applied qualitative data analysis using NVivo software. Students are able to apply a range of qualitative methods.

Social science research abounds with data of different nature, sources, and forms. In many situations, available data can be summarised and analysed quantitatively to identify trends, uncover patterns, or test hypotheses. This unit presents fundamental ideas behind modern data analytics and provides students with hands-on experience of analysing social science data. First, we cover data manipulation, data cleaning, and basic visualisation. We will then move on to the methods of exploratory data analysis and finding patterns in data. The unit will conclude with an introduction to statistical inference, linear regression analysis and its limitations for causal analysis.

The rise of big data, mobile phones, digital media, and other new ICT has not only affected the way we live and created new social phenomena worth of studying, but has also enabled social scientists to address a variety of important social science questions using new data, methods, and approaches. This unit serves as an introduction to the emerging field of the Computational Social Sciences. We are going to learn how to collect digital data via web scraping and how to analyse it using a variety of methods developed for computational text and network analysis.